Experience

Volt Europa

• Belgium
• Political Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Board Member

  • Oct 2021 - Present

  I am one of the 6 non-executive Board members of Volt Europa. The full gender balanced Board consists of 9 board members that come from different countries within Europa. Next to the political positioning, I have an advisory and strategical role for our political movement and to our internal organization especially for our Events team, Fundraising team and Legal team including our Data Protection Officers.Volt Europa is the first pan-European political movement that is active in over 30 countries with over 25,000 volunteers to encourage citizens on the local, national and European level to rethink and shape politics. We have over 100 elected representatives in political office across Europa with more to come these upcoming years! Show less

• Secretary General

  • Feb 2020 - Apr 2022

  I am responsible for the management and development of the internal organization to ensure Volt Europa can function effectively to create impact as both a movement and a political party. Being a young organization, my priority is to professionalism the organization. I am the key contact for all stakeholders (the European Board, European functional teams, National Boards and National General Secretaries) as their key contact and bring teams together. I ensure the organization fulfills its (legal) requirements and the structures are built to have a maximum impact with clear objectives. Volt Europa is the first pan-European political movement that is active in over 30 countries with over 25,000 volunteers to encourage citizens on the local, national and European level to rethink and shape politics. We have elected representatives in political office across Europa with more to come these upcoming years! Show less



Ocullus Consultancy

• Netherlands
• Business Consulting and Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Management Trainer

  • Mar 2020 - Present

  I train managers how to deal with unconscious bias and to conduct job interviews in an objective way as well as how to lead a diverse team and be truly inclusive. It is a fact that people with a migration background have less access to job opportunities. I think it is time to change that. Research by McKinsey in 2015 has shown that diverse teams attract better talent, increase employees satisfaction, are able to be more creative and innovative and ensure a better connection with society as a whole. My favorite saying is: "Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusiveness is being asked to dance". Let's all get to dance together! Show less



Knowledge for Children

• Netherlands
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Managing Director

  • Jan 2019 - Mar 2020

  As the Managing Director, I am responsible for Knowledge for Children in the Netherlands on the one hand and supervise our local organizations in Africa. I have lived and worked in Africa for 5 years. In that time, I have ensured that our local organization in Uganda became independent in running our 3 step program that improves the quality of primary education be creating self-reliance in schools. The result of these efforts are that the remaining tasks are to supervise that funding is used in the right and agreed way as well as to continue to support the Board, Country Director and team with continuous capacity development. As the Managing Director I will focus on these tasks for not only Uganda but also Cameroon and Kenya and possible new countries when added. Having been at the grassroots of our organizations in Africa and development of our program; I live and breath Knowledge for Children's philosophy to create self-reliance. As the Director I will focus on sharing our vision further across and on getting more and more people, companies, foundations and well wishers to join our mission. In setting up working relationships, partnerships and funding agreements but most of all in sharing our unique knowledge with stakeholders through events, workshops and journeys. I believe that our model is an example for how charities should work; to not just have an impact but to create a sustainable change that lasts even when the charity is no longer there. That is a message that deserves attention. My goal as the Managing Director is to ensure growth for our organizations: in professional development, in funding and ensuring our message is heard! Show less

• Managing Director Africa

  • Jan 2017 - Dec 2018

  As Managing Director Africa, I am responsible to have our organisations in the countries reach an equal position with our organisation in the Netherlands. I build the capacity of the local run organisations. I work closely with the Board of each country to monitor the results. Together with the Country Director of each country, I supervise the progress in the activities that the organization is able to carry out. I am an adviser to both the Board and Country Director on the Knowledge for Children concept, the organization, programs and local fundraising. Apart from local fundraising in the countries themselves, I am also actively involved in reaching our fundraising goals in the Netherlands. Show less

• Country Representative

  • Apr 2014 - Jan 2017

  As the Country Representative I was responsible for strengthening the foundation of our organisation in Uganda based on our goals, budgets and plans. When I started in 2014, the organisation had only been active in Uganda for 1 year through a team of 4 employees. I lead the organisation from 19 up to 90 active schools in the program reaching over 35,000 children. The team consists of 3 program managers supported by a sensitization officer, 8 teachers trainers and 10 volunteers. I have developed the structure of the 3 step program in a sustainable way to benefit the schools in Uganda through a co-investment model. I lead and coached the team to carry out the activities of the programs independently and report about it and worked closely with our fully Ugandan Board. Show less



UGoGreen Organisation

• Masaka, Uganda

• Coach

  • Jan 2018 - May 2018

  Coached 2 Ugandan managers to become stronger in their management skills. We started with a mutual session to determine what identifies a good leader and how this is shown in day to day life within the organisation. From that point each manager individually identified his own strengths and weaknesses which we used to come up with an improvement plan to work on in the following coaching sessions. Result after 4 coaching sessions is that the managers are more pro-active and take charge of their wishes to address to both the organisation leaders and their teams. Show less



Connect Zomerfestival 2017 - The Impact Edition

• Utrecht, Nederland

• Guest Speaker

  • Sep 2017 - Sep 2017

  Inspirational session on how to create impact while creating self-reliance in Africa. In many African cultures, it is not common to speak up when you disagree with your boss, especially if you are a "white" boss. In order to be successful in other cultures, I believe it is important to really get to know the cultural differences. From that perspective to encourage your team to speak up in order for them to become self-reliant and implement your programs successfully. During this session, we shared ideas and experience on how to achieve this. Show less



SOS Children's Villages International

• Austria
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Guest Speaker

  • Oct 2015 - Oct 2015

  Guest speaker at meeting "Sustainable Primary Education Models in Africa" organised by SOS Children Villages for all their organisations in the English speaking African countries. Goal of the meeting is to exchange and learn about promising financial sustainable education models for working with primary schools within African rural and challenging communities. I shared how the Knowledge for Children model works in Cameroon and Uganda and which results we are able to achieve in creating self-reliance in the primary schools and their communities. Show less



EIFFEL

• Netherlands
• Business Consulting and Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Business and Legal Consultant

  • Sep 2001 - Apr 2014

  Over the years I’ve worked as a legal consultant with a specialization in employment law and social benefits. The most important projects and clients you will find below. Besides these projects, I worked as a business consultant. I was responsible to generate projects for over 100 legal professionals. I had a commercial target with a turnover of 3,000,000 euros. I networked with existing clients and introduced Eiffel to new clients. My responsibilities started from the first contact with a client to the proposals to get a project and if granted to set up and manage the projects. I specialized in recognizing developments together with clients and to help them translate that into solutions offering business opportunities for Eiffel. In this capacity I managed several projects and teams at the same time and combined this with my commercial activities within this position. Show less



SRK Rechtsbijstand

• Netherlands
• Legal Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Project Manager and Legal Aid (interim via Eiffel)

  • May 2012 - Mar 2014

  SRK is an insurance company providing legal aid to their clients on several topics. I worked as a project manager and legal aid focussing on cases regarding contract law, employment law and social benefits. As the project manager I was responsible to organise a pool of 7 legal professionals, guarantee the quality of their work and guide and coach the team. As the Legal Aid I represented clients of SRK in the legal issues at the highest courts. SRK is an insurance company providing legal aid to their clients on several topics. I worked as a project manager and legal aid focussing on cases regarding contract law, employment law and social benefits. As the project manager I was responsible to organise a pool of 7 legal professionals, guarantee the quality of their work and guide and coach the team. As the Legal Aid I represented clients of SRK in the legal issues at the highest courts.



UWV

• Netherlands
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Project Manager and Legal Aid UWV Bezwaar & Beroep (interim via Eiffel)

  • Sep 2009 - Mar 2014

  The department Bezwaar and Beroep handles objections and appeals to irregularities to decisions on social benefits to cover unemployment or disability compensations in the Netherlands. After working as a legal aid in this department since 2002 at several locations, I was asked to become the project manager. As such I was concerned with handling big numbers of objections with multiple teams, a total of 50 legal professionals, working at several locations. As the legal aid I handled the appeals to represent the organisation in the courts and the highest court for social benefits in the Netherlands. Overall I was responsible for the results and quality of work done by the team. I coached and guided the teams and professionals on processing the objections in a highly qualitative way. I advise the department on possible improvements to be carried out within the department and organisation of the job. Show less

• Project Manager Taskforce III and IV UWV WERKbedrijf (interim via Eiffel)

  • Mar 2012 - Jan 2014

  UWV WERKbedrijf judges the layoff of employees and grants employers permits to do so. The department was confronted with an increase of requests of permits due to the economic crisis in the Netherlands. I managed a project to handle the increase of request of permits with a team of professionals and at the same time train new staff hired by UWV (trainees) to do this job at the same time. As the program manager, I was responsible for the results of the project. I coached a group of 4 team leaders to be guiding a team of over 40 legal professionals. Guided and coached 20 trainees to take over the job after this project ended to have a sustainable impact. Reported to the Head of the Department on both the project and advised on improvements to be made. Show less

• Project Manager Taskforce I and II UWV WERKbedrijf (interim via Eiffel)

  • Jul 2009 - Sep 2010

  UWV WERKbedrijf judges the layoff of employees and grants employers permits to do so. The department was confronted with an increase of requests of permits due to the economic crisis in the Netherlands. I managed a project to handle the increase of request of permits with a team of professionals and at the same time train new staff hired by UWV (trainees) to do this job at the same time. As the program manager, I was responsible for the results of the project. I coached a group of 4 team leaders to be guiding a team of over 20 legal professionals. Guided and coached 28 trainees to take over the job after this project ended to have a sustainable impact. Reported to the Head of the Department on both the project and advised on improvements to be made. Show less



Makro Nederland

• Netherlands
• Wholesale
• 700 & Above Employee

• Trainer and consultant

  • Jan 2010 - Nov 2013

  Trained the HR advisers at the locations of Makro Nederland on employment law in relationship with social benefits. Advised on individual cases as a consultant. Trained the HR advisers at the locations of Makro Nederland on employment law in relationship with social benefits. Advised on individual cases as a consultant.



UWV

• Netherlands
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Information Analyst (interim via Eiffel)

  • Mar 2008 - Apr 2009

  Connecting the right information to the right system to ensure that applicants for social benefits only have to fill in their data once within all governmental organizations, that was the goal of this project. As the legal adviser, I analysed all data required to process an application together with all concerned departments. Based on this analysis, I lead the sub project team writing the business rules in order to connect all available and necessary software systems together. Based on this new way of processing applications for social benefits: I advised the policy department on the implementation, trained the concerned departments and ensured the implementations both online and off line. Show less