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.

Michel Tuijp is the CFO at Gladwell Academy and is responsible for all financial matters within the company. Michel is a chartered accountant and has worked in the audit at a Big Four office for 12 years. After that, he was self-employed and worked in various Finance Manager roles, mainly in the area of Finance and IT. Michel is a strong business partner with an analytical focus, and he likes to build relationships. Furthermore, he is known for his effective communication. Besides his work as CFO, Michel likes to spend time with his family, travel, and play sports. He can be found on the tennis court or paddle court or playing indoor soccer.

Eelco is Partner at Highberg and Senior trainer at Gladwell Academy. He is a seasoned Agile management consultant and one of worlds top trainers. He has written the bestselling book “the Power of Scrum” together with Jeff Sutherland.

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.

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.

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.

Raul Barth is a SAFe Practice Consultant Trainer (SPCT) 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lina De Meyer is a SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) and certified Product Owner (PO) and Release Train Engineer (RTE).

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

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.

Supreetha started her career in the IT industry as web developer, continued to grow in software development and to contribute in the industry for 18 years. She worked as Scrum Master and an Agile Coach at her last assignment. When Gladwell Academy started in India, she took the role of Back Office Management who organizes and coordinates all the trainings within India and Asia along with financial accounting responsibilities. Besides her work as back office manager, Supreetha likes to spend time with her family, cooking and reading books.

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).

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.