René de Baaij

René de Baaij has spent his life in—and working on—systems, both technological and social. He works in the bridge and the tension between technology, people, and work; between leadership and management; between continuity and disruptive change. That is his craft: the place where structure and meaning meet. He is driven to strengthen people, teams, management, and boards, and to build their capacity to realise long-term success and growth. Always with an eye to relevance for customers and markets, the interests of shareholders and societal stakeholders, and the organisation’s meaning for its people and their community.

In today’s context, he draws on knowledge and experience to explore and advise on the impact of AI on people and organisations. He helps boards and management teams connect the possibilities of AI to strategic choices, organisational design, and culture—and to questions of meaning, craftsmanship, and responsibility. Not as a technological toy, but as an intervention in how we work, decide, and make meaning together.

With a background in business administration, information technology, and the social sciences, he connects a managerial and information-systems perspective with expertise in organisation and change. His experience spans national and international organisations, at the intersection of private and public challenges. He has worked with a wide range of organisations and sectors across the Netherlands and Europe, and in developing contexts in Asia and Africa—ranging from multinational corporations to small specialist organisations. You will find him wherever renewal and development are needed in response to dynamic, complex issues, with a natural focus on strategy and organisation, management and governance, culture and leadership.

As a trusted advisor and expert in change and organisational development, culture and leadership—and as a personal coach, trained in personal growth through analytical psychology—he contributes directly to the development of people and professionals. He helps them understand their own patterns and drivers, so that personal growth, professional maturity, and organisational development reinforce one another.

As an advisor and interventionist, René stays close to practice. He works with executive teams and groups on strategic questions, convenes meaningful conversations, and makes tension workable. Data becomes dialogue, decision-making becomes a shared weave, and change gains discipline without suffocating the human. He examines how innovations—including digital and AI-driven developments—ripple through organisations and cultures, and what that demands of leadership. In this way, he makes complex dynamics manageable without losing the undercurrent: precisely where transformation from within begins, and direction, rhythm, and responsibility converge.

His natural focus on sustainable connection and meaningful relationships enables him to build long-term relationships of trust. Loyalty and commitment are the core values that guide his work. As a reflective practitioner, he looks for relevant wisdom: moments of stillness that sharpen strength, courage, and moral compass. In doing so, he connects a systems perspective with daily choices, and professional maturity with tangible results—for leaders, for organisations, and for the environments in which they operate.