Wieke is an associate in the Retail and Consumer Goods practice and joined our Amsterdam office in 2019. She also leads the office recruiting team and its activities, including our upcoming Women in Consulting recruiting event on June 16.

As a consultant, what kind of projects do you work on?

Most recently, I have been involved in a long-term strategic collaboration with a global retailer to enhance the merchandising capabilities of their European brands. As part of this collaboration, we work on pricing strategy, assortment optimization, and promo planning with the client’s commercial teams, category managers, and directors, while also collaborating with our retail solutions specialist team who facilitate the necessary tooling. This has been a massive undertaking, involving many stakeholders and requiring collaboration between individuals from various teams with very different skill sets. There were many things that made this project a very enjoyable experience: we had a great team from the Amsterdam office, built a collaborative and positive relationship with the client, and I got the opportunity to quickly upskill my retail knowledge. The work is also incredibly tangible since you can see the direct outcome of your efforts by walking into a local store.

However, what I appreciated most about this project is that it taught me what it takes to make a lasting impact. Facilitating change within an organization is more than having the right vision or smart ideas. You need to have a compelling story that resonates, creates buy-in, and establishes trust with all levels of the organization, and you need to deliver that story (alongside tangible outputs) repeatedly in order for the organization to move with you.

What motivated you to be involved in the office recruiting activities?

After going through the fair share of recruitment events during my own interview process, I thought being part of the Amsterdam recruitment team was an interesting opportunity to sit at the other side of the table. Although that was my initial motivation, what has kept things interesting for me as I progressed throughout my role is the amount of trust, freedom, and responsibility I have been given. As a junior consultant, I was able to design and shape our recruitment activities, which was a rewarding challenge. Now, 3.5 years later, I am leading a team of ten people, and I find it incredibly fulfilling. It has been a cool way to learn skills above my ‘official’ level, collaborate with colleagues I don't typically work with on projects, and above all, help build the firm.