Team

Miranda Goossens is the CEO of Gladwell Academy. In her career, she has worked for several training organizations. Miranda has over 15 years of experience in developing training programs, fulfilling a wide range of educational needs. She is further specialized in consulting, as well as setting-up and implementing internal and external educational academies. Miranda’s main focus is in the area of business and IT. Gladwell Academy emphasizes the role of people within organizations. This, in combination with entrepreneurship and the everlasting challenge to try to stay one step ahead of new training demands, is what makes Gladwell Academy the perfect working environment for Miranda. As CEO, Miranda links present-day topics to new training offerings for clients. Miranda is a naturally active and interested listener, and she is at her best when setting up new initiatives and motivating people to achieve. Besides her work as CEO, Miranda is a passionate runner.

Walter has over 15 years of experience in consultancy and strategic management, with a background that includes working at Deloitte as a Commercial Due Diligence advisor to Private Equity funds. His experience spans market analysis, strategic leadership, and operational improvements. At Gladwell Academy, Walter focuses on Strategy, Finance, and HR, contributing to the development of the Academy’s training offerings and Coaching proposition. He collaborates with clients to support their Agile transformations, helping them build the knowledge and skills necessary for driving Business Agility in their organizations. Walter is known for his clear headed approach to business and his commitment to helping the company and its clients move forward with clarity and purpose.

Anand Murthy Raj is Director at Gladwell Academy Asia and SAFe Fellow. He is a certified SPCT (SAFe Program Consultant Trainer) and a leader with a vision to bring in great difference and excellence into the organization by multiplying business/value to achieve greater heights. He has 19 years of experience in the IT industry, as well as a strong management background and versatile experience in Agile Coaching. His specialties are Software Project Management, Support, Operations Management, Customer Management, Process Management, People Management, and Vendor/Partner Management. Anand has been conducting the SAFe Agilist certification training globally to more than 500 professionals in the last several years, with a pass rate of 99%. He received the Agile Product of the Year 2015 in ''IT products'' category, organized by Unicom. Anand has experience as an Enterprise Agile Coach, and he helped Philips Inc. bring SAFe into their own organization.

Eduardo Alvim is a Trainer at Gladwell Academy. Eduardo is the first and (thus far) only Spanish & Portuguese speaking qualified SPCT in the world, also delivering trainings in English and French. Prior to becoming SPCT, Eduardo gained extensive working experience in the areas of software development, IT, and team management. Eduardo has implemented Agile ways of working in industries as diverse as aviation, healthcare, pharmaceutical, banking & insurance, media, and IT. This has led to extended practical knowledge of the need for Agile ways of working and firsthand examples of the benefits of implementing SAFe. Eduardo strongly believes in extending transformation processes companywide to stay at the forefront of our post-digital economy. As SPCT, he emphasizes strategic approaches, measurable business objectives and outcomes, and a clear purpose. He holds certifications as CSM, PSMI, PSMII, CSPO, CSP-SM, CSP-PO, SA, SPC, RTE, LPM, and several others. Eduardo’s motivation as a coach is edged in providing organisations the right framework to structurally improve and give individuals the tools to thrive in their respective roles, which is why you’ll see him performing as speaker in the most prestigious events about Agile and Agility around the world.

Florence Colonne is Operating Director FR & Global Business Manager at Gladwell Academy (Highberg Group). Growth and development of organizations are central topics in her work. With over 15 years of hands-on experience in consulting and delivery of IT business expertise, she helps companies maximize their value by enabling them to become Lean and Agile at every level. Florence has a strong background in Business Management, Consulting and deep experience working on the business side to ensure an integrated approach to transformations.

Joost Brugman is a Business Development Manager at Gladwell Academy and is responsible for the worldwide applications of the open enrollment training programs. Joost has a sophisticated background in working in an international environment and across different cultures. His goal is to provide Gladwell customers with practical advice and tailor-made solutions. Within the Gladwell Academy team, Joost is solution-oriented, as he tends to think outside the box. He is a real team player. In his spare time, Joost can be found planning his next trip or adventure, playing on the tennis court, or enjoying a major sports event.

Flynn is a Business Development Executive at Gladwell Academy, specializing in the growth of Agile and Scaled Agile training programs. With a wide experience, in among other fields of experience, strategic management and client relations, Flynn thrives in guiding organizations through transformative learning journeys. His expertise spans Agile methodologies, business agility, and customized solutions that empower teams and organizations to scale effectively. At Gladwell Academy, Flynn focuses on expanding the company’s global training and coaching offerings, helping clients adopt Lean-Agile practices to drive sustainable change. He is recognized for his strategic insights, customer-centric approach, and ability to craft tailored solutions that address complex organizational needs.

Marie Potel is Business Development Advisor at Gladwell Academy.

Isabelle started as a Training Coordinator at Gladwell Academy and is now a Training & Development Advisor. She is responsible for the open enrollment Sales of the Benelux in combination with coordinating in-company trainings for the Benelux region. Isabelle is an experienced meeting and training organizer with a professional history of working in the international hospitality industry. Her experience allows her to be very flexible and able to adapt to every situation in order to keep the clients' and participants’ needs and wishes as her top priority. She always has ideas on how to make every training successful. Isabelle is very customer-centric and believes in the power of personal touch. The word “problem” is not in her vocabulary, as she sees every challenge as an opportunity. In her free time, Isabelle enjoys the beach, traveling, sports, and spending time with her friends and family.

Marina is RTE Community Manager/ Training & Development Advisor at Gladwell Academy.

Raul Barth is a SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) and certified Release Train Engineer (RTE). He has a Green Belt in Lean, also holding Professional Scrum Master I & II (PSM) and Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) certifications.

Marina Voropaeva is a trainer and SPC at Gladwell Academy. With a background in strategic management and professional experience in different companies

Brendan Mulholland is a certified Agile coach and Scrum Master at Gladwell Academy. His certifications include SAFe Program Consultant (SPC), Release Train Engineer (RTE), Product Owner Product Manager (POPM), Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO II), Professional Scrum Master (PSM II), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Professional Agile Leadership - Evidence Based Management (PAL-EBM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) and ITIL v3. Brendan holds a Master in project management and a BSc in Land Economics (Scotland).

Marijt Weerts is a certified Senior Agile coach and Release Train Engineer (RTE). She has a Black Belt in Lean and, she is a Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO). She is also a Validated SPC Co-Trainer, with more than 10 years of experience in implementing Agile and Lean at complex international organizations. Marijt felt inspired to become a transformation coach/leader after seeing a lot of companies struggle to keep up in the contemporary Digital Age. She noticed them struggling particularly with issues such as late delivery or delivery of incorrect items. Marijt understands that a lot of companies find it difficult to be Agile or use Agile in the right way, and she loves to help these organizations overcome their problems by restoring a sense of entrepreneurship within the employees. Marijt combines a results-driven mentality with the ability to motivate people to adjust to change. Her creative attitude often leads to unexpected results. She coaches and motivates teams to be successful and to achieve maximum results. She has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands). She is incredibly passionate about her job, and she believes that all frameworks and mindsets are only effective if individuals understand the 'why' behind what they do, and if they trust in their common sense. Marijt is decisive, enterprising, has a results-oriented approach, and is socially skilled and involved. Outside of her work, she loves to go out and explore with family and friends. Past project work of Marijt's includes, but is not limited to, work in the Government, Bank and Insurance companies, small non-software-related companies, and an Agile Lifecycle Management company.

Renate Cremers’ interest in learning and growth is rooted in her background as a labor and organisation psychologist. She specialised in Training & Development and has been actively involved in innovating HR processes as an HR Business Partner for companies operating globally.

Julia Heuritsch is an Agile Trainer/Coach at Gladwell Academy. Her certifications include Professional Scrum Master (PSM I), Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO I), SAFe Program Consultant (SPC), Professional Agile Leadership - Evidence Based Management (PAL - EBM & PAL I ). Julia is holding a Master in Astrophysics in Austria, Australia and the Netherlands.

Sabine Droog is the Head of Operations at Gladwell Academy. She is involved in developing various training programs and several other projects within Gladwell Academy. In doing so, she is responsible for every phase of the process, from the start-up phase to evaluation. Through open communication with clients, participants, and trainers, she ensures a smooth flow of projects. Sabine is enthusiastic, responsible, and likes to take initiative. She has a can-do mentality, and her strength lies in signaling needs and involving people in an effective way. Sabine also has a lot of experience in organizing domestic and foreign events. In addition to her work at Gladwell Academy, she loves fashion and helps her boyfriend with his multi-brand store for men. For this, she regularly visits fairs both in the Netherlands and abroad, and she is also regularly attending buying appointments.

Maryeme is the Training Coordinator and Quality contact person for France, where she ensures adherence to quality processes. She not only crafts and steers a continuous improvement plan but also fulfills the role of Disability Advisor. Additionally, she expertly organizes and supports the Qualiopi quality audit. With a wealth of experience in the learning industry, Maryeme oversees the organization and administrative follow-up of training sessions for major international accounts and public sessions. She acts as the key liaison with funding bodies. Outside of work, Maryeme enjoys Zumba and competes in online Scrabble tournaments. Fluent in five languages, she has a deep passion for exploring the world.

Maarten is the Marketing Director at Gladwell Academy. Maarten has a background in Marketing Communications, International Relations and Business Development, with extensive working experience as freelance consultant in international teams. An engaged team-leader with demonstrated strong suits in the areas of branding, marketing and communications strategies, Maarten is passionate about unlocking growth potential and the organizational structures to support durable growth. Maarten calls Amsterdam and Madrid his homes, has a strong affinity with sports and film as a creative outlet and considers himself to be a business creative. He is thrilled to be a part of the Gladwell Academy team and to apply his knowledge to the continued and structured growth of Gladwell Academy.

Sacha van Drunen is the Event Manager at Gladwell Academy. She is responsible for the organization of the Gladwell Academy Events.

Carolien Wiltink is the Partnership Marketer at Gladwell Academy.

Marion Péquignot joined Gladwell Academy in November 2020 as the Marketing Manager for France. Marion has more than 8 years of experience in communications and marketing, having worked in large Parisian communication agencies both on national and international levels. She moved to Amsterdam in September 2020 with the ambition of joining a company with an international dimension. Her role at Gladwell Academy is to ensure the brand visibility and growth on the French market. Her superb knowledge of the French market is an asset in her missions within Gladwell Academy. She is also the Scrum Master of a team of 6 people. Marion speaks fluent English. In her spare time, Marion likes to travel, take care of pets, and get new tattoos. You can also find her enjoying cocktails in beautiful, sunny Amsterdam.

Rosalie van Hall is a Graphic Designer at Gladwell Academy. After years of working as a freelancer for major brands and companies, Rosalie decided to stay at Gladwell Academy as a part-time Graphic Designer. Her activities include designing online communication materials, White Papers, and Case Studies. She creates all of the kinds of fantastic visual expressions that Gladwell Academy is looking for. Rosalie has also recently developed a Course Guide for Gladwell Academy, which contains the entire learning range offered by the organization. It is every time a challenge to create something beautiful with the input provided, but Rosalie never disappoints.

Narges is a Training Coordinator at Gladwell Academy and is responsible for the coordination of open enrollment courses in the Benelux market. She has a professional background and extensive experience in the hospitality industry, which she uses to get things done without losing sight of participants’ wishes. Using her accuracy and organizational skills, Narges coordinates the courses from start-up until evaluation and ensures a smooth process. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, or traveling.

Martijn Mallekoote is the Assistent Controller at Gladwell Academy.

Lina De Meyer is a SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) and certified Product Owner (PO) and Release Train Engineer (RTE). Lina has a background in Commercial Engineering with a focus on organizational strategy and design, and she strongly believes that the way that leadership empowers teams for decision making and self-organization leads to a happier and more productive work environment. Her practical Agile experience goes from team member, Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Agile Coach & Consultant, which sums up the work she has been doing for the past 4 years. Lina is passionate about changing people's mindset and way of working, as well as about coaching and training teams for Agile adoption. Lina is currently acting as an Agile coach for the Gladwell Coaching Practice, and she offers trainings in a number of languages (English and Dutch/Flemish), helping Gladwell's partners to succeed in achieving their goals through Agile and digital transformations. Prior to joining Gladwell Academy, Lina worked as a consultant in the Business Agility domain and achieved a better understanding of the challenges of the C-level and their teams during her time at Gartner, market leader for Technology Research. This experience allowed her to acquire hands-on experience with Agile transformations, which in turn allowed her to better understand the pitfalls and success factors for Agile transformations. Lina's past project work for Agile transformations and Agile coaching includes, among others, work with the Government, Bank & Insurance companies, Software Development companies, and Engineering companies (manufacturing & electrical engineering).

Vaibhav is a SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) and an Enterprise Agile Coach. He brings a wealth of experience in coaching and training multiple corporates in diverse domains of Cloud Native Data Protection, Banking, Finance, and Healthcare in their Lean Agile transformation journeys. He has shepherded entire teams of multiple Product lines of a SaaS start-up in their Agile transformation journey to be a successful Cloud Data Protection and Management Unicorn. He feels blessed to witness empowering of a complete Service Line of one of the biggest Global Banks he coached to thrive with a Lean Agile mindset. Vaibhav is a Qualified Flight Test Engineer (Avionics) from Air Force Test Pilot School. He holds an M.S in Software Systems from BITS Pilani, a Nuclear Science qualification from BARC, Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified ScrumMaster, and SAFe RTE. His quest for continuous learning is exemplified through Design Thinking and Cloud (Azure and GCP) certifications. An Air Force Veteran with three decades in Program Management, his zeal and passion has driven several Aerospace and Cyber-physical System Programs to success by continual delivery of great business value. He has flown fighters, transport and helicopters of Western and Russian origin to test the systems designed and developed iteratively and incrementally. Having coached budding Test Pilots and Flight test Engineers, he harnesses those very unique skills from the trenches for coaching teams, change agents and leaders in corporates to adopt a Lean Agile mindset and inherit a learning culture. Consulting as an Enterprise Coach and Trainer is his forte. He is ever enthusiastic about learning and learns from every Agilist he trains through engagement and fun. Back home, he enjoys long-distance running in the pleasant weather of Bangalore. He believes in Yoga for mindfulness every day, and embracing agility holistically.

Kimberley is a dedicated colleague with an eye for detail. After 10 years of experience in hospitality in various management roles, she made the transition to the training and consultancy industry in 2019. In various support positions, her strengths lie in organizing, managing schedules, and supporting the Management Team. At Gladwell, she is also responsible for the recruitment process.

Ankie Timmermans is CFO of Gladwell Academy.

Eelco is Partner at Highberg and Senior trainer at Gladwell Academy. He is a seasoned Agile management consultant and one of worlds top trainers.

Annemieke Nulkes-van Steijn is Executive Assistant at AgilityMasters.com. She supports the management, employees and coaches in the broadest sense. She scales every obstacle and uses her calm and perseverance to set up every project to the full satisfaction of client and coach, and to allow it to run smoothly. She has a lot of experience dealing with different levels of management at various previous employers. They include a large consultancy organization, an investment firm in ICT and solar energy, and an import/export company in fruit and vegetables. Annemieke is driven, honest, creative and loyal. In addition to her work, she enjoys being with her family and children, use her creative skills, loves being in nature and doing some gardening and reading.

Roel de Ponti is Senior Agile coach, Release Train Engineer (RTE), SAFe Program Consultant (SPC), Professional Scrum Master (PSM I) and Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO I) at AgilityMasters.com. Roel has a bachelor's degree in Business Economics and in International Management.

Dennis helps organizations ranging from institutions to enterprises to start-ups take 'agility' from being just a word in their strategy to sustainably adapting their culture.

Dennis van de Rieth is Senior Agile coach, Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO), certified SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) and Obeya coach at AgilityMasters.com. Dennis has a bachelor's degree in Policing, the 'Intervention Science' course and the 'Coaching and Guidance Science' course. Dennis has also followed various professional training courses, including in the field of communication and team coaching.

Patrique Haidar contributes using his experience in agile approaches and techniques, embedded software engineering, UX design, hypnotherapy, shiatsu and aikido

As a Scrum Master I love to build an environment where organizations, teams, and individuals thrive in a world that never stands still. I am not only guiding material change, but I am also involved in shaping mindset and behavior. I believe in cultivating a culture of being ready for change. Over the years, I have coached professionals to improve their performance. Additionally, I have held various roles as a Project Manager, where I became acquainted with the Agile and Scrum methodologies. As a professional, I have pursued certifications to equip myself with the tools to perform my work as efficiently as possible and to advise the organizations I work for. I hold the certifications APM Foundation, PSM1, PSPO1, and I am a Certified SAFe® 6 Practice Consultant (SPC).

Danny Hartmans is a Senior Agile Coach & Trainer at Gladwell Academy, a Highberg Company. Always fascinated by how to get things done more effectively, he learned about the agile way of working a decade ago through a pilot project. Ever since, he's been an agile aficionado and enjoys achieving faster, high-quality business outcomes with teams and (senior) management. With 20 years of digital product management experience, he has a soft spot for guiding program/ART-level professionals. He has worked in the agile trenches in marketing, IT and digital departments and has experienced the benefits of Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe in complex software and non-software environments. Danny is a certified SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC), Professional Scrum Master (PSMI), Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPOII), SAFe Product Manager (PO/PM), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Prince2 Practitioner, and a former motorcycle instructor. He holds a Master in international business communication. "There's so much potential to unleash. Potential is nothing without practise. Let's learn and practise together!"

Mirna is a Training Coordinator at Gladwell Academy.

Meet Hans Rigtering, Head of IT and Infrastructure at Gladwell Academy and Blinklane. Before Hans held positions as Product Owner and Project Manager. His continuous dedication to grow is showcased by his array of certifications including PMI/PMP, IPMA C, SAFe Agilist (SA), CSPO I, PSPO II, Management Development I and II. Hans holds a bachelor’s degree in business informatics and a master's degree in AI and Knowledge Engineering.

Aparna Chadha is a Marketing Specialist at Gladwell Academy India. She started her career in the social sector, but through some turns and experiments, she realized her true potential lies in marketing. At Gladwell Academy India, she is responsible for all marketing activities that lead to the organization’s growth and brand awareness. She likes to bring out the brand story, foundation, and emotional connection with the customers. She also believes in creating a positive environment and promoting mental health. “Life is like pizza, and your mental health is the crust. Sure, the sauces, dips, and vegetables are important, but without a good crust, the pizza might as well be tasteless.” Aparna’s hobbies include watching football, listening to music, and creating content.

Ramya is a Coordinator of Training at Gladwell Academy. She is responsible for the coordination of all Open-enrollment and In-company training sessions at Gladwell Academy in the India region. In addition, she assists with Backend operations and she also supports Sales and Marketing. She has completed her Bachelor’s in Computer Applications in 2020. She believes in “Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts – Winston S. Churchill”. Apart from working as a Training Coordinator, she loves to explore new places and new foods. In her free time, she likes to play badminton and read story books.

Gopal A Iyer, Managing Director at Gladwell Academy India, is a distinguished leader with over two decades of experience in talent management, program management, and change management. He has transformed global Fortune 500 companies, significantly enhancing their strategic positioning. As a strategic leader, consultant, executive coach, and educator, Gopal excels in refining organizational strategies, enhancing capabilities, and implementing key interventions for sustained success. He drives organizational change, introduces leadership interventions, and boosts team efficiency using Design Thinking principles, ensuring organizations thrive. At Gladwell Academy, Gopal focuses on enhancing client experiences. He designs innovative solutions that create meaningful customer interactions, leveraging his strategic vision and expertise to deliver exceptional value.

Rahul has 24+ years in IT industry with a strong product development expertise. He has worked as consultant with some of the leading organizations in India, US and UK specialising in software-as-a-service product development and cloud computing. His domain expertise is in Telecom, Healthcare and Financial services and believes in Lean-Agile and DevOps as key enablers in achieving Business Agility. Rahul passionately believes in SAFe and has been a SAFe Change agent over the past 6 years helping organizations with Value Stream identifications, ART launches and mentoring various roles towards successful adoption of SAFe. Todays Digital Transformations requires a blend of Lean-Agile, Cloud and DevOps at scale and Rahul is a certified AWS and DevOps professional, an expertise which he brings along for bringing true agility with SAFe. Over the past 6 years, he has trained more than 3000 professionals in SAFe and more than 1000 professionals in Scrum, Kanban, AWS, DevOps Certifications.

As an Improvement Professional, Durgaprasad (DP) helps organizations transform by applying Lean-Agile-DevOps principles to improve People, Products and Process. He is proficient in Coaching and Training across roles – Leaders, Engineering Managers, Architects, Product Management, Scrum Masters and Team members on Agile Way of Working and Leading in their Digital Transformation Journey. As a certified SAFe Program Cosnultant (SPC) and SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE), he has conducted various SAFe Certification courses (Leading SAFe, SAFe for Teams, SAFe DevOps, SAFe Scrum Master and others). He has also conducted many custom trainings on frameworks (Scrum, Kanban), Role Specific Trainings (Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Architect, Testers/QA) and team /workouts. His consulting and training experience includes large technology firms, enterprises and startups across Telecom, Healthcare, Retail, Consumer Electronics and Automotive domain. Prior experience includes various engineering roles of developer, architect and leading large Engineering programs serving customers in India, USA, Europe, PRC and Japan.

Usha began her professional journey as a Training Coordinator at Gladwell Academy India. Her role revolves around organizing and managing all training sessions, both open to the public and tailored for specific companies, across the India region. In 2014, she earned her Bachelor's degree in Business Management. Apart from her career, she's deeply passionate about singing. During her leisure moments, she likes to play badminton.

Chaithra Girisha is the Head of Sales Development at Gladwell Academy India, responsible for handling open enrollment and in-company trainings. She is a SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC, POPM Certified) and Business Development Manager in Corporate Sales. With over 10 years of experience in roles such as Team Lead, Scrum Master, and Agile Release Train Launcher, she has hands-on experience in Inside Sales (B2C, B2B, B2P). Chaithra excels in organizing and coordinating conferences like SAFe Day India, Scrum Gathering, Agile India Conference, and PMI Conference. She possesses extensive knowledge of the SAFe Framework and collaborates with SPCTs globally, adeptly solving related queries. In her free time, Chaithra enjoys learning new things, traveling worldwide, and keeping her surroundings happy. She is proficient in English, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and German (A1).