Interview by Aafke Jochems for Vuurwerk magazine.
Meryem Kilic-Karaaslan was very close to being in the Senate. An opportunity that came her way, but one she was unable to seize. The voters decided that D66 would get five seats, while she was in seventh place. It characterises Kilic-Karaaslan, a woman with self-confidence, discipline and courage who does not let opportunities pass her by. But she is determined to succeed. With a healthy dose of self-confidence and the conscious choice not to get in her own way.
Commitment to social value
The opportunities she takes advantage of all have one common goal: to add value to organisations in the social sector. That is why she is a member of the Supervisory Board of Haag Wonen, a corporation with social housing, “socially very relevant for tenants with low incomes”. That is why she is a supervisor at InHolland University of Applied Sciences, “because a university of applied sciences trains professionals that society needs. Moreover, universities of applied sciences help reduce inequality of opportunity, as your position in the labour market improves with a college education”. Additionally, she is a member of the Dutch Sports Council, “because a fit and healthy society is essential”. And all of this on top of her full-time job as a director at TwynstraGudde interim management. In that role, she places temporary managers at municipalities. “Very carefully”, she emphasises, “because I know that managers can achieve a great deal but can also break down in municipal organisations. That's why I feel a great responsibility to place the right people”.
Freethinker
For this interview, Kilic-Karaaslan asked people dear to her if they think she is a freethinker. “Francine – we are good friends – said, “you see value in people's differences. I think that as a person you are a freethinker. You don't let rules and dogmas determine what should be a guideline for you.” Another friend thinks I'm a freethinker, because I accept people as they are. Because I look at everything with an open mind and don't judge. I really try to put effort into that. That's what I got from my upbringing. There is only one who can judge, and that is the Creator. My father also always said, ‘don't just live for yourself, look around you’. Judging destroys things, closes doors. If you want to get along, all doors must be open. Then people feel valued for who they are and what they can do.”
Study period at VU Amsterdam
Kilic-Karaaslan was a management consultant at TwynstraGudde for several years when she chose the two-year postgraduate master's in Management Consultancy in 2007. “I wanted to better understand the consequences of our interventions in organisations. I also wanted to learn about other models.” Professors Steven ten Have and Pieter Klaas Jagersma, in particular, left a lasting impression. “Steven ten Have stated that a good advisor recognises patterns through issues. I'm always looking for patterns, because they contain levers for change. Steven also stated that a good advisor knows all kinds of models, but also knows the disclaimer for each model. I encounter organisations where a concept or model is launched as a kind of belief. For example, self-management. Without considering whether it fits the organisation, what else needs to be organised to make it flourish, and the implications. A leader or manager in an organisation should ask themself whether it fits the organisation. Moreover, change is quite difficult for people. Therefore, you must find a balance between change and substance. Pieter Klaas Jagersma argued that organisations are at the heart of creating prosperity in modern society, prosperity in a broad sense. I enjoyed my time at VU Amsterdam. I felt like I was in the garden of sciences and was shaped as a professional. Since then, I have a clearer picture of the quality of my advice and interventions. Essential for a management consultant.”
Career boost
After the garden of sciences, Kilic-Karaaslan's career at TwynstraGudde received a boost. To step out of her comfort zone, she decided to work for municipalities. Cities that she always advised on their strategic issues. “As a consultant, you come in for a while and then leave. I wanted to step in and stay, experience what it's like to be a civil servant.” She became a board advisor at the municipality of Amsterdam and later served as municipal secretary of Blaricum for a few years. “I learned a lot about the beautiful and rough sides of people. As a management consultant, you don't experience that as much”, says Kilic-Karaaslan. After six years, TwynstraGudde asked her to return as a partner, this time responsible for municipalities. “In my current role, I encourage ‘disruptive’ thinking. I always approach issues from diverse and unconventional perspectives. Because as Pieter Klaas Jagersma said, ‘organisations are important for a society, they are micro-societies’. I find healthy government organisations crucial for this society. We are in the middle of a transition process in which much of the old no longer works. But we don't know what the new thing is either. A period of chaos. Meanwhile, citizens are saying, ‘government, we don't trust you anymore’. I find that hugely worrying.”
Success and future
Kilic-Karaaslan was never told growing up that she could not or should not do something. She also grew up in a culture where development is very important, from cradle to grave. “Every step I take, I take out of curiosity to learn new things and to add value to the organisations I've connected with”, she shares. “The fact that I get to look behind the scenes, not only from TwynstraGudde's point of view, but also as a supervisor, contributes to my own development. I also learn from the young people with creative ideas at TwynstraGudde. When I look back, as a professional, I am satisfied with where I am now. What the future will bring is a nice question mark. For me, success comes from focusing on your strengths and qualities. By setting a course and sticking to it.”
Photo on this page: Yvonne Compier for Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, School of Business and Economics