She studied Chemical Engineering at Delft University of Technology, completed a PhD at the University of Amsterdam, led large R&D departments at DSM and became Managing Director in Curaçao. On paper, it might not seem like the most obvious route into Executive Search. Yet in her current role as Senior Consultant at Van de Groep & Olsthoorn, Quirine Lismann draws on all these experiences. Her background in chemistry and technology, years of leadership experience and, above all, her genuine interest in people help her look beyond what is written on a CV.

Quirine Lisman describes herself as someone who naturally tends to see things in black and white. She likes clarity, logic and making progress. After studying Chemical Engineering at Delft University of Technology, she decided to pursue a PhD at the University of Amsterdam. Not because she was set on an academic career, but for a rather different reason.

‘I think I mainly wanted to discover the shades of grey in myself. In engineering, one plus one usually equals two. But during my PhD, I could carry out an experiment one day, repeat it the next and get a completely different result. That teaches you that things aren’t always quite so straightforward.’

From technical expertise to leadership

After completing her PhD and spending some time at the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), Quirine joined DSM, where she would spend almost twelve years. She started in commercial roles before moving into Research & Development, where she managed a quality control laboratory and later a large analytical department with many highly qualified scientists.

Looking back, she considers that move into leadership one of the most significant steps in her career. She discovered just how much she enjoyed supporting and motivating people.

I really enjoy helping people get the best out of themselves. I focus on results, but I give people plenty of freedom in how they achieve them.

Her scientific background proved invaluable. She understood the challenges her teams were working on, could engage with them on a technical level and knew which questions to ask.

An unexpected move into recruitment

After almost twelve years at DSM, Quirine moved to Curaçao with her family. It was a new adventure, although she had no clear idea what her own career would look like on the island.

A chance encounter at a hockey pitch introduced her to the owner of Balance Consultancy Group. They immediately hit it off, and before long she joined the company. She helped professionalise its recruitment activities and eventually became Managing Director. Her years in Curaçao also taught her to slow down occasionally. Not everyone works at the same pace, and patience and trust can often achieve more than simply pushing ahead.

When the family returned to the Netherlands five years later, Quirine decided to continue her career in Executive Search. At Van de Groep & Olsthoorn, she found not only work that appealed to her, but also colleagues with whom she immediately felt at home.

‘I understand what a role really demands’

Quirine joined Van de Groep & Olsthoorn in November 2023 and works as a Senior Consultant. She particularly enjoys the fact that more and more assignments are coming her way through her own network and areas of expertise. Many involve management and executive positions in the chemical, technology and industrial sectors – industries she knows from the inside and still enjoys exploring in depth.

‘I’ve managed large departments and been responsible for people, processes and budgets. That means I understand not just what’s written in a job description, but what it actually takes to succeed in a role like that.’

This experience helps her look beyond the formal requirements of a position. Every search involves an organisation with its own challenges, ambitions and people.

‘I find it fascinating to discover what’s really going on beneath the surface. What is the organisation actually facing? And who has not only the right experience, but also the personality to make a real difference?’

Just as a job description never tells you everything about an organisation, a CV never tells you everything about a candidate. Sometimes Quirine recognises potential that a client may not immediately see.

A CV never tells the whole story

During a search for a CEO, for example, she became convinced that a particular candidate was the right person for the role, even though the client initially felt that his CV did not fit the brief.

‘I remember thinking: they simply have to meet this candidate. By then, I’d built such a strong relationship with the investor that they trusted my judgement. He was invited for an interview and, in the end, he got the job.’

That level of trust means a great deal to her. Knowing that a client is willing to rely on her judgement, even when a candidate does not immediately fit the expected profile.

Enjoying the work, embracing a different kind of ambition

After years of considerable responsibility and long working weeks, Quirine has consciously chosen a different balance. Her ambition hasn’t disappeared; it has simply taken a different form. Rather than pursuing the next step up the career ladder, she now finds her challenges in the substance of her work and the people she works with.

‘I get a great deal of energy from working with interesting clients and finding the right people for their organisations. It’s the combination of complex challenges, meaningful conversations and successful placements that makes this work so rewarding.’

And there has to be plenty of laughter along the way. At DSM, she used to write cabaret performances for her colleagues, and she still enjoys writing personalised song lyrics for special occasions.

‘We have to have a really good laugh every day. That’s incredibly important to me. I always had that at DSM, with my teams and management colleagues. And fortunately, I have it here too.’

The value of shades of grey

Looking back on her career, Quirine sees no carefully mapped-out plan. Her choices have been driven by curiosity, opportunities that came her way and, above all, the people she wanted to work with. What began with a technical degree developed into a career in which the human side of business became increasingly important.

Her analytical mindset has never disappeared. She still values clarity and progress. But she has also learnt that not everything can be forced, and that the best solution isn’t always the most obvious one.

‘I’m still impatient by nature. But I’ve learnt to listen more carefully, take a little more time and not always be so focused on reaching the destination. I’ve become much calmer in that respect.’

And it’s in those shades of grey that she now finds the greatest enjoyment.