Interview with Willem Van Oortmerssen

Company: Van Oortmerssen Organisatie-Advies
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Position: CEO

Where did you learn the basics of running a business?

After my studies at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam I became a management consultant with Van der Torn & Buningh, a very well known consulting “boutique” in the Netherlands. Years later the firm was sold to Coopers & Lybrand, so I became a management consultant in one of the “Big Eight” for 6 years. There I broadened my experience into financial knowledge.

Whom did you work with before becoming a consultant?

With the Employers Confederation Industry, where I learned from strategic projects in financial areas.

What will you do in ten years?

I will harvest from my own strategic projects and my investments as entrepreneur.

What kind of people do you like to work with?

I like to share my experience with all kind of professionals: boardroom members, works councils, project managers and people in the disciplines accounting and law.

Is there someone you would describe as intelligent?

Wim Kok, the former Labour Union leader and Dutch Prime Minister and today supervisor of board MNC’s, because he formed a bridge between government to industry and labour to employers.

After working many years as a consultant you managed many projects. Are there really special ones among them?

Yes, of course. As example, creating break-up value by allocating divisions of a MNC towards international strategic partners.

Why is your company a member of IMCN?

I need an international network for the benefit of my Dutch clients. I like to work with people from other cultures (I speak 4 languages). I also had many years experience with a European management consultants network before IMCN.