Creative, patient & compassionate guidance
I grew up in a bilingual family in Flanders’ fields. You’ll hear me say ‘I’m a true Belgian product: my father is French-speaking while my mother is Dutch-speaking!’ So, very early on, I learned to switch from one mode to another but also to see and integrate the best of both worlds. Some people call me a natural ‘bridge builder’, the one who reaches out, the one who meets others where it is comfortable for them, the one who connects.
Learning remains the thread, the ‘fil rouge’ in my life. Not only for myself – I love learning new languages, new skills or discovering new countries – but also for others. I know how to listen to the ‘music’ of each person in order to create the conditions that make exploration and learning possible. I've done that for 25 years in large, multinational corporations (CSC, SWIFT) in roles as Learning & Development manager, HR Business Partner and Head of HR Business Partner group, operating in 15 countries.
After a 6 month sabbatical in Rwanda where I set up my own volunteer project, testing an innovative language teaching / learning approach - ‘the Silent Way’ – it became clear to me that I wanted to make a difference to a wider range of organisations and individuals and that my talents would support me in achieving that dream.
I am driven to make a positive impact. I bring people in motion by connecting them with their passions and creating adaptive, ‘out of the box’ solutions to solve complex issues. As a generous, trilingual consultant I specialise in developing leaders, accelerating change, creating healthy workplaces and building communities. My work includes coaching C-level executives to improve personal effectiveness, aligning senior teams, enabling organization wide change, and developing leaders and managers.
The other thread in my life is music. Singing has been a joy and a passion for as long as I can remember : singing with my parents, singing in choirs, singing with friends, being on stage, giving concerts. In 2006, I spent 6 weeks in Paris, at the Roy Hart Centre, intensively practising at the intersection between voice, mouvement and theater with professional artists. For over 15 years, I've worked with a voice teacher trained by Serge Wilfart. But this passion belonged to my private sphere.
Recently, voice and singing became intertwined in my consulting practice and in my leadership programs – at a time that my confidence in teaching of mindfulness started growing. As if mindfulness is softening the frontiers between my two worlds. Participants talk about ‘the Anne touch’ when they refer to my creative, patient and compassionate guidance. They report leaving rejuvenated, with an uplifted heart and grounded confidence in their inner strength.
“Als geen ander ben jij in staat van je kwetsbaarheid een kracht te maken. Jouw openheid, opent de ander. Jouw kwetsbaarheid maakt het voor de ander gemakkelijker zich kwetsbaar op te stellen.”