What's it like to work at WesselinkVanZijst? In this interview series, our team members will take you through their workday. What does their work look like and what do they encounter? This time: Mart Scheepers, senior advisor and trainer.

Hello Mart, is it true that you are the very first employee of WesselinkVanZijst?

‘Indeed! That was in 2012: founders Marc and Hans could use some support with projects. I got in touch with them through connections, and that's how I started as a junior consultant. I was in my early twenties and had previously worked for a year at an organization specializing in international conflict resolution.

What I immediately liked—and still do—is that at WesselinkVanZijst we are true specialists. That suits me well. The projects we undertake are very different in nature, from CO2 storage underground to issues surrounding the asylum chain. But we always contribute from our expertise: professional stakeholder management. This way, we ensure that complex tasks run more smoothly.

After five years at WesselinkVanZijst, I moved to Myanmar – my partner and I had always wanted to live abroad for a while. After about three years, we had the discussion whether we wanted to stay or go back to the Netherlands. Just at that moment, Marc called: if I felt like coming back to work here? I didn't have to think long about that.’

As a senior advisor and trainer, my average work week typically involves a mix of client meetings, delivering training sessions, developing new course materials, and administrative tasks. A typical week might look something like this: **Monday:** * **Morning:** Reviewing project progress and preparing for client consultations. This might involve analyzing data, drafting reports, or creating presentation decks. * **Afternoon:** Client meetings. These could be strategy sessions, problem-solving workshops, or progress updates. I often travel to client sites. **Tuesday:** * **Full Day:** Delivering a training session. This could be an in-person workshop at a client's location or a virtual training session. I generally spend a significant part of my day facilitating discussions, presenting material, and engaging participants. **Wednesday:** * **Morning:** Following up on client engagements, sending out meeting minutes, and action item lists. I might also be involved in initial sales calls or proposal development. * **Afternoon:** Content development. This involves researching new topics, updating existing training materials, or creating new modules based on emerging industry trends or client needs. **Thursday:** * **Morning:** A mix of internal team meetings and one-on-one coaching sessions with junior colleagues or clients. * **Afternoon:** Another client meeting or, if not client-facing, more time dedicated to project work, research, or preparing for upcoming training sessions. **Friday:** * **Morning:** Administrative tasks such as invoicing, expense reporting, and updating my professional development goals. I also use this time to plan for the following week. * **Afternoon:** Often a lighter day, sometimes used for catching up on reading industry publications, networking online, or a final wrap-up meeting for the week. Some Fridays may also involve travel for weekend training or conferences. **Key Activities Throughout the Week:** * **Client Interaction:** This is a cornerstone of my role, involving consultations, advisory services, and problem-solving. * **Training Delivery:** Conducting workshops, seminars, and individual coaching sessions to enhance skills and knowledge. * **Content Creation:** Developing and refining training materials, case studies, and best practice guides. * **Research & Development:** Staying abreast of industry changes, new methodologies, and learning best practices to incorporate into my work. * **Project Management:** Overseeing client projects from inception to completion. * **Business Development:** Identifying new opportunities and contributing to proposals. * **Continuous Learning:** Dedicating time to my own professional growth through courses, reading, and conferences. The exact balance shifts depending on project demands, training schedules, and client needs. Some weeks are heavily focused on delivering training, while others are more concentrated on advisory work or content development. It's a dynamic role that requires flexibility and adaptability.

‘Let's take this week as an example. On Monday, I worked from home for a client in the nuclear energy sector. My agenda included online meetings, including a review with the team – we had a big deadline last week. I also had contact with a few stakeholders about that: how was our proposal received, do you have all the information you need? Additionally, I prepared a training session.’

Tuesday I was at the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth (KGG) in The Hague, for appointments regarding the projects I am involved in. And I spoke with various stakeholders, for example, someone who was concerned about plans for a nuclear power plant near the Wadden Sea.

Today – Wednesday – I'm writing a report for another project, about the energy transition in Amsterdam. I'm also doing internal work for WesselinkVanZijst: drafting contracts, as I'm responsible for our HR policy. Tomorrow and the day after, I'll be giving a training to enthusiastic environmental managers, together with a colleague. Base. Always fun to do!’

Nobody sits at their desk all week with us.

Sounds like a dynamic week! What's the common thread in your work?

‘What I often do is zoom out one step further than my clients. They have a specific goal in mind: for example, they want to get a spatial project off the ground or create new policy. I help them gain insight into the bigger picture. What does such a project mean for other stakeholders? What influence do all those parties have? And how can we take their interests into account so that we can get them on board?

Often, people try to convince stakeholders with content, but that usually doesn't work. Something else is needed then. I help figure out what – and how.

My precise role varies by project. Sometimes I'm a process facilitator: I then have a ‘neutral’ role, in which I try to bring parties together at the table and move the process forward. Sometimes I'm asked to give concrete advice: what is the right next step? And sometimes I work internally with clients. Then, as a strategic environment manager, I'm truly part of the team, as I am now at the Ministry of KGG.’

What do you like most about your job?

‘That I get to go to many places and learn about all sorts of topics. Nobody here sits at their desk all week. And I find it fascinating to dive into a societal issue: what interests are involved here—and how can we help with our approach?

You really see the impact of your work, which is also motivating. A while ago, I worked on a project to make a Utrecht district heating network more sustainable. The goal was to sustainably heat and store water when household demand is high. That was successful. Now, 20 percent less CO2 is emitted for heating the houses connected to the district heating network. Of course, not solely because of me – I can't build such an installation – but I dare say it happened significantly faster and more carefully thanks to us. With less hassle for all parties involved.’

What skills do you need as a consultant at WesselinkVanZijst?

‘Analytical ability is important: being able to think through how a task is structured, what the dynamics are between parties – and then designing a process based on that. You also have to be persistent. We often hear comments like ‘that's just the way it is’ or ‘that's how it works here’. Yet tasks often get stuck. We help by offering a different perspective on the task. This also requires the client to be open to letting go of assumptions and to think creatively.

Communication skills are of course important. My colleagues and I often have meta-level conversations. Not ‘I think this, you think that,’ but: ‘Hey, I think the way we interact isn't helping either of us, let's see how we can improve that.’.

It works much better to take people step by step through your train of thought.

Being a consultant is a craft, even beyond the subject matter. How do you give advice that a client actually acts on? When I first started this job, I sometimes had the tendency to say little and then lay out my complete perspective all at once. But it works much better to lead people step-by-step through your thought process. You learn these skills gradually, but as a junior at WesselinkVanZijst, you also have a lot of opportunities to attend training. So, if you'd like to work with us, be sure to get in touch.’

Finally: what don't your clients and colleagues know about you yet?

‘I really like complex, tactical board games, like Seven Wonders, Root, and Tzolk'in. With those, you have to think several turns ahead and really consider the right strategy. Much like my work, actually!’

Working at WesselinkVanZijst
At WesselinkVanZijst, we are always looking for driven consultants to strengthen our team. You will help our clients with issues that have a significant social impact. Want to know more? Email us at info@wesselinkvanzijst.nl or get acquainted with one of
our advisors.

Senior consultant

Mart Scheepers