What did you do before you came to WesselinkVanZijst?

Before joining WesselinkVanZijst, I worked in the public sector for a long time. There I managed all sorts of processes. For example, I was program director at War Child and emergency aid coordinator at Cordaid. At the Dutch Relief Alliance, a collaboration between 15 emergency relief organizations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I was chairman. I also worked abroad for several years as a country director, advisor, and trainer. Primarily in conflict zones, but also at the negotiating tables of the EU in Brussels and the UN in New York.

Although those contexts may seem far removed from the Dutch ones, I can apply many of the principles from that time regarding stakeholder engagement here. And an advantage of working in active conflict zones: it doesn't take much to ruffle my feathers!

What do you mainly focus on at WesselinkVanZijst?

My portfolio as a senior advisor and mediation lead is quite diverse. I work on partnerships within the energy transition, water management, and the social domain, as well as on the environmental management of large companies. Within these assignments, I mainly facilitate negotiations or processes that are highly tense, involve multiple parties, and where the task is socially relevant.

I'm often told that I bring a lot of calm to processes where conflict is about to boil over. The more complex the situation, the calmer I become. I also don't easily find things ‘odd’ but am always curious about the underlying reason for certain behavior. This is especially useful in mediations (where parties often enter very tense). But in other processes where I play a role, my calmness is often contagious.

At WesselinkVanZijst, I also regularly lead training sessions. For example, I teach the SOM Basic Training, MGA Training, and the training in ‘challenging conversations.’ During these sessions, I greatly enjoy the interactions with participants and learn a tremendous amount myself from the questions I receive about my work and from the examples and dilemmas that participants share.

What drives you in your work?

My drive is to address the root causes of conflicts so that people can cooperate and live together sustainably in the Netherlands and beyond. This has been the core of my work since my anthropology studies with a specialization in conflict studies. And actually, I have to go back even further, to my childhood, when I was ‘the negotiator’ in our somewhat large family. I get joy from succeeding in getting people to listen to each other so that understanding increases somewhat, and this sometimes creates space to think about a possible solution.

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

I can relax very well. I enjoy doing that during a walk, talking with a dear friend or family member, on the yoga mat, or in the heat of the sauna. Spending time with my family, consisting of my husband and two teenage daughters, is very high on my agenda. But I also like to contribute to my immediate community as a volunteer through neighborhood mediation in The Hague or as a commissioner for foundations.