With over 35 years of professional experience in various industries and geographies, I am a global Operations Management professional with a passion for user experience and customer satisfaction. I have successfully delivered large-scale projects for Fortune 100 and multinational companies, enhancing both their operational effectiveness and user experience.
I leverage my global Operations Management expertise to help companies conceptualize, design, build, and operate fit-for-purpose and sustainable facilities offering matching products and services. As a EHL - Lausanne Hospitality Business School alumnus and a former HR and projects leader at Royal Dutch Shell, I have developed a deep expertise and a strong reputation in the field of Operations Management. I am a lifelong learner and a proud holder of several executive education credentials from prestigious institutions.
I leverage my global Operations Management expertise to help companies conceptualise, design, build and operate fit for purpose and sustainable facilities offering matching products and services
o Conceptual Design o Product development o Operations effectiveness o UX - User experience
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Sociedad Espanola de Extractos de Cannabis XCan S.L.
January 2020
to April 2021
Madrid
Spain
XCan (Sociedad Espanola de Extractos de Cannabis XCan S.L.) was a new vertically integrated business setting up a world-class medical cannabis cultivating and processing facility in Andalucía, Spain.
Led the research, strategy, business plan and design phases of this > €20M project using the latest cultivation and extraction technologies.
Cultivating industrial hemp and cannabis psychoactive plants Hydroponic cultivation technique Newly built, clean-technology, indoor, fully controlled grow rooms; no open air nor greenhouse cultivation Supercritical CO2 extraction process technology EU-GMP Certified Later to be fully licensed by the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Products - AEMPS
Partnered with Lise Timmer to assist her professionalize and further develop her initial and proprietary Chefs' network concept.
Developed an overall strategy, clear potential markets segments, acquisitions and services processes, a website framework and its texts, business terms and conditions, contracts and legal documents as well as communication, social media and operating strategies.
Partnered with a former Shell Real Estate colleague to leverage our respective skills sets and promote the "Conceptual Design" approach to project management: designing facilities and services through the eye of the end user.
Assisting organizations, project developers and architects with the design of effective concepts that enhanced both customers and employees’ positive experiences while minimizing both future operational burden and cost. Applying this approach right from the beginning of projects helped maximize return on investment; save on development time and cost and maximize turnover.
Key projects :
• Design of the new "The Hague Conference Centre New Babylon" and restaurant concepts - The Hague, The Netherlands
• Redesign of the new "Park Paviljoen" Visitors Centre - Hoge Veluwe National Park, The Netherlands.
Managing Director - "Directeur Général", initially as an interim management role. Universo Bois was a B2B key player on the French market for (wooden) garden products with a turnover of circa € 20M per year.
Initially hired to improve operations, develop & implement a new commercial strategy for the French market and to create stronger communication lines between the French operations and the Dutch mother company.
Following the company owner's decision to stop its activities, I had to both operationally and legally close down the business in France.
A project for Castor & Partners, a private, Cyprus based, Leadership Development and Talent Management Consulting Firm which exclusively focused on the Middle East & Levant energy sector.
Assisted with the Saudi Aramco's "Leader Role Modeling Behavior" programme further potential roll-out and operationalization. Used my own network to refer professional coaches and assisted setting-up an internal operational model.
Hired by the Compass Group - Eurest Support Services (ESS) -, Shell services provider in Gabon, to carry out an assessment of their Hospitality and Facility Management training operations and services in the greater Gamba area.
Assessed ESS's Hospitality & Facility Management services training strategy for Shell Gabon and formulated recommendations on how both companies could jointly further structure and roll-out Training initiatives at short, medium and longer term.
Hired by Joe Hogan (CEO) and ABB's Executive Commitee to develop the concept and lead the project to design a new >10,000 m2 "Learning Factory" Corporate Learning Center concept at the Group's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
Starting from a blank sheet of paper, the project included the transformation of an old industrial factory from the 30's into a CHF 70M state of the art Learning facility and technology show-case facility.
Hired to carry out a detailed audit of this congress center to detail and analyze the current operational processes in order to, at a later stage, introduce new operating procedures aiming towards a more effective and professional operation.
Ran a full audit of the processes in place and also assessed the capability of the organization, per department, in line with a potential upgrading of the current operations as well as future broader plans for development, including the potential building of the Triodos Bank new headquarter on the center's ground.
The EP Learning & Leadership Development organization was in charge of building the capabilities required to deliver Shell's Upstream Business plan by providing effective learning opportunities for developing over 19’000 Shell E&P and JVs employees’ technical skills, globally (> $ 200 million yearly budget).
Member of the Leadership Team and also focal point for the Asia region in close partnership with the dedicated regional Learning Manager
Led a team of 35 events facilitators in charge of delivering over 625 business & technical Learning programmes per year as well as over 125 Business & Corporate events, globally
Accountable for the utilization and operational effectiveness of the Shell EP Corporate Learning Center (capacity of 350 students/day) in Rijswijk (The Netherlands), including facilities related services, residential accommodation as well as maintenance and IT.
Global Upstream Learning community expertise holder for learning delivery services, facilities design and operation; providing technical input and practical advice to JVs/regions in which 6 satellite learning centres were already operating or to be created.
Engaged with and provided support for specific projects in JVs, external parties and National Oil Companies such as Kuwait Petroleum, Qatar Petroleum, Iraq Southern Oil Company, Petronas (Malaysia), Pertamina (Indonesia) and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company.
Global project to streamline the delivery of Learning Events Management services throughout RDS. Simplify, standardise and leverage investment made in global learning systems and HR Services Delivery Model; i.e. improve effectiveness & efficiency, reduce cost, deliver overall process improvement
Shell Learning was a newly created and global network of learning professionals providing non technical Leadership and Business Improvement programmes across the Shell Group.
Member of the Leadership Team in charge of setting up and leading the global Learning Delivery Services structure and resources across 5 regional offices in the US, UK, The Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia.
Direct line management responsibility for > 35 learning coordinators in The Netherlands and indirectly for all regional teams through their respective leaders
Led the project to conceptualize, design, start-up and operate the new Corporate Learning Center and Residential Accommodation Building (a € 20 million project) at the Group Headquarters in The Hague, The Netherlands.
The LEAP Team was an internal dedicated change management outfit created by and reporting directly to the Committee of Managing Directors (CMD) to help accelerate the Shell Group transformation.
Accountable for managing the operations and the P&L of the Shell Leadership Learning Center.
Organized and delivered Shell Senior Management bi-yearly Leadership events (up to 400 attendees and budgets up to $ 8 million per event).
Led the LEAP Learning Delivery Services Team of > 25 associates.
Built internal capacity to deliver adventure-based experiential learning in collaboration with US based non-profit "PA - Project Adventure" organization.
Selected, recruited and trained employees for new and existing hotels in Southeast Asia emerging markets (Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines)
Appointed Hospitality Trainer for Hong Kong based Century International Hotels (Brian Deeson's) in the South East Asia region.
Designed and delivered development programmes for hotel chains and independent privately run properties in Central America and throughout the Southeast Asia region.
Led and facilitated adventure based experiential learning activities at the “Outdoor Centre” in Nadrin (Belgium).
Lectured at the International Hotel Management School of The Hague (The Netherlands).
Tasked with the (re)centralization of employees’ training and development programmes for Forte’s luxury “Exclusive Hotels by Forte” portfolio - 13 properties in 9 different countries.
Facilitated the introduction of the group’s global customer loyalty programme.
Member of the hotel's Executive Committee , in charge of managing the whole Human Resources function.
Led > 450 employees and fully accountable for the HR (Personnel & Training) department's activities such as “Saudisation” programme, catering, staff housing, transport and employees welfare.
The HR department received the “Hyatt E.A.M.E. Hotels - Best HR Operation" award in 1990.
Supported and motivated employees throughout the distressing period of the 1990-1991 first Gulf-War when the US Army Command used our hotel as their military operations base and communications center.
