About us

We bring organizations and talent together, fueling growth and courageous leadership

With our personal approach and sharp eye, we create matches that not only work, but last. Diversity, collaboration, and results aren’t just words to us, they are guiding principles. We also support professionals in developing into forward-thinking board members, ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges. In doing so, we contribute in multiple ways to stronger, future-proof teams and organizations.

Our story

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Organizations and companies served

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Professionals trained in corporate governance and leadership

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Successful placements in executive and non-executive positions

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Active in The Netherlands, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Suriname.

Through the years

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

The start of crmLiNK

What began as a shared ideal, shaped in early conversations full of ambition and trust, became reality on July 1, 2018, when Carla, Renate, and Mienke founded crmLINK. Driven by the belief that strong governance is built on diversity, inclusion, and effective collaboration, we got to work. Since then, we’ve brought our energy and personal commitment to strengthening leadership and supervision. Through executive search, training programs, and self-assessments, we’ve helped build stronger teams and a more resilient future for organizations and companies.

Our first full year

In 2019, our brand awareness grew noticeably and Roos Leerdam-Bulo joined the team to meet the demand. Existing relationships knew how to find us as a new agency and new clients also knocked on our door for search assignments. Our focus on diversity played an important role in this.

At the same time, we expanded our activities in the Caribbean. We organized the two-day conference “Governance in Times of Transition” held for the first time in Suriname, alongside a successful edition in Curaçao. Executives, board members, and professionals came together around pressing governance issues, with special attention to the role of family businesses in transition.

Disruption and resilience

Agility in challenging times: 2020 started off with great promise, until COVID-19 turned everything upside down. For a young organization like ours, it was a tense year, but we rose to the challenge. Thanks to digital solutions, we launched a new Governance Basics cohort and even completed it successfully with a festive in-person closing session, at a safe distance, of course.

That autumn, we also launched the Governance in the Cultural Sector program, developed at the request of Cultuur+Ondernemen, tailored to the needs of the arts and culture sector. The first pilot group got off to an enthusiastic start. Meanwhile, our executive search services and board placements continued. With a mix of online interviews and in-person meetings (socially distanced), we made excellent matches for our clients.

A year where adaptability and collaboration made all the difference.

Back on the road. Or should we say obstacle course?

Unfortunately, COVID-19 was still very much part of daily life, and quite literally a headache at times. During a work trip to the Caribbean, we visited several islands to deliver training and courses. A valuable and memorable experience, though not without its challenges: eight COVID tests in one trip, including two on the same day. Not exactly fun, but worth it.

Despite the hurdles, we delivered our programs on each island with renewed energy.
This year also marked the start of developing a two-phase governance program in collaboration with BumaStemra.

The year of catching up

After two years of restrictions, 2022 finally brought new freedom: and we felt it right away. Our executive searches continued steadily, but especially our training programs gained momentum. In the first half of the year alone, we ran seven groups in the Netherlands, including Governance Basics, Governance in the Cultural Sector, and in-company programs for VOICE and BumaStemra.

We were also excited to welcome Jerry Straub as an Associate Partner, a valuable addition who brought fresh energy and new perspectives to our growing team. And as if that weren’t enough, we also went abroad again: in Sint Maarten, we organized the inspiring conference “Beyond Corporate Governance”.

A year full of energy, growth, and meaningful encounters.

Full speed ahead

2023 marked a true restart. The pandemic already felt far behind (well… almost), and it was clear that organizations had some catching up to do. We received many requests for in-company training and delivered high-impact programs in leadership and governance.

Our search practice was also in full swing, with a strong demand for boardroom reinforcement. What were clients particularly looking for? Diversity! The need for fresh perspectives and inclusive board composition was high on many agendas and we were ready to support those ambitions.

crmLiNK expands!

As our firm continued to grow, we were thrilled to welcome three new Associate Partners in 2023: Maikel Boksteen, Samira Bouchibti, and Robert Jacobs joined our team, bringing new expertise, perspectives, and energy to the table.

This expansion is not only a milestone in our development, it also reinforces what crmLINK stands for: the power of diversity, in people and in thinking. Together, we continue to build a strong network of professionals dedicated to good governance and forward-looking leadership.

Our experts, your partners in growth

Meet the team

Carla Aalse Managing Partner

Renate Hoogendijk Business Manager/Partner

Mienke Schaberg Partner

Roos Leerdam-Bulo Project Coordinator

Maikel Boksteen Associate Partner

Samira Bouchibti Associate Partner

Robert Jacobs Associate Partner

Jerry Straub Associate Partner

Active in the Caribbean

Click on the countries/islands and read more about what we do there!

The Netherlands

Where it all started in 2018

Our home base, Amsterdam

Contact

Saba

On this lush green island, we’ve contributed to strengthening governance in various ways. We organized masterclasses for the local government and state-owned enterprises and delivered an in-company governance training for a local foundation. We were also active in executive search, recruiting the new director for Saba Cares. We’re excited about the prospect of continuing our work to support strong governance on Saba in the near future.

Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten holds a special place in our hearts. It was the location of one of our very first executive governance courses, and since then, we’ve returned each year with enthusiasm.

We’ve delivered programs for organizations such as Sint Maarten Medical Center, Princess Juliana Airport, and Port St. Maarten Group. We also hosted a successful governance seminar, bringing together executives and board members from across the region to exchange knowledge and strengthen connections.

Sint Eustatius

Statia has truly come to feel like home to us. We’ve had the pleasure of delivering governance training programs and completing successful executive search assignments. For example, we provided corporate governance trajectories for Stuco and EUTEL and facilitated several key placements at SEHCF.
We look forward to continuing our support for the development of good governance on this remarkable island.

Aruba

We’re no strangers to Aruba anymore, although we won’t soon forget the time we got completely lost on the way to an in-company training for the APFA Pension Fund! Since then, we’ve had the pleasure of delivering various training programs and masterclasses on the island, including for Post Aruba, Arubus, and other organizations.

We look forward to continuing our contribution to the development of good governance in Aruba.

Bonaire

We’ve provided several masterclasses and governance training programs on this island. In 2019, we conducted a governance review of state-owned enterprises and foundations, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) and the local government (OLB), a meaningful and challenging assignment that gave us deep insight into the local context.

We’re proud to hear that our report is still regularly used as a reference in policy development and professionalization efforts.
Since then, our connection with Bonaire has only grown stronger.

Curaçao

Curacao

Dushi Kòrsou truly feels like our second home! We’ve been visiting the island regularly for many years and have been involved in various placements, advisory projects, and governance programs.

In 2019, we organized a two-day conference, and since then, we’ve continued to deliver masterclasses, training programs, and board self-assessments including for CUROIL.

Each time, it’s a pleasure to contribute to the strengthening of good governance of Curacao.

Suriname

In 2019, we took the initiative to organise a two-day conference on corporate governance, with a particular focus on Surinamese supervisory board members, non-executive directors, and family-owned businesses. Suriname, like the broader Caribbean regio, continues to be a meaningful area of engagement for us. We are committed to contributing to the ongoing development of professional oversight and responsible governance, in close collaboration with local partners and with sensitivity to the specific societal context.

Located in the Caribbean and would you like a tailor-made training or incompany program, assistance in fulfulling a vacancy in your organization/board or external support for the self-assessment?

Get in touch with Carla Aalse, Managing Partner