We are a global community of facilitators of transformation combining proven international experience of boosting individual and business performance with a distinctive perspective on personal and organizational health and well-being. We are adept at role modeling and have rich facilitation and coaching skills.
Our facilitators come from diverse backgrounds and have varied life experiences, but they all share certain qualities. They have a strong self awareness and bring conscious wholeness, a wealth of insight, knowledge, and practical support to our clients, integrating the latest organizational science, ancient wisdom and pragmatic business practices.
We are united in a deep commitment to Aberkyn’s purpose and vision and unique in our ability to deliver seamlessly across the globe, with local context and in 30 languages.
Being a vibrant global community of thought leaders, facilitators of transformation and practitioners united by the intention to learn and grow and contribute to a better world. All Aberkyn facilitators possess a unique background and perspectives that combine “organizational health” - a deep expertise in transforming behavior - with “performance” - proven international business experience as leaders.
We would like to honor and gratefully thank our Aberkyn founders and the early ambassadors, who believed in the work of human transformation as essential ingredient to elevate and embed business health, and to create individual leadership unlocks. The collective of a few adventurous kindred spirits then, has grown into a passionate community of facilitators, practitioners and thought leaders now. Representing the ‘Kyn’ (Family).
Throughout the years we have built upon our founders’ shoulders, and guided organizations and their leaders to navigate through challenges, to create a strong sense of purpose and direction, and to create a healthy organizational landscape.
We were inspired by the precious work of our founders helping companies to create a culture where aspirations do not remain merely dreams, but become fertile soil and contains a healthy ‘eco-system’. A system that grows resilient and inspirational role model leaders being in service of the whole, that makes effective and trusting teams collaborate in flow, and that lets emerge an open and welcoming culture that fosters a learning and ‘win-win’ mindset.
Our founders have materialized their aspirations in a courageous way, and with their (future) legacy and the pillars that we are continuously upon this, we hope to keep serving our clients in our own unique way, and as a unique community as part of McKinsey & Company, valuing the ‘Aber’ (Joining of Waters)
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Arne GastInitiator and FounderArne orchestrated the founding of Aberkyn within McKinsey, branched out Aberkyn in south-East Asia. He is McKinsey Senior Partner, part of the Managing Board until 2021, and currently Chair of the Enabling Board. Arne is a powerhouse further building Aberkyn. -
Roland SlotInitiator and FounderRoland initiated the founding of Aberkyn as an evergreen, and was the continuous driving force as Managing Partner from 2012 to 2015. He was a McKinsey Partner, and since 2019 is building a company that aims system change through purpose-driven ownership. -
Jeroen HilbertsFounding CircleJeroen is part of the co-founding circle of Aberkyn, and our first CFO. He role models critical thinking, courageous conversations and deep dialogues as essential to create trusting team connection. Since 2019 he is an independent Executive Team Coach. -
Michael RenniePioneerMichael was the first to bring deep personal transformational work to clients and within McKinsey in the mid nineties.He is a Senior Partner Emeritus & Senior Advisor of McKinsey. -
Kai GrünewaldFounderKai is a founding partner, and as from 2015 has built Aberkyn in North America. He also supported branching out to LatAm in 2019. Kai is a McKinsey Partner, part of the Aberkyn Management Board, leading the global client development , and known for his client impact. -
Roger SwavingFounding circleRoger has been part of the McKinsey since 2006, and became an Organizational Change expert, who committed himself deeply to co-founding Aberkyn. He is originating from the Netherlands, and leads Hub South East Asia since 2015 from Singapore and Indonesia. -
Claudio FeserEarly AmbassadorClaudio has been a driving force bringing in the Aberkyn work into the McKinsey system. He opened many doors as a sponsor. He is currently Director Emeritus and Senior Advisor at McKinsey, Lecturer at University of St. Gallen and has various advisory Board roles. -
Mike CarsonFounderMike is one of the founding partners, and has catalyzed most of Aberkyn’s international expansion. He is a McKinsey Partner, and embodies the unique way of Aberkyn client delivery bringing in creative arts, like film, storytelling and poetry. -
Marc PadbergFounding CircleMarc is part of the Aberkyn founding circle, and was our first Aberkyn hub Leader Middle East between 2016-2019. After spending a 2 years sabbatical in nature and ancient cultures he has returned to the Netherlands as Aberkyn Senior Affiliate advisor. -
Katinka HugenholtzFounding CircleKatinka has been in the Aberkyn founding circle bringing in her experience from her leadership development work in the UK. Since 2013 she is working in the Netherlands as Aberkyn Senior Affiliate Advisor. -
Erik ManderslootServant LeaderErik has been Managing Partner between 2016-2022, and has built the foundation to integrate Aberkyn into the McKinsey eco-system. He is a McKinsey Partner, bringing is the 3 layers of reality (energy, relationships, matter) and synchronicity into the work. -
Rob TheunissenEarly AmbassadorRob has been part of the McKinsey Organization Practice, and applied his expertise in Operations bringing Effectiveness, Performance & Heath together into transformational work. He helped Aberkyn to grow. Rob is a McKinsey Partner. -
Michiel KruytInitiator and FounderMichael was the first –generation of practitioners shaping the work, and one of the founders of Aberkyn. He was part of the board in 2018-2021, McKinsey partner and since 2021 CEO of a social venture to achieve Global Goals by business leadership. -
Jim AllenEarly Ambassador & Managing PartnerJim Allen has done transformational work long before Aberkyn was founded. He started as Affiliate, became McKinsey Partner, and has been elected, with overwhelming support, as Aberkyn Managing Partner since 2022. He leads the regional hub in Latin America.. -
Nicola JurisicEarly AmbassadorNicola brought in his expertise in culture transformation from the start. He became Senior Expert moving from Eastern Europe to Dubai and kept helping Aberkyn to expand and elevate culture and change work.. He was part of McKinsey for 14 years until 2021. -
Peter van der VlisFounderPeter is founding partner and extensively contributed to managing the internal processes and setting up our governance models. He helped to branch out to Germany, brought in innovation, and launched the Wilderness Trails. Since 2021 he is an Aberkyn Senior Affiliate. -
Ada OttenEarly AmbassadorAda has been involved in Aberkyn since the founding date, and started as Affiliate. She has led the Benelux hub, and is a guardian of the Aberkyn Essence, also bringing in Diversity expertise. She has been part of the Enabling Board, and currently is Aberkyn Board member. -
Gita BellinSpiritual TeacherGita has pioneered the Transformation Revolution in Human Behavior and worked with McKinsey for many clients. Many of Aberkyn have participated in her Facilitator Development Programs, which form the spiritual foundation of their work. -
Linda HoviusFounderLinda is one the founding partners of Aberkyn and a first generation advocate of the work of gender diversity. She was the second Managing Partner from 2015 to 2016. Linda currently has her own company and is a Boardroom Consultant. -
Gaby BrugginkCOOGaby has started in Aberkyn in 2016, and as COO has played an instrumental role in the integration into the McKinsey system, and in all transactions processes . Since mid 2022 she has become COO of GroupM Media. -
Lisa DoigTeacher & 1st Generation AffiliateLisa has brought her knowledge into the Aberkyn space from the start, and trained the facilitators with her learning programs inspired by the work of Gita Bellin. She shared her depth and quality in the first years, and founded her own development platform: Corporate Evolution.
Aberkyn has had many early ambassadors, passionate facilitators and fans that believed in our work, right from the start. They all really supported our company to grow with their individual valuable contributions, and they helped to expand the transformational work, and raise leadership consciousness.
Below we have listed some honorable mentions of people that have left their footprint in 2012-2013, the period in which Aberkyn was founded and put on the map.
We would like to thank the people who created the fertile ground, where the Aberkyn seeds could be planted: ideas slowly shaped into reality, because they participated in many brainstorm conversations: Mark Tigchelaar, Peter Slagt and Wiebe Draijer. And the McKinsey colleagues that laid the foundation in terms of knowledge, like Scott Keller and Aaron de Smet, and helped building the different hubs, like Faridun Dotiwala, Gemma D’Auria, Florian Pollner.
We also are very grateful to the 1st generation affiliates. Pioneers, who were directly part of our network, and delivered the work spreading the ‘star-seed’ in their own way, and breaking barriers in a time when the work was quite unknown, and people development in business wasn’t a given in transformational work: Beatrijs Verploeg and Francoise Gielen (who also both have built our LOTUS flagship training), David Kombrink, Esther Kerstholt, Myrna Nakad, Zita Jankovich, Jason Dawn, Israel Oyelumade, Neil Pearse, Tom O’Brien, David Lipschitz, Louise Hansell, and Malcolm Doig.
After 2013 Aberkyn expanded rapidly, different hubs were opened globally, and the governance modeled changed. However, the first ‘Warriors of the Light’ have sparked a flame, and their light is spreading ever since.
Finally, we also would like to honor the 1st generation of our support staff members, our Beating Heart, who created a nurturing home for our Community: Brechje van Geenen (Early Ambassador, Community Building), Koen Veltman (Operations Officer), Xandra Niehe (Chief Happiness Officer), Claar Onderwaater (Attraction Officer), Jochem Adam (HR), Elizabeth Hermes (Practice Manager US), Denise de Jong (Affiliates Staffing & Coordination), Monique von Bannisseht (Knowledge Management & Document Creation) & Finance & Accounting: Joost Ram, Phil Singh and Kimberley Bijkerke, Office support: Aberkyn home: Marten Fienee, Nico van Rhee, EA’s: Esther den Outer, Saskia Willemsens, Renske de Haan, Linda Hiemstra, Louise Benschop, Diane Fadden, Carol Weese, Tatiana Rijff, Sophie Eenhoorn, Pitta Lanzing.