Rene de Baaij
Executive counselor, trusted advisor and expert in organisational development and transformation
René de Baaij rene@debaaij.com | +31 6 4192 4275
I work with people, teams and organisations in the space where things rub — and where they feel right. Where questions arise about direction, meaning, influence or coherence, and where a deeper longing for inside-out change is emerging. In my work, I’m not chasing quick fixes, but searching for genuine connection. For what wants to be heard but has no language yet. For what wants to emerge but has not yet found its form. So we can engage with complex questions that determine the future relevance of the organisation.
As an executive counselor, I guide leaders, board members and senior professionals who are willing to examine their role, their influence and their actions with depth and integrity. Not to simply perform better, but to become more congruent and impactful. To make choices that are aligned from within. As a trusted advisor, I work with executive teams, boards and strategic forums on issues that touch the very essence and existence of the organisation – and that call for reflection, realignment and shared ownership.
My background is in business administration, organisational consulting and transformational work. I began my career in the corporate world, worked for several years as a consultant with Capgemini, and then co-founded De Baaij, Verbeeten & Partners. Since then, I’ve worked with organisations in both the public and private sector – from multinational corporates to family-owned firms, from ministries to healthcare institutions, from professional associations to international NGOs.
My portfolio includes assignments for CBI, global multinationals, scale-ups, sector alliances, professional services firms, ICT and technology companies, and systems of collaborating organisations. Often in contexts of transition, merger, strategic reorientation or the design of new forms of governance and cooperation.
What drives me is the belief that meaningful development begins with stillness. With slowing down and attending to what is truly present – including that which we tend to avoid, or what lives between the lines. In that stillness, space emerges for decisions that are not only strategically sound, but also humanly right. For me, that is leadership: the capacity to give direction without losing oneself, and the courage to break through patterns that no longer serve.
I don’t deal in quick advice or off-the-shelf solutions. I work relationally, reflectively and precisely. My style is gentle in presence, sharp in analysis, and grounded in trust. I appreciate complexity — not as abstraction, but as an invitation to go deeper. My work is meaningful when people rediscover themselves in their role, when teams truly begin to collaborate, and when organisations remember why they exist.
In a time marked by movement, uncertainty and systemic pressure, I believe we need professionals who can stand beside others. Who can hold what is not immediately resolvable. Who dare to exercise influence without taking over. Who seek connection without losing themselves.
I work best with people who bring something to the table — and who are still open to learning. Who are curious about their inner world and willing to take their place in the wider whole.
If this resonates with you, I invite you to reach out for an exploratory conversation — to see whether something wants to be done together.**
I work with people, teams and organisations in the space where things rub — and where they feel right. Where questions arise about direction, meaning, influence or coherence, and where a deeper longing for inside-out change is emerging. In my work, I’m not chasing quick fixes, but searching for genuine connection. For what wants to be heard but has no language yet. For what wants to emerge but has not yet found its form. So we can engage with complex questions that determine the future relevance of the organisation.
As an executive counselor, I guide leaders, board members and senior professionals who are willing to examine their role, their influence and their actions with depth and integrity. Not to simply perform better, but to become more congruent and impactful. To make choices that are aligned from within. As a trusted advisor, I work with executive teams, boards and strategic forums on issues that touch the very essence and existence of the organisation – and that call for reflection, realignment and shared ownership.
My background is in business administration, organisational consulting and transformational work. I began my career in the corporate world, worked for several years as a consultant with Capgemini, and then co-founded De Baaij, Verbeeten & Partners. Since then, I’ve worked with organisations in both the public and private sector – from multinational corporates to family-owned firms, from ministries to healthcare institutions, from professional associations to international NGOs.
My portfolio includes assignments for CBI, global multinationals, scale-ups, sector alliances, professional services firms, ICT and technology companies, and systems of collaborating organisations. Often in contexts of transition, merger, strategic reorientation or the design of new forms of governance and cooperation.
What drives me is the belief that meaningful development begins with stillness. With slowing down and attending to what is truly present – including that which we tend to avoid, or what lives between the lines. In that stillness, space emerges for decisions that are not only strategically sound, but also humanly right. For me, that is leadership: the capacity to give direction without losing oneself, and the courage to break through patterns that no longer serve.
I don’t deal in quick advice or off-the-shelf solutions. I work relationally, reflectively and precisely. My style is gentle in presence, sharp in analysis, and grounded in trust. I appreciate complexity — not as abstraction, but as an invitation to go deeper. My work is meaningful when people rediscover themselves in their role, when teams truly begin to collaborate, and when organisations remember why they exist.
In a time marked by movement, uncertainty and systemic pressure, I believe we need professionals who can stand beside others. Who can hold what is not immediately resolvable. Who dare to exercise influence without taking over. Who seek connection without losing themselves.
I work best with people who bring something to the table — and who are still open to learning. Who are curious about their inner world and willing to take their place in the wider whole.
If this resonates with you, I invite you to reach out for an exploratory conversation — to see whether something wants to be done together.
René de Baaij rene@debaaij.com | +31 6 4192 4275
