Kees Matthijssen

Kees Matthijssen shares from his experience how important leadership is, particularly highlighting the human aspect of it. He can excellently illustrate how his experiences can be applicable in other organisations, both in the corporate sector and non-profit.

Matthijssen has frequently had to lead in crisis situations. What does time pressure mean, how do you keep your people informed, how do you prevent a crisis after the crisis, and how do you handle external communication.

Throughout his career, Kees Matthijssen has always applied the principles of ‘mission command’. This concretely means being clear about what needs to be achieved and the reasons why, but then giving space and trust to let your people determine the how. How do you ensure your team can perform optimally? How do you fulfil your responsibility as a leader in this.

In an international environment, you encounter different cultures, working methods, and language differences. Matthijssen has frequently operated in such circumstances. He can extensively explain what this means for leadership and how you can effectively carry out your task with your people.

Kees Matthijssen is a strong advocate for diversity in your organisation. What is its importance and how do you, as a leader, optimise the conditions so that everyone feels like a full-fledged part of the team.

Matthijssen is one of the few who has gained operational experience at the United Nations at the political/military-strategic level in the Sahel region in Africa. Additionally, he has also worked at NATO and contributed to plan development in the European theatre. He can discuss the relationships and contemporary developments at the political-strategic level between Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world.