What did you do before you came to WesselinkVanZijst?

A whole lot! During my studies in Environmental Geography at Radboud University Nijmegen, I already started at Buro Maas, an office run by TU Delft Professor Frans Maas for Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning. After working here for a few years, I moved to Ecoplan. There, I immediately started on a number of educational projects. For example, I worked on the first National Environmental Policy Plan of the Netherlands, but also on building the International Network of Greenplanners and the cooperation with the steel industry in Poland.

On my 30th^ste I became director of Environmental Resources Management Nederland (ERM) and there I came into contact with my sources of inspiration, Prof. Lawrence Susskind (MIT) and Frans Evers, the Godfather of MGA in the Netherlands. Since then, I have been connected to the networks of Susskind and Evers, such as the Consensus Building Institute (CBI), the Sustainability Challenge Foundation, and later the MGA Network.

Subsequently, I became a partner at Twynstra Gudde. There, I specialized in change management and process, project, and program management. In the early 2000s, I merged these with the approach we now know as Strategic Environmental Management. All the knowledge and expertise I gained during my time at Twynstra Gudde have found a place in SOM.

That tasted like more and soon the desire arose to bring more focus to my work. To be able to fulfill my ambitions and those of Hans without compromise, we decided to found WesselinkVanZijst together in 2010.

What do you mainly focus on at WesselinkVanZijst?

I love working in the arena: where things get exciting, where there's friction. My focus is therefore on complex, usually managerial, tasks with conflicting interests. From there, I further developed the SOM mindset and have written books such as the Handbook of Strategic Environmental Management 2.0.

I no longer develop knowledge on my own, but together with the wonderful team at WesselinkVanZijst. We apply the new insights we gain together in projects, but also as teaching material in the SOM Academy and other training programs where I teach, such as at VU University Amsterdam. Additionally, I am active in various networks, and I try to foster mutual support and inspiration with clients and colleagues.

What drives you in your work?

Every day I wake up with the motivation to tackle societal challenges in a way that leads to less delay, less cost, and less social frustration. This is because that approach can and must be improved. Society demands it and deserves it. I am convinced that to achieve this, we must handle interests more carefully and consciously. We need to start working from a vision and translate that into actionable perspectives for environmental professionals, leaders, managers, and organizations.

What do you like to do most when you're not at work?

I most enjoy spending time with my wife Esmeralda, our sons Wouter and Emile, and their girlfriends. To stay fit, I exercise a lot, enjoy walking in nature, and birdwatching. Making fond memories with friends is also high on my wish list.