Leadership for HR Professionals

Dr. Evgenia Lysova is Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour in the Department of Management and Organisation at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She is an internationally recognised expert on meaningful work, careers, and social responsibility in organisations, with research published in leading journals including Journal of Management Studies, Human Relations, Human Resource Management, and Journal of Vocational Behavior. Her work focuses on how individuals and organisations can actively create and sustain meaningful and healthy workplaces. Evgenia regularly engages with practitioners, translating research on meaning, proactivity, and self-leadership into actionable insights for leaders and HR professionals.

Prof. Dr. Jos Akkermans is Full Professor of Sustainable Careers in the Department of Management and Organisation at VU Amsterdam. He is a leading expert in sustainable career development, with a particular focus on career shocks, employability, and non-standard career paths. Jos combines cutting-edge research with close collaboration with organisations and professionals, translating academic insights into practical guidance for leaders and HR. He serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Vocational Behavior and is a former Division Chair of the Academy of Management Careers Division.

Dr. Jasmine (Wenjia) Chang is a researcher at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, specialising in human resource integration in cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Her work focuses on how organisations navigate HR integration challenges following international acquisitions, with particular attention to cross-cultural and institutional contexts. Jasmine is also the founding director of MAX HRM, the first HR consultancy in the Netherlands dedicated to supporting Chinese overseas investments and organisations. She combines research insights with practical experience to bridge HR strategy, international employment contexts, and organisational practice.

Dr. Ernst Patrick Graamans is Assistant Professor of Culture and Leadership in the Department of Management and Organisation at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He specialises in organisational culture, leadership, and change, combining academic research with extensive board-level consultancy experience. Ernst’s work examines how culture is shaped, contested, and mobilised during organisational change, with publications on culture, counterculture, and leadership in complex settings. Drawing on his academic and consultancy experience, he helps leaders understand how to leverage culture as a practical and strategic tool for sustainable performance.

Dr. Leander De Schutter is Assistant Professor in Management and Organisation at the School of Business and Economics. His research examines leadership, trust, power dynamics, and decision-making in organisations, with publications in journals such as Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Organisational Behavior, and Journal of Business Ethics. Leander combines insights from psychology and management to understand how leaders shape employee behaviour and motivation in uncertain contexts. In this programme, he draws on his research to explore how leaders can facilitate effective job crafting and create conditions that foster trust, autonomy, and sustainable performance.

Michelle Collins is an employment, healthcare, and ESG lawyer at La Gro, advising healthcare organisations and employers on a wide range of HR-related and regulatory matters. Her expertise includes reorganisations and dismissals, employment terms and conditions, contract law, healthcare compliance, and ESG-related employment issues. Michelle is the firm’s lead specialist on healthcare-specific laws and regulations. She combines litigation experience with a pragmatic, solution-oriented approach and frequently acts as a strategic sparring partner for clients navigating complex legal and regulatory changes.