My name is Gertjan van de Groep, and I am Commercial Director at Van de Groep & Olsthoorn. In my role, I act as a sparring partner for executive teams and investors in the world of technology and industry. I’m closely involved in both permanent and interim executive placements. I also work to expand our international network as a board member of the International Executive Search Federation (IESF) and Senior Management Worldwide (SMW Interim). With a background in mechanical engineering and experience in production and logistics environments, I feel right at home in the manufacturing industry.
I graduated in Mechanical Engineering from HTS Utrecht in 1993 and later pursued a Business Administration programme at Nyenrode Business University, where I also recently completed the Non-Executive Director programme. I started my career as a Manufacturing/Lean Engineer and later worked as a Management Trainee in logistics. At the end of 1997, I joined Van de Groep & Olsthoorn – the company founded by my father Wim in 1979 – as a Consultant. In 2007, I took over as Director and became the owner. The combination of consultancy, entrepreneurship and leadership fits me perfectly. My ambition is to continue growing Van de Groep & Olsthoorn while preserving the personal and direct approach that defines our way of working.
I’m married and have been with my partner for over 30 years. We have two university-aged children, and sport plays a big role in my life. I’m chairman of a hockey club, still play as a goalkeeper, enjoy golf, love winter sports, and go mountain biking in the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. Recently, my son and I also took up kite surfing. Am I busy? Stephen Covey put it best: “If you want to get something done, give it to a busy man.”
