Tom is a senior advisor for Strategic Environmental Management with over 25 years of experience in societal issues, multi-stakeholder negotiations, and area development processes. He supports executives, directors, and managers in achieving sustainable solutions. Creative, driven, and with an eye for building trust, he leads processes involving societal parties. Tom is at his best when connection needs to be made and steps are required between parties, even with conflicting interests and difficult challenges. He is equally at home addressing a resident meeting as he is navigating the sensitivities of executive board discussions.

Tom's focus is on supporting the climate transition. After studying at Wageningen University (MSc Biology), Tom worked in leadership, project management, advocacy, and program management roles for two major nature non-profit organizations. His role has consistently been to facilitate collaboration and dialogue between parties. He has gained extensive experience in building trust, the role of communication in this process, and conflict prevention. For example, he played a relevant role in establishing the societal consensus around Maasvlakte 2 and the A4 Midden-Delfland.

Since 2016, Tom has been working with WesselinkVanZijst. Since then, he has advised the management of ministries and has served as an independent process facilitator for various (citizen) participation processes. Additionally, Tom shares his knowledge in training sessions for the SOM Academy. He facilitates peer supervision sessions and regularly coaches employees and managers ‘on the job’. Tom excels at facilitating meetings where there are significant stakes involved.

Tom was an independent participation leader for the dike reinforcement project in Durgerdam (commissioned by the Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier). The participation approach of that project has won awards:

• WOW Jury Prize 2019
• ‘Best Environmental Management Article 2019’ in the essay contest for the National Environmental Managers Day (LOMD)