Target Groups and Experience
Companies
There are many successful companies in the Netherlands that have to deal with large transition issues. They see the need to improve their talent base, organizational development, and stakeholders' policy, but they lack the knowledge and resources to accomplish that goal and seek out support.
They struggle with the issue of how their identity and image can help improve their connection with their stakeholders and enable them to attract, develop, and retain talent.
My experience as CEO of van NV de Koninklijke Porceleyne fles (Royal Delft) makes me a valuable asset to these companies. In this role, I realized a major turnaround and transformed Royal Delft from a struggling pottery factory to a thriving, profitable business with 160,000 visitors annually. In recognition of my work on transforming the company into an entirely new business proposition, I was named Dutch Business Woman of the Year in 2002.
Charity Fundraising Organizations and NGOs
Nongovernmental organizations are usually very professional, responsibly managed organizations that create great value for society. However, it can be difficult for them to make their mission clear to the larger public. They must often achieve a lot with very few resources, while struggling with the same problems that face for-profit organizations.
As Director of the Stichting Kinderpostzegels in the Netherlands, I led this foundation for vulnerable children to new fundraising levels, in part by making adjustments to the organization's brand: namely, the well-known children's postage stamp. These changes have resulted in a near doubling of annual turnover, from 8 million to 15 million euros.
In addition, the organization started working more programmatically to develop life-improving activities for vulnerable children in the Netherlands and abroad.
Hospitality Industry, Tourism, the Travel Industry, Congresses, Meetings, and Incentives
My experience in the hospitality sector will likewise prove invaluable to organizations in this area seeking to undergo transformative changes. After I completed my studies at hotel management school, for more than a dozen years I held key management positions in marketing and sales in the international hotel industry. I then served as Division Director of Carlson Wagonlit Travel in the Netherlands, where, managing a team of 100 people, I oversaw meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (or MICE); inbound and outbound tourism; business travel; and wholesale ticketing.
With a special focus on strategic meeting and event management, as well as return on investment, I helped bring about substantial revenue growth in these fields. I was also initiator of the company's social responsibility policy.
Business Agencies (FDI)
Recently, I served as Director of a foreign direct investment agency, namely, The Hague Business Agency. This agency encouraged foreign companies and organizations to establish themselves in the vicinity of The Hague, and through my efforts there was a 25% increase in the number of companies and organizations setting up for business in the area.
During the same period, I oversaw the successful merging of what had previously been three distinct organizations: The Hague Convention Bureau, The Hague Marketing Agency, and The Hague Business Agency. To streamline this merger, I took on special roles in strategic HR management, organizational development, and talent development, implementing the internal branding strategy and the techniques for performance management and talent development that inform my current approach as a transition architect.