When people ask me what I do for a living I usually tell them that “I have two hats”.
On the one hand I accompany businesses – and the people that man them – along their growth path, whilst making them as future proof as possible.
Management, business administration and economics are after all my primary background. More on that can be found on my resume.
This, here, is my other “hat”; The Con-Sent ADR practice.
Connecting people and unfolding common interests had always been a common thread throughout my career. And as my collaborative, interest-based approach had made me into a successful negotiator and conflict manager, I decided about 10 years ago to deepen my knowledge and put my experience at the service of others.
The Con-Sent ADR mediation and facilitation practice was set up driven by my strong belief in group dynamics in general, and in the virtues of amicable dispute resolution in particular.
Accompanying both business partners and disputants towards win-win agreements, federating teams towards common goals and cooperation… That is what I like most, and what I am best at.
Certified mediator
As a certified Mediator in civil, commercial, and social matters, I mediate towards amicable settlements in a variety of (non-judicial and judicial or court-referred) disputes. Cases can range from locally between vendors and customers or retailers, real estate developers and public authorities, to internationally between suppliers and subcontractors on claims issues, in IP-matters between trademark holders and agents, and in shareholders issues. As a citizen of the world, well at ease in multi-cultural environments, and fluent in Dutch, French, English and German, (as well as operational notions of Italian and Spanish) I act internationally, and cross-border.
With a broad experience in workplace matters and labour disputes, I enable conflict resolution in individual cases as well as in international restructurings and close downs. I work on positive transformation of team dynamics and cultural integration following M&A’s.
With a solid background in public and governmental affairs, and issues involving federations, I also address the constructive resolution of such specific conflicts.
On the crossroads between business and dispute resolution, I act as trustee, or proxy too, i.a. in boards where an independent third party is required to direct the organisation towards a direction on which the regular composition cannot find agreement. I also chair dispute boards, i.a. acting as the Independent Chair of the Governance Committee of the Belgian Supply Chain Initiative, the self-regulating initiative of structural, interprofessional consultation and dispute resolution set up between the different links of the Agro-Food Chain.
In general, while taking leadership during the process, I facilitate decision making by others, aiming at getting the most out of it for everyone; I specifically do so through empowering people.