Hello, my name is Adrian.
I have spent much of my career building bridges between people, cultures, and ideas—especially in international settings where the right connections, timing, and decisions truly matter. As a dual citizen of the United States and the Netherlands, I bring both lived experience and professional depth to cross-border work. I began my career in the humanities and later transitioned into professional roles within education, recruiting, manufacturing, health advocacy, and scientific ecosystems.
In the Netherlands, I earned a degree in Contemporary History from Radboud University in Nijmegen. For my master’s thesis, “The Netherlands United Nations Battalion (NDVN) in the Korean War, 1950–1954,” I spent several months at the National Archives in The Hague researching the NDVN Korea archive and the records of the six battalion commanders. I also interviewed the battalion physician—an exceptionally tough and driven individual—who later wrote a doctoral dissertation entitled “On Combat Exhaustion,” a condition that would today be recognized as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This work gave me an early understanding of how leadership, judgment, accountability, and human resilience shape outcomes.
Upon completing my graduate studies, I was selected by the international office of Radboud University to study in the United States through the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). This marked the beginning of my American adventure. I enrolled at Ball State University in Indiana—a major research university in the heart of the American Midwest and, fun fact, the alma mater of U.S. talk-show host David Letterman—where I completed a master’s degree in International Business.
Upon my return to the Netherlands from the United States—with both a master’s degree in international business and the future mother of my children—I sought a more dynamic, fast-paced role and made a deliberate transition from a humanities-based academic environment into a scientific and commercial setting. I joined a German pharmaceutical company in Alkmaar as a sales manager. During the interview process, my communication skills and demonstrated interest in the medical field—rooted in my earlier research and interviews with the battalion physician—ultimately made the difference in the hiring decision.
After a career in the Netherlands that included eight years as a Professor of Business Communication at a well-known university of applied sciences, I relocated to the United States with my family in 2008, taking an entrepreneurial path. Together with an American business partner, I founded a small U.S. company and developed a study-abroad program that enabled young talents to spend a semester at partner locations I established at three American universities.
I have now lived and worked in the United States for 18 years across several states, including the past 12 years residing in Needham, Massachusetts, near Boston. Living and working internationally—including in executive recruitment—has given me a strong understanding of how to build high-performing, cross-border teams. To stay current, I have continued my professional development through executive and professional studies at Harvard University and MIT, both located just minutes from where I live.
What has always driven me is understanding what motivates people, recognizing their strengths, and helping them find environments where they can truly thrive. I’ve done this across healthcare, life sciences, education, manufacturing, innovation ecosystems, and international partnerships—often supporting critical hires where precision and judgment matter most.
Recruitment is about getting it right from Day One. The right leadership, regulatory, scientific, or commercial talent can unlock momentum. I bring an international perspective and a high-caliber network to my work, helping organizations build strong core teams that form a solid foundation for sustainable global growth. I believe the strongest hiring decisions are built through open dialogue, trust, and genuine alignment between clients and candidates.