bio

I have been an independent management consultant since 1970. I studied psychology and pedagogy at the University of Amsterdam and specialized in adult education. Already during my study, I entered into management development. As I took a course in Electronic Data Processing at the University as one of my subjects (in 1966 this was considered weird), I soon entered the world of computer applications, mainly in engineering.  Though educated in the humanities, I always had a penchant for the exact sciences.  In many assignments bridging the two worlds was of the essence.



From management development I moved into conflict resolution and into redesigning organizations and then into corporate strategy.  As a partner of Igor Ansoff, I did international consultancy in strategic planning and strategic management. I was one of the first who applied strategic management to the public sector.  My assignments ranged from personal career advice to national energy policy; my clients from a car tire factory to a technology directorate to a meditation center to paramilitaries.  In the Netherlands, my major customers during 20 years were the police forces. Fortunately, I never became their customer.
I have lived and worked for some time in New Zealand and in Brazil. I am training consultants and therapists in more effective coaching methods in Europe, Asia and South America. 

I have been held at gun point and have been ducking the international press with my head behind a newspaper.  I prefer to work low-key for smart people of good-will in difficult situations.


I am a member of the Dutch association of management consultants (OOA) and an internationally Certified Management Consultant (CMC).  Still, you can trust me.


  • If you want to know how to learn or to teach to think strategically, read my book The Long View. As paperback or e-book: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/TenDam
  • If you want to know how a core issue analysis of the whole world looks like, read my book How People Make the World. As paperback or e-book: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/TenDam