As of January 2025, Roderick van der Graaf has been appointed as the Managing Director of Adryan Netherlands. He succeeds Seth Hagemann, who will now fully focus on the company’s international growth. Four weeks after this transition, we reflect with both of them on the change, the opportunities it brings, and their vision for the future of Adryan.
From Motivation to First Impressions
Roderick, what motivated you to take on this new role?
Roderick: “I felt ready for the next step in my career and discovered that Adryan was looking for a director to lead the company into a new phase. I have known Adryan for a long time as an organization with a strong focus on expertise, collaboration, and personal engagement. My experience in the life sciences industry, including consultancy, made this the right time for me to take this step. The fact that I was already familiar with many people within Adryan further motivated me to embrace this challenge.”
What were your first impressions and experiences in your first months at Adryan?
Roderick: “From day one, I have experienced great enthusiasm within the team. I immediately felt welcome and saw firsthand how strong the collaboration and quality-driven approach at Adryan are. There is a tremendous drive to make projects successful and to serve clients optimally. It feels like an inspiring environment, with short communication lines and an open way of working.”
Building on a Strong Foundation
How do you plan to build on the path set by Seth?
Roderick: “Seth is a highly driven and social person with an impressive network. He has a strong ability to connect with people and always delivers on his promises. My plan is to continue this foundation while emphasizing further growth, both structurally and in focus. Strengthening our network and supporting our employees so they can continue to act as ambassadors for Adryan are central to my approach.”
What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities in your new role?
Roderick: “My biggest challenge in the beginning is to fully understand and and embody the Adryan DNA. I want to learn extensively about the expertise and knowledge of our consultants and the projects we execute for clients. Additionally, I see significant growth opportunities for Adryan within the life sciences and allied sectors, both in terms of revenue, team expansion, and knowledge development.”
Leveraging Adryan’s Strengths
What do you consider Adryan’s greatest strength, and how do you intend to leverage it?
Roderick: “The quality and expertise of our people are Adryan’s greatest strengths. Our consultants are the heart of the organization—not only in terms of expertise but also because they are in direct contact with our clients daily. This enables them to fully understand client needs and collaborate to provide the best solutions, whether it’s individual consulting or outsourcing a large-scale project.”
What concrete steps do you plan to take in the near future?
Roderick: “My priority is to get to know our consultants and clients. I want to listen to their experiences and discover the existing relationships. At the same time, I am working with the management team to evaluate the strategy and objectives of the past years. This will form the foundation for a clear roadmap for the future.”
Seth on the Transition
Seth, how does it feel to hand over the leadership to Roderick?
Seth: “It feels good. Roderick brings a wealth of knowledge and has the right level of empathy. He views people in the same way I do, which gives me great confidence in the future.”
What can employees and clients expect from your new role?
Seth: “My focus is now on strategic development and the international expansion of Adryan, with a particular emphasis on the Netherlands, the United States, and the German-speaking region. The goal is to further develop Adryan as a whole.
“How will you remain involved with Adryan Netherlands?
Seth: “For consultants in the field, little will change. I will remain involved at the same level, including being present at all corporate events. While my role is shifting, my commitment remains strong.”
Collaboration and the Future
How do you reflect on the transition to Roderick?
Seth: “Our collaboration has been intense and extremely enjoyable. Roderick and I share the same sense of humor, which benefits our teamwork. The past few weeks have primarily been about knowledge transfer. I was impressed by how quickly Roderick asks to-the-point questions and efficiently navigates discussions. This makes our collaboration both dynamic and inspiring. What I also appreciate is how Roderick combines his industry and corporate experience with strong communication skills. He easily connects with everyone, from operational to strategic levels, making him approachable, engaged, and a true team player who fits well at Adryan.”
Do you have a message for Roderick as the new Managing Director?
Seth: “My key advice is to always remember that our consultants are our greatest asset. Adryan’s success lies in recognizing and leveraging the strengths of our people. If you continue to understand and appreciate this, you can translate it into meeting our clients’ needs.”
And Roderick, what message would you like to give Seth?
Roderick: “Continue to leverage your social skills, your ability to connect with people, and your genuine drive to help clients. That is incredibly valuable. I hope that Seth can use the time and space now available to him to further pioneer and expand Adryan internationally.”
What This Transition Means for Employees and Clients
What do you hope employees and clients take away from this transition?
Roderick: “For clients and employees, little will change in daily operations. Adryan remains a premium consultancy firm with a strong focus on quality and reliability. My appointment as Managing Director and Seth’s transition emphasize this. We remain dedicated to helping clients faster and more efficiently. I hope our employees and clients continue to trust us and see that we are constantly evolving to achieve the best results together.”
Seth: “With this step, we confirm that Adryan is a consultancy firm with deep expertise and knowledge. We also show that we are responsive to feedback from the past years, particularly regarding industry knowledge. We continue to invest in understanding our clients and employees, developing better services, and fostering stronger collaborations. Our goal is to support our clients even better alongside our team and to grow together as an organization.”
Do you have any ideas, suggestions, or questions? Share them with us! #TogetherWeReachForTheBest.
