I'm Robin van Cleef
I'm a highly motivated Prince II Foundation certified Digital Transformation expert and project/product manager with a master’s degree in International Economics and Business. In my 14+ years of experience in process and technology transformation, I have delivered projects worth tens of millions of euros across four continents and multiple industries at leading companies like Shell, Philips, and Unilever.
I deliver engaging and innovative customer experiences by building a deep understanding of customers’ needs and leveraging disruptive technologies. I attribute my success to strong interpersonal and communication skills that have allowed me to form lasting relationships with diverse stakeholders. My strong analytical skills and passion for creativity allow me to successfully structure and lead complex multi-year projects while retaining the flexibility to adapt to challenges and identify opportunities for improvement. My ideal career path is to be in a customer-obsessed, product/service-focused role at an innovative global leader.
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If you're a prospective employer, please consider this site an extension of my CV, with more detailed information about my professional achievements. Don't hesitate to reach out to me on LinkedIn if you see an opportunity to collaborate. If you're a personal contact, I would love to hear from you on Facebook.
Note: any sites not listed here are not affiliated with me.
01 PROFILE
My professional experience at nearly two dozen clients spans all major industries and most continents. Having worked at two of the largest consulting firms in the world, I helped industry leaders to generate and/or save millions of dollars through large-scale global transformations and workflow optimizations.
Career highlights include:
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Managing strategic, complex projects at global industry leaders, including in media (Elsevier), consumer goods (Unilever), and financial services (Rabobank) in Europe, North America, and Asia by leveraging advanced risk and project management skills to optimize workflows
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Developing deep experience in end-to-end business improvement/design and product development including system implementations and Agile/Scrum development, from vision and design, change management, and training to post go-live support and continuous improvement
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Collaborating with diverse, cross-functional stakeholders, from C-level executives down to management, developers, trainers, and users through concise, articulate speech and writing
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Adapting to changing customer needs with agility using change management techniques and by continuously aligning with internal and external business partners in matrix organizations
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Coaching/mentoring juniors and in-depth involvement in the success of others by fostering honest and supportive relationships to encourage professional growth and take the next steps in their careers
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Nurturing a passion for innovation by leading the Deloitte Consulting Blockchain community in The Netherlands by partnering with leaders in other functions (Audit, Risk, etc.), setting and executing strategic objectives, and defining the go-to-market approach, all culminating in a two-day event I co-organized for global practitioners in the company
Customer Experience Design
​Extensive experience collaborating with customers to develop a deep understanding of the desired customer experience. Hands-on deliverables include:
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End-to-end customer experience mapping
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Rich, beautiful personas
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Clear, concise process flows
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Exhaustive requirements capture
Process Design
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Persona Design
Ideation
Root Cause Analysis
Product Management
Team leader in all non-technical stages of product management/development, including Design, Test, Deploy, Train, and Support. Direct accountability includes:
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Agile and Waterfall methodologies
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Development/management of user stories
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Converting requirements into functional designs and wireframes/prototypes
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Detailed planning and sales
Defect Management
Project and Release Planning
Interactive Training Materials
Senior Stakeholder Engagement
Driving change requires connecting to people at all levels, from C-level engagement to daily operators, across geographic and cultural borders, and between technical and business teams.
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Engaging public speaker
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Trusted advisor for C-level stakeholders
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Effective communicator at all levels and across cultures
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Cross-functional collaborator
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Linking pin between technical and non-technical audiences (e.g., customers)
People Leader
One of the most fulfilling aspects of my career as a leader is helping others become successful. In addition to being a people leader on projects, I have formally coached and mentored more than a dozen junior members of my department, from those fresh out of university to experienced professionals, both from The Netherlands and abroad.
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Helped underperformers develop actionable strategies to grow and improve
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Guided high achievers to optimize their potential and perform beyond expectations
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Helped 9 people that I've coached get promoted since 2018
"Robin is strongly invested in my personal and professional growth and at the same time guards my wellbeing, work/life balance and ensures that I enjoy my work.
At the start of the year, we have jointly set up the Growth Portfolio, steering me towards thoroughly considering my ambitions and goals. By repeatedly asking “Why, why, why...”, Robin has made me rethink convictions and assumptions. Furthermore, he sometimes provides longer-term questions/considerations for me to think about and re-discuss during our next meetings. Robin provided an approach and personal experiences which made me better understand what clients enthuse me and what kind of engagements get me excited and perform at my best. Robin goes beyond what is expected of him in his role of coach [and] the conversations with Robin have been highly engaging and inspiring."
- Coachee
"Robin always delivers according to client expectations, while remaining focused on profitability and building trusted client relationships.
He is known for his professional and calm attitude, in a client field that demands high quality standards. Robin is a trusted partner in delivery, managing long-lasting complex transformations from start to closing."
- Deloitte Partner
"Robin was the ultimate connect between Business and IT, being very capable in interpreting and understanding business requirements and translating these solutions with the IT team.
This helps both the business side of projects, as they receive solutions that meet their needs, as well as (our-) SI teams, as these receive well thought out and documented specifications. Although acting primarily process driven, Robin is able to make the connect to the IT side of this type of transformation projects. He does this with a natural, pleasant and structured way of communicating, making him a valued part of the teams."
- Deloitte Director
"In very difficult situations (client politics, client's dysfunction, internal resourcing issues, etc.), Robin at all times remained calm and in control...
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...doing a good job of influencing his team, his client stakeholder base, and also myself."
- Deloitte Partner
Industry Expertise and
Quick Learner
Global success requires the agility to adapt to constantly changing environments, listening to customers, and understanding context like industry trends.
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Work experience at leading companies in all major industries
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Focused on the consumer products industry at companies like Ahold Delhaize, Unilever, and Philips
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Demonstrated ability to understand customer requirements in a broad variety of contexts
Consumer Products
Industrial Products
Financial
Services
Media and Telecommunications
Public Services
03 Experience
2007
Master's Degree in International Economics and Business
Graduated from Utrecht University with a Master's degree in International Economics after obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Economics with a minor in Sociology from the same university.
2008
Joined Accenture as a Management Consultant. Accenture provides management consulting where business and technology intersect to drive value, shape new businesses, and design operating models by creating measurable value and innovative solutions to connect with customers, improve resilience, and drive sustainable growth. See the Expertise section for more information about the client impact I made at Accenture.
2013
First Personal Publication
In 2013, an article I wrote called “50 Years, 50 Albums: Cutting the Catalogue” was published in Elvis-Today, a globally published magazine dedicated to the professional career of Elvis Presley.
2016
Joined Deloitte as a Management Consultant. Deloitte is the world's largest management consultancy and helps clients solve their most complex problems, from strategy to implementation. It is differentiated by its capability to execute the advice it provides to help clients in the markets where they operate today and where they want to be. See the Expertise section for more information about the client impact I made at Deloitte.
2016
First Professional Publication
In 2016 I co-authored a Deloitte point of view called “The Future of Operational Finance,” in which we reviewed 5 disruptive technologies and the impact they are expected to have on the finance function of the future. Click the PDF icon below to view the publication.
2017
Blockchain Consulting Lead
In 2018, as lead of the Deloitte Consulting Blockchain community, I attended a global Deloitte blockchain community event and was interviewed about why Deloitte is so well positioned to leverage this new technology. In 2019, as lead of the Deloitte Consulting Blockchain community, the team and I organized a 2-day Community of Practice meeting with colleagues and clients from across the globe. I was featured in both of the videos uploaded to Deloitte's YouTube channel.
PRESENT
Senior Manager at Deloitte
I'm currently part of the senior leadership team at Deloitte, focusing on the Consumer Products industry and making a meaningful impact at clients as diverse as grocery retailers and sustainable bicycle leasing companies.
Where to next?
GET IN TOUCH!
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