My commitment is to bring strategic clarity and execution rigor to scale-ups, companies in dire straits or businesses ready to go to the next level. I am drawn to unfamiliar territory: understanding the lay of the land, finding the patterns that drive success, and seeing a mission through from start to end.
I value open team communication: people carry a strategy, and if they do not believe it, or cannot repeat it, it will not gain traction. I believe curiosity is essential to solve problems – both across disciplines and stakeholders, as well as in depth, in the nitty-gritty detail. Finally, I like structure, cadence and data, so that strategy becomes tangible and leads to results.
I started a car leasing company in Mexico, grew it to 50 FTE and led it to break-even. I transformed and scaled a pan-European insurance business headquartered in Dublin, with a unique strategy that still propels growth today. I turned around a corporate bleeder in Austria, restoring growth, profitability and employee engagement. Most recently I coordinated the post-merger integration of Ayvens across 21 countries.
I hold an Aerospace Engineering degree from Delft University of Technology and an MBA from INSEAD. I started my career in defence & aerospace and in strategy consulting. In 2022 I published The 6 Disciplines of Leadership – How to Run Your Company Like a Tight Ship.
Hessel Kaastra