I reached out to Huib to learn how to deal with a tough situation I'd found myself in. The company I was working for at the time had undergone a reorganisation. This had led to a spiral of negativity all around me - and it was sapping my energy bigtime. It had taken a while for me to become proactive, to take the steps I needed to in order to extricate myself from the negative atmosphere and take control of my own future. This was the point where Huib came on board - to help me investigate my own stake in the situation. I was also hoping that Huib's coaching would help me rediscover my personal power and develop a new vision for the future.

As an executive tax partner, I've brought employees into contact with Huib every so often in the past, when they needed coaching. At the time, it struck me how efficiently Huib got down to work. In just two or three sessions, he managed to achieve very positive results. When I came up against a complex situation at work myself, I decided it was my turn to get advice from Huib. No regrets whatsoever! Huib gets straight to the point. His direct style of inquiry facilitates a process of insightful self-discovery. 

I had been working consecutively for thirty years at one of the Big Four financial services firms when I came across Huib. I'd started as a junior associate all those years ago, 'on call' from the partners and seniors, until I climbed my way up to partnership myself. When I turned 53 and decided I wanted to take a step back, I discovered that while there's a lot of investment in developing a career upwards, the same doesn't hold when you want to 'climb down'. That's why I went in search of an external coach - someone to guide me through this process ­- and found Huib.

I worked for a large firm of architects for 26 years - 16 of those as a partner. I was on the board with another five partners, including the founders of the firm. In those days, I worked on large-scale public projects like railway stations, for example. During this time, I was working in a twofold way: on one hand, drawing on my creativity to the fullest as an architect, on the other, focusing as a partner on the business development side in order to safeguard the company's continuity. I got very little recognition for my efforts, though, and that started to frustrate me more and more. At a point where I was feeling quite lost and at the end of my tether, I came across Huib - by sheer coincidence. We decided to go for a coffee in a courtyard garden in the city. That in itself was like a breath of fresh air (and typical Huib), as I never usually treated myself to moments like this.

I think Huib is particularly good as a coach because he cares so much and allows himself to get involved in the process. At the same time, he gives plenty of space and scope to his coachee's. He's quick to identify the 'sensitive spots' and has an energy and a drive that propels you to get right to the core. This drive makes his programmes very efficient; by that, I mean that you can quickly see tangible results in the workplace. For me - and I'd say it holds for many busy executives - this is a very important point. In the past, I've worked with coaches whose approaches take up a great deal of time. No thanks, not for me!

Two years ago, we were faced with a big reorganisation, for which I'd be largely responsible. I thought it would be a good idea to have a coach during such a difficult process. So during those two years, at times when I wanted a sparring partner, I called on Huib, who'd been recommended to me by my predecessor. Whenever I needed him, he pulled out all the stops. I was impressed by his ability to simplify the most complex things - of which there are many in a reorganisation - and break them down into manageable parts. His method was very concrete, which is a quality I really admire in a coach. Although it's easy to give advice, it doesn't always work in practice. But I always saw the concrete results of the advice Huib gave me.

I work as Chief Public Prosecutor, heading the legal department at one of the four courts of appeal within the national Public Prosecution Office - a demanding job with considerable responsibility within a field traditionally dominated by men. Following a reorganisation at the end of last year, I came into contact with Huib when we were taking part in a series of coaching and internal review sessions.

We have been collaborating with Huib for a long time, developing various training programmes together in the field of local education policy. Huib has also delivered these training programmes over the course of a number of years. Where Huib really excels is in his capacity to motivate people with conflicting interests to work together towards an overarching shared goal and the common good. 

I work in a medium-sized family business, and a few years ago I succeeded my father as CEO and company owner. Running a business isn't something you're equipped to do overnight just because you've signed some legal papers and have been given the title. It's a complex transformational process. For the father it takes time to learn how to let go and the son needs to adjust to the new role.

While I was Managing Director, my boss made it clear in various performance reviews that I needed to take more business risks. Now, I may not be a big risk-taker but I am a high performer. I attach great value to stability, to customer and employee satisfaction, and, not least, to the bottom line and a healthy balance sheet - I like figures in the black rather than in the red! Actually, I'm not really risk-averse - many of decisions I took involved risk; so why did people perceive my entrepreneurial style as overcautious?

I first came into contact with Huib when I was HR Director of Facilicom. It was during a High Potential training programme and Huib was responsible for individual coaching sessions. Right from the start, Huib created an atmosphere of trust where I felt at ease. This surprised me, as I am usually on my guard during initial encounters.

A couple of years ago, I called on Huib's coaching skills to help give me a head start in my new job as marketing manager. In practice, a coach often gets called in when you've hit a roadblock, but I wanted to use coaching as a 'preventive' approach - to explore how to best deploy my communication skills, my energy and my strengths.