Client Director
THNK designs and delivers leadership journeys and transformation programmes for organisations worldwide, from ASML to the World Economic Forum. With THNK World, its own platform that enables transformation at scale, and growing demand, the company expects a major acceleration in growth. The Client Director takes ownership of programmes and helps build an organisation that continuously reinvents its field.
About THNK School of Leadership
THNK School of Leadership was founded some fifteen years ago out of the realisation that the world faces major challenges, and that leadership can and must be a lever to set change in motion. Today, the organisation works for companies in both the new and the established economy, as well as for a range of non-profit organisations. Clients include SAP, ASML, Siemens Energy, Johnson & Johnson, DSM-Firmenich, Siemens Mobility, Patagonia, KWF and the government of the United Arab Emirates. Every engagement starts with a consulting question: together with the board, THNK maps out where the client wants to go and what leadership is needed to get there. This is followed by a fully tailor-made programme, and THNK remains alongside the board as a partner throughout.
Alongside leadership programmes for the top of organisations, THNK increasingly delivers transformation programmes around a new strategy, merger, carve-out or other structural change. Through THNK World, its own peer-learning platform, the team reaches the entire organisation, deep into middle management.
The social, creative and entrepreneurial spirit of the early days can still be felt. As a certified B Corp, THNK links its work to the Sustainable Development Goals. Its office next to Artis in Amsterdam has the atmosphere of a social enterprise, where making an impact is the main driver. The core team of 35 people works closely with a flexible network of more than a hundred facilitators, coaches, entrepreneurs and innovators.
Requirements*
- At least 6 years of experience in top-tier strategy consulting
- Track record in facilitating strategic workshops at C-level
- Hands-on experience in leadership development, as a coach or facilitator of programmes for senior leaders
- Proven knowledge of organisational change
- Digitally skilled, with a strong affinity for AI
- Extensive commercial experience
- Strong analytical and empathic skills
Research shows that while male candidates feel confident enough to apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements, female candidates only apply when they tick every box. So if this role has your name on it, but you’re not sure about the criteria, we still want to hear from you.
“As Client Director, you are constantly playing chess on two boards. In the boardroom you think along on complex strategic issues and numbers; in the programme you help leaders develop further. Both give you equal energy. On top of that, you join at a fantastic moment, just as our growth is accelerating.”
Client Director
THNK is evolving from a strong school of leadership into a tech-enabled transformation company, continuing a long tradition of developing leaders who drive change. Demand for large-scale transformation programmes already exceeds what the team can deliver. To realise its ambitious growth plans, THNK is building a new senior layer alongside its five partners, for professionals who want to operate at the highest level.
The Client Director takes over ongoing programmes with clients THNK already works with. At the table with senior management, she/he is a fully-fledged sparring partner, and in day-to-day work she/he collaborates closely with the client's project team. She/he leads the programme, from designing the on-site sessions and the journeys and missions on THNK World to pricing and delivery. It is a distinctly hands-on role. The team is compact, so the lines with colleagues in tech, operations and other areas are short. A programme often runs for months or even years, and the Client Director stays involved with the client afterwards. That is essential, because clients choose THNK, but just as much the person and the proposal. This personal approach makes it possible to expand the relationship further, which gives the role a clear commercial dimension as well. Together with the partners, the Client Director works on winning new business.
In these programmes, strategy and leadership are constantly intertwined. The Client Director understands the organisation's direction and the financial considerations behind it, and translates them into what people need to make the change stick. One moment the conversation is about trade-offs, the next about trust and behaviour. Her/his work changes how leaders think and act, and contributes to clients' ambitions and to THNK's broader mission: developing the leaders the world needs.
THNK is developing rapidly. This gives the Client Director room to help shape the offering and the organisation alongside the client work. She/he spots an opportunity and seizes it, and dives into the details when it matters. Asking why things are done the way they are is just as much part of the role as having the difficult conversation with a client or partner, and she/he sees mistakes as learning opportunities. With an adventurous mindset, the new Client Director is a perfect fit for an ambitious organisation that likes to kick the ball far ahead and then run after it.
For the right person, this role is an excellent opportunity to take ownership of clients and propositions, with a clear growth path to Senior Client Director. The new team member works daily with partners and faculty who have earned their stripes at the top of consulting and leadership development, and from whom there is a lot to learn. All of this happens in an organisation that has shown in a short time how fast growth can go, and is now ready for the next phase of international scaling.
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