About me

In a nutshell

I trained as a journalist at the Journalism Academy in the Dutch city of Tilburg. My career has included work as both freelance and company journalist as well as spokesperson for major players in the commercial and voluntary sectors. This has included secondments and project work in China, Finland, France, Spain, the UK and the US.

I am fluent in Dutch and English. My French, German and Spanish are reasonable and I can get by in Italian.

Work experience

Nuon
Before setting up as a freelance media and communications consultant in January 2003, I spent four years as the spokesperson, media manager and member of the management team of Nuon, the largest energy company in The Netherlands with around six million customers. My responsibilities ranged from building greater internal appreciation of the benefits of good publicity and advising the Board of Directors on publicity through to managing a proactive media strategy and presenting the company’s views in interviews and to external audiences.

Greenpeace
During eight years as leader of Greenpeace Netherlands’ press team -until 1998- I significantly raised the media profile of the organisation’s environmental campaigns by bringing a new level of professionalism to day-to-day dealings with the media, especially in press conferences and TV interviews.

Dutch Railways
Working as a journalist between 1986 and 1990 for one of the largest employers in The Netherlands, I wrote and photographed for the company magazine and for a magazine reporting on city and regional transport developments both at home and abroad.

Freelance
I cut my teeth as a professional journalist by writing for a variety of monthly magazines and as a regional radio reporter.