My name is Karin Bakker, and I work as an Executive Research Consultant at Van de Groep & Olsthoorn. I entered this field in 2007, after having lived in France for several years. It turned out to be an excellent career switch – ever since, I’ve experienced my work in the spirit of Confucius: “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
I joined Van de Groep & Olsthoorn in 2014 and focus on connecting candidates and clients at management and executive level. What makes this work so varied and rewarding is the mix of industry research, networking, direct search, engaging conversations and – of course – finding the perfect match. With Canadian roots through my mother, I feel right at home in the international waters of technology: engineering, oil & gas, on- and offshore, chemical and mechanical industries, maritime and shipbuilding.
When I graduated with a degree in Classical Archaeology from the University of Amsterdam in 1989, I never imagined I’d find myself in this field. Yet there are parallels. Trained to dig into people’s pasts, I now find myself in the unique position of helping bridge past and future through executive search.
As my husband is also an archaeologist, my first academic love remains very much a part of my personal life. Our children, Joris and Larissa, are now off to university in Delft and Leiden, which gives us more time to plan archaeological trips. These often involve long treks through remote landscapes, in search of ancient sites where time seems to stand still. One day, we may invest in a small home nestled among the olive groves of Greece. But for now, we’re alive & kicking in Amsterdam – and enjoying everything this vibrant city has to offer.
