Daniël de la Parra

Adopting AI is a project. Governing AI is leadership | AI Operating Model Strategist | Builder Mastermind OS

The Randstad, Netherlands

About

Leadership teams in public and regulated organisations are not waiting for the eleventh AI proposal. They are waiting for someone who can help them determine where AI works strategically and where it is better to wait. That is exactly the question I work with. Twenty years of experience in organisational transformation, lean and agile. Working with boards and leadership teams in healthcare, education, infrastructure and the public sector. Building Mastermind OS on the conviction that AI assistants should be available to leadership teams and boards in regulated sectors, provided they are properly configured and responsibly embedded. Founder De la Parra & Company. Interim Lead at Verpact. Lecturer Digital Transformation Management, SRH Haarlem. Want to talk? Send a message or visit delaparracompany.nl. Core competencies: leadership, enterprise agility, portfolio management, regulatory compliance, organizational change, product strategy, Lean Six Sigma, executive coaching.

Experience

  • Interim Transformation Lead at Verpact
    Mar 2026 - Present · 5 mos

    Leading the design and implementation of a new capability to identify and onboard producers under upcoming EU packaging regulations (PPWR). Building the operating model, governance and data-driven processes required to scale producer registration and compliance monitoring.

  • Founder & Transformation Partner at De la Parra & Company
    Jan 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 7 mos

    I help organisations move from scattered AI experiments to governed, valuable transformation. AI adoption is not a technology question — it is an organisational one: governance, decision-making, processes, roles and human judgment. I work with executive boards and leadership teams in healthcare, education, infrastructure and the public sector, using Lean and Agile as design principles. I do this through advisory, coaching, interim management, leading digital transformations, and I facilitate training and bootcamps in AI adoption, Agile and Lean Six Sigma. - Lead AI and organisational transformation programs end-to-end vision and strategy, governance design, organizational design, process improvement, implementation and leadership engagement; - Build trusted relationships with executive management and key stakeholders inside client organizations, with a preference for a well-founded "no" over a commercial "yes"; - Design and embed responsible AI adoption — privacy, compliance and human oversight built into the operating model, not bolted on afterwards; - Develop Mastermind OS, an AI operating system for organizations (in development, pilot 2026) that brings strategy, decision-making and execution together through decision support, with the human staying in the lead.

  • Lecturer Digital Transformation Management at Haarlem Campus
    Feb 2024 - Apr 2026 · 2 yrs 3 mos

    As a lecturer in Digital Transformation Management, I teach students how to understand and drive digital change within organizations. I bring a hands-on approach, combining academic frameworks with real-world experience. My goal is not just to transfer knowledge, but to develop leaders who can navigate and influence meaningful change. I believe in fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and the confidence to lead complexity. Not by lecturing, but by co-creating a learning experience that prepares students for a digital and sustainable future. •Developed and delivered courses on digital transformation, organizational change, and Agile working •Guided students through real-life business challenges, research projects, and internships •Bridged theory with practice from the energy, finance, and public sectors •Mentored international students in developing their professional and personal growth

  • Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder at Abykys
    Jul 2022 - Feb 2026 · 3 yrs 8 mos

    As COO & Co-Founder of Abykys, I drove the execution of our strategy to build the infrastructure for trusted data transactions in Europe’s emerging data economy. I led our operational, product and engineering capabilities to deliver scalable, policy-aware and compliant-by-design data exchange technology for intermediaries, platforms and digital ecosystems. • Shaped and operationalised Abykys’ vision to enable secure, transparent and governance-driven data transactions at scale • Led product, engineering and operational teams in developing THFLR: a policy-aware data exchange platform aligned with EU regulations such as the AI Act, Data Act and Data Governance Act • Established operating models, governance structures and delivery processes to ensure predictable execution and regulatory robustness • Built partnerships with ecosystem stakeholders (mobility, public sector, infrastructure) to validate and scale use cases across sectors • Created the foundations for commercial readiness, including compliance structures, service operations, SLAs and customer onboarding processes • Translated regulatory complexity into clear product requirements, accelerating the development of features for policy validation, data conditions, digital governance and secure data transactions

  • Manager Digital a.i. at Royal IHC
    Jun 2024 - Mar 2025 · 10 mos

    As Interim Manager Digital, I strengthened Royal IHC’s digital transformation, leading an 8 FTE team of data engineers, a product owner, a UX designer and an enterprise architect, with a focus on data-driven operations, maintenance and product innovation for complex maritime assets. • Shaped and aligned the digital strategy and roadmap for operations, maintenance and product development across vessels and fleets • Defined and prioritised use cases for operations monitoring, condition monitoring, digital twins and predictive maintenance to improve uptime and efficiency • Collaborated with engineering, automation, software and service teams to integrate sensor data and analytics into IHC’s (digital) products and lifecycle services • Set up structures, standards and ways of working for data-driven decision-making, including governance around platforms, data quality and security • Translated operational and fleet data into actionable insights and business cases for customers and senior leadership, linking digital initiatives to safety, performance and ROI