Meet Principal Consultant Wouter
When he started at Eraneos (previously known as Quint) as a 25-year-old, Wouter Giesberts could never have imagined that 15 years later he would still be working there. “As long as I find Mondays just as much fun as Sundays, I’m still exactly where I should be,” the principal consultant says. The fact that he has the freedom to think outside the box and can visit customers wearing his red All Stars plays a big part in this.
There are people who already know at a young age what they want to be. “I wasn’t one of them,” explains Wouter with a smile. After high school, he left for America aged just 17. He spent a year there, studying at Central Wyoming College. A fun and educational year in which Wouter got to know himself well. “One of the most important things I learned is that I have almost everything I need to be happy inside me,” he says.
“Together, we’re just a very special group of people. That’s what makes Eraneos a unique place and it’s one of the main reasons I’ve enjoyed working here for more than 15 years.”
A wise life lesson, but after that year Wouter still didn’t know what he wanted to study. Eventually, he chose Commercial Economics in Tilburg followed by Business Administration at VU Amsterdam. “When I finished, I had the world at my feet. In terms of the economy, it was a very good time: I could actually work anywhere. I chose a big software company, but once I started, the dynamics between colleagues disappointed me. And so I sat in a boring office in Hoofddorp feeling pretty unhappy.”
Meeting up while cooking
Not long after, Wouter was enthusiastic when he was asked to visit Eraneos. Especially when he heard that the meeting would be during a cooking session at a cooking studio. Wouter remembers it as if it were yesterday. “My cooking partner and I — Pieter was his name — were making quail. The idea was that while we cooked, I’d ask him wide-ranging questions about working at Eraneos and he would give me all kinds of insights and advice about the company, but we mostly talked about beer and traveling, and told each other tall tales. So after that we had to meet again for a more substantive conversation,” he laughingly explains. “It was immediately clear to me that Eraneos was really about who you are and who you can become, rather than your resumé.”
In his first year, Wouter worked at the practice desk where you are the communications link between Eraneos’ international colleagues. An instructive place to work, but not the most challenging, in his view. When he heard one day that a consultant wasn’t available for an assignment, he took the plunge. “From my practice desk nook, I suggested I could give it a try,” he says. “After running into a few raised eyebrows, I gained confidence.” That set the ball rolling and Wouter continued as a consultant.
Reaching the Managing Partner with one phone call
“How things went for me reflects the culture at Eraneos. There are many opportunities, but you have to take them yourself. Taking the initiative is rewarded. If I have a good idea, I can immediately call Maurice — the Managing Partner of Eraneos Netherlands — who’ll say yes or no right away. How great is that? We’re big enough as an organization to really make an impact, but at the same time we’re small enough for everyone to know everyone else’s name. Together, we’re just a very special group of people. That’s what makes Eraneos a unique place and it’s one of the main reasons I’ve enjoyed working here for more than 15 years.”
Over the years, however, Wouter has changed his approach to some things. “At the start, I thought a consultant always had to know everything. If a customer said something I didn’t understand, I would nod in agreement — while making a note to look it up later. I’d been hired to know the answer to everything, right? I now know that it’s perfectly fine to say you don’t understand something or don’t know the answer. Even more so, it’s a good thing. What a relief.
“I’ve used that realization in many different ways. For example, I haven’t worn suits for years; I simply put on my red All Stars when I go to see customers. On occasion I’m also very direct with them, maybe even verging on blunt sometimes. Asking critical questions about how things are going and how they might be done differently — or better, in my eyes — is necessary to move forward together. Above all, I always try to be authentic, honest and sincere. I find that my contact with customers has only become better because of it.”
Outside-the-box ideas
Wouter’s enthusiastic and positive nature is a big part of his strength as a consultant. “I have my own ideas, even if they’re not always traditional. Swimming against the tide from time to time is part of who I am. In my first year, I got to co-organize the Eraneos holiday season party. I came up with all kinds of wild ideas. One of my co-organizers was enthusiastic, and pressed me to always keep those special, outside-the-box ideas. I still think back to that often, and I’m happy it all worked out. For example, four years ago I organized a festival for a customer, and I again pulled out all the stops, complete with hired actors and a DJ plus a cocktail bar. I’m very glad to be working at a company that not only facilitates outside-the-box thinking, but also proactively encourages it.”