Meet Associate Partner Leo
Leo Oudshoorn has been with Eraneos since 2008. “I was introduced to Eraneos through some former colleagues,” Leo explains, “and I hit it off with the people I met right away”. Shortly after, Leo started as a Senior Consultant within Eraneos’ Digital Business & Innovation team, and is now an Associate Partner.
Throughout his career at Eraneos, Leo has always maintained a focus on information management, digital strategy, and enterprise architecture. “I have occasionally ventured into assignments related to sourcing, ICT strategy, and other Eraneos services,” Leo says, “but my main focus has always been on digital strategy”.
One of Leo’s most rewarding projects in recent years involved a client seeking to reorganize and streamline their information management function. Following an analysis of the situation by Leo and his team, the Eraneos team collaborated with the client’s employees to investigate how their work was organized within the organization and how it could be made more efficient. “It was great to see them come up with their own ideas. They realized that the way they’d been doing things for years could be done differently and smarter,” Leo states, “It’s satisfying to complete an assignment where the solution works well for the organization but also increases employee engagement and satisfaction”.
Heart for healthcare
In recent years, Leo has specialized in the healthcare sector. He now primarily focuses on questions such as ‘What exactly does digitalization mean for healthcare in the Netherlands?’ and ‘How can we help healthcare organizations to truly add value to care, both for healthcare providers and patients/clients?’. “I am particularly active in hospitals, nursing homes, and similar organizations,” Leo explains, “I’ve become more and more interested in the sector, partly because of some cool projects I’ve done in healthcare, and partly because it’s such an important part of the Netherlands”. There is much discussion about healthcare in the Netherlands: about costs, about the sustainability of our healthcare system, about long-term scenarios. “I find it rewarding to contribute to this. When you work on an assignment at a hospital, for example, you can also see directly what your work is for. You walk among doctors, nurses, but also patients, and have direct contact with them,” Leo mentions, “That’s what I love about these projects”.
“There is no heavy hierarchy or formal lines to follow here. This, combined with my fantastic colleagues, is one of the main reasons why I have enjoyed working here for all these years and continue to do so.”
Leo and his team collaborated with a healthcare organization to develop a digital strategy. “What was unique about this project was that they had been working on various digitalization initiatives and solutions for years”, Leo says, “But the patients and employees hadn’t been fully involved. We started by asking ‘what do the patients need?’ and ‘how can we make things easier for the staff?’. We took a patient-centric and employee-centric approach”. The employees themselves were then empowered to find the best solutions for their organization. “The beauty of these projects is that we can digitalize processes and make them more efficient, while always putting people first”.
Coaching colleagues
Beyond his own professional growth, particularly in the healthcare sector, Leo is committed to helping his colleagues develop. “I coach a number of junior consultants,” Leo tells, “I help them further develop within our field. They can also come to me if they need advice or run into any problems, like how to handle client or project issues”.
Leo’s noticed that other colleagues are keen to learn more about healthcare. “Every two weeks, we organize a meeting for colleagues who are interested in healthcare. In these meetings, we share our knowledge about our projects and the latest developments in the sector,” Leo explains. During these meetings, potential commercial opportunities are also discussed. Leo is involved in a portion of the commercial activities and the creation of assignments. “‘We always try to match consultants with assignments in consultation,” Leo describes, “We look at what suits the consultant in terms of interests and development”.
One of the reasons Leo’s been at Eraneos for 17 years is the people. “Everyone is approachable and supportive but also provides constructive feedback. You can ask anyone for help, regardless of their role or project. It’s a positive and collaborative environment”. That’s what Eraneos is all about: working together. “We’re always looking for people who share our values and enjoy helping others grow. Our people are our biggest asset”.
What about life outside of work?
In his spare time, Leo enjoys spending time with family and friends. “I really enjoy cooking, so I like being in the kitchen, making delicious food, and then sitting down to eat together,” Leo smiles, “I’m a big fan of Italy and Italian food, so I often cook pasta and other Italian dishes. It can be anything, from a simple pasta to something more complicated”. To completely unwind, Leo enjoys reading a book. “Sometimes it’s work-related, but I prefer to read a novel or a non-fiction book to relax”.