Alex Straathof PhD, director

After studying Psychology at Leiden University (1984), I obtained my PhD in 2009 at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam with the dissertation In search of the core of Culture Change. In it, I developed a method for mapping organisational cultures and making changes within them measurable.

Before completing my PhD in 2009, I was, among other roles, Director of VOF Bouwen aan Integriteit and Managing Partner at the consultancy firm Gelukkig aan de Maas.

Between 2011 and 2023, I worked as Professor of Culture Change at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, where I led a research team focused on issues relating to integrity, criminal infiltration, and cultural differences between organisations.

In 2023, I published Influencing Culture, a book offering practical insights into how to recognise and purposefully influence organisational cultures.

 

drs. Rita van Dijk, advisor

My expertise lies in researching and achieving cultural change. In 2002, I founded Wending, a consultancy specialising in organisational culture. In 2026, I decided to dedicate myself entirely to consultancy. As an advisor, trainer and facilitator, I have extensive experience in shaping change processes across a wide range of organisations.

My work focuses on themes such as transgressive behaviour, building a healthy workplace culture, and dealing with resistance during change processes. I have also published several books and numerous articles on how to effectively lead cultural change.

My career began in the Dutch central government, after which I held senior consultancy roles at the BBDO Group and CMC, Communication Management Consultants. I studied Dutch Language and Literature (with distinction) at the University of Amsterdam, Communication Science at Utrecht University, and Intervention Science at the Institute for Group and Organisational Psychology.