Hello, I am Niek!
Resilience coach, trainer and facilitator. But also a husband, father, sneaker consultant, and baseball fan. And when you see me walking on the streets, I will be wearing a (baseball) cap 9 out of 10 times.
I spent 11,5 years of my career in the sporting goods industry and loved every moment of it. I travelled, saw the world and met great people. I spent some years abroad as well.
On the day that my daughter turned one, we learned my wife had stage 2 breast cancer. I was supposed to leave that evening for Germany to attend a business meeting the next day, and I had managed to schedule my flight so I could be home during the day for my daughter’s birthday. What was supposed to be a quick visit to the hospital became the start of an adversity I had not experienced before.
I learned a lot about myself throughout my wife’s successful cancer treatment, and old life lessons found new meaning. New and old friends came and went. After the storm, when the dust settled, I looked back and decided to share my learnings with others and focus more on people than sneakers. I decided to take a leap of faith and said goodbye to the corporate world so I could pursue this adventure.
I have worked with professionals and companies from adidas, Reebok, Yamaha Motor and Porsche. Maybe you are the next person I can help?
On Zamrud.
Zamrud means ‘emerald’ in Indonesian. The gemstone, Emerald, stands for emotional growth and resilience. My grandparents were all born in the Dutch East Indies, which was Indonesia before its independence post WW2. The nickname, for the Dutch East Indies, is ‘the emerald belt’. The name Zamrud represents a tribute to my roots and my own journey.
On Resilience.
Understanding resilience and how to apply it is a huge part of my life. We all face adversities. Practice makes perfect, and I have dedicated my life to identify and develop a range of tools that can help my clients increase their resilience.
Zamrud Resilience helps leaders, professionals, and teams achieve their goals by increasing their resilience. Greater resilience will help you in business, but also in your private life. Whether you are a senior leader or just started your career, how often do you train for your mental preparation?
On Coaching.
Helping others is second nature for me. From little league baseball to the corporate world, the teams I have led were always focused on development. I will have my International Coaching Federation (ICF) certification soon, which I am obtaining through Newfield Network.
On Facilitating.
I am an experienced meeting, workshop and training facilitator. Could your organization use an expert outside facilitator? Let’s connect!
“I had the pleasure of co-facilitating group workshops together with Niek. He’s engaging and fun whilst still being able to challenge groups to get to the right outcome. His level headedness and authenticity make him a skilled and passionate facilitator. He’s a genuine people person and puts this skill to good work!”
Hayley Abraham - Senior Manager Talent, adidas