Danique Wagemaker, Riverflex’s new Consulting Director

Riverflex welcomes our new Consulting Director on board – Danique Wagemaker. The team is thrilled to have Danique in this new role, taking Riverflex to the next level.

Previously having worked at Google and Deloitte Digital, Danique Wagemaker launched her own company DigIQ in 2018, which she rapidly grew into a million-euro business over the course of 2 years, contracting teams of independent consultants for the retail and consumer industry. In September she started as Consulting Director at Riverflex.

Why did you join Riverflex?

When I interview, people ask “Is there anything else you would like to know before ending the interview?”, and there is one particular question that often comes up. “You have worked at both Google and big consulting firms, which is what a lot of professionals aspire to – why on earth did you leave to become independent?!”.

I love that question.

For me, a successful career is repeatably having the ability and chance to grow as a professional and adding value to whatever you do. Working for big brand companies is great but venturing out on your own can be equally rewarding as it offers even bigger professional challenges. It just might not be the most conventional route.

To go independent, you need to be brave. Having the confidence that you can be successful based on who you are, and what you can do, means defining your own path and setting your own goals. You also need to start & run your own business, with personal performance directly linked to revenue & profitability. All in all, this alternative offers a great professional learning experience, and if done right, reaps personal and financial gains.

However, the downside that many independents may encounter is that they miss ‘the team’, especially coming from a larger consulting firm or organisation. It is this and that the roles that you are being asked for are more defined and often not as big and challenging.

“I have found that at Riverflex consulting, independent professionals are able to have both. The opportunity to be intellectually challenged, and the freedom of having their own business and lifestyle.”

I’ve joined Riverflex as the Consulting Director because I believe in independent consulting as a worthy career choice for top professionals and want to further establish that career path at the scale that Riverflex can provide. I have also seen what value a network-based organisation can bring to companies, looking at the quality of professionals available in the open talent market, and the diversity of digital skillsets and experience they bring.

With Riverflex I am hoping to further build and bring the capability to easily find and manage the best independent professionals and teams to more companies, helping them to really get the work done; for digital product delivery services (Riverflex Foundry), digital consulting services (Riverflex Consulting), or talent sourcing (Riverflex Platform).

What impact are you looking to make as a Director at Riverflex?

There are two big things that I would like to achieve in the coming years; 1) further enable independent consultants to have a career with challenging work and professional growth opportunities, and 2) continuously deliver the best digital outcomes for our clients by building solid network-based independent talent capability with them. Making sure our clients can get the right talent and skills whenever and wherever they need it, with guaranteed outcomes, and satisfaction on the performance of contractors involved.

We’re already off to a great start with Riverflex obtaining an average Net promoter score of 9/10. This score is based on feedback from clients on the satisfaction of our independents and the delivery of projects they work on. My ambition is to take Riverflex to the next level by innovating and digitising the dynamic contracting, onboarding, and performance management processes to make an even bigger impact.

Next to that, my passion will always be to have my ‘boots on the ground’, and deliver real results for clients. From a consulting perspective, I will therefore focus on the Dutch market.

What do you love most about your job?

Success is all about people and nothing is more rewarding than seeing an individual or a team thrive in a situation, creating something magical together. What I like about this job is the opportunity to make that happen.

“With Riverflex, we can match the needs of consultants as well as clients, and shape the right environment around it for success.”

I also really like the diversity that we can bring to the table using a network. It is not uncommon for our teams to have a mixture of consulting backgrounds from McKinsey, Bain, Deloitte and Accenture, as well as previous heads of eCommerce or technology at big consumer brands. The learning and inspiration that this brings to both consultants and clients is invaluable – and exciting!

Lastly, I love that in these strange economic times, there is so much opportunity to change and innovate in the way we work and think about work. In previous years, I had numerous occasions where the independent consultants on my team left their top positions, not because they didn’t like the work, but because they didn’t want to sacrifice so much of their personal life and interests. As independent consultants they would still be excellent at their job, but also spend a lot more time with their families, run a side business, or even win global sports championships. That’s the type of professional life I want for everyone.

Welcoming words from the founders

“I’ve known Danique since the very start of her consulting career and she’s amazing. Simply put, she’s one of the best consultants I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with in my 20 year career. I know many clients that will say the same thing too. And did you see her infographic? – it seems even Uber drivers love her! We’re thrilled Danique has joined the team. Together with Andre and Laura it’s really a consulting dream team and an awesome feeling to be part of. We’re going to be up to a lot together so watch this space!”

Victor Hoong, Co-founder and Managing Director

 

“As we continue to grow the Riverflex business in terms of clients, projects, consultants and services that we deliver we are continuously investing in both technology and people to achieve the high standards that we hold ourselves accountable for. Hiring Danique as Consulting Director will help super-charge the next phase of our journey. She brings solid experience from Google and Deloitte Digital, and has proven herself as an outstanding independent consultant. Her energy, intelligence, bravery, willingness to challenge and focus on quality make her a great fit with our Riverflex culture and way of working. We are looking forward to an exciting and successful road ahead!”

André Azadehdel, Co-founder and Managing Director