Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Sustainability does not need its own silo. It should work in and for the business you already run — inside procurement, risk management, governance, and decision-making. That's what I help organisations build. My background is in business: over 25 years in shipping, sales, procurement and supply chain management, working across global supply chains in both large corporates and family-owned businesses. I hold a dual law degree from Utrecht University. And although I never practised, legal training has shaped how I think about risk, liability, and regulatory compliance. Sustainability came into my work the way it usually does in business: through customer demands (and unavoidable questionnaires), regulatory requirements and supply chain disruptions. I eventually became Head of Sustainability at a major European steel producer, where I designed due diligence, set up responsible sourcing communities, worked on sustainability strategy and policy development and – of course –reporting. In that position, one of the things I found most interesting was serving on the steering committee of the Dutch IRBC Agreement for the Metals sector, working alongside companies, NGOs, trade unions, and government on human rights and environmental risks in the metals value chain. I am proud of the role I played in getting a collective action project on operational health and safety in mines in Peru and Bolivia off the ground. One of the civil society partners involved described it as “one of the most innovative examples of practical HRDD work around”. This combination — operational and commercial experience, legal thinking, and sustainability expertise — is what I brought into Bluespar. I work with boards and senior leaders on strategy and governance, and with procurement, risk, and compliance teams on implementation. Comfortable in board rooms; still happy to roll up my sleeves. Where possible I avoid designing parallel systems, but build sustainability into how the business already operates. When specific regulatory requirements still demand additional compliance action, I believe in addressing them deliberately and proportionately, focused on what is required, and no more. For organisations earlier in their journey, I help avoid over-engineering from the start. This usually means building sustainability into existing ways of working — procurement, risk management, reporting and decision-making — a few days a week or per month, until the basics are in place and working. Based in Amsterdam. Working internationally.
At Bluespar we work with boards, senior leaders and their teams to: • Integrate sustainability into strategy, governance, and decision-making • Design and implement Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence • Build responsible sourcing and supply chain risk management • Strengthen integrated risk management and enterprise risk frameworks • Build sustainability capability and transfer knowledge • Support multi-stakeholder collaboration and partnerships Specific expertise in due diligence legislation like CSDDD, LkSG, Loi de Vigilance, Modern Slavery Acts, and EU Forced Labour Regulation.
Led the team working on embedding sustainability in our business. We supported Tata Steel Netherlands’ vision to become a green, clean and circular steel company that is sustainable in every sense, by driving the identification, development, and implementation of sustainability strategies, policies, and certifications. The team also coordinates the sustainability report and other sustainability disclosures.
Representing the business members in the Dutch International RBC Agreement for the Metals Sector, a multi-stakeholder initiative (business, government, unions, and NGOs) that advocates for international responsible business conduct in the metals value chain.