Boomerang Interview with Renée Troelstra
Written by: Els Oosthoek, October 2025
They left, grew, and came back: these are the stories of our boomerangs.
Eight years ago, Renée Troelstra began her career at Rvdb as a junior interim professional. “A roommate of mine was already working here, and her enthusiasm was contagious. She told me about the freedom, the variety, and the learning environment at Rvdb. I had already been working in HR for a year, but I wanted to get to know more organizations and continue my professional development. That made Rvdb the ideal place for me to start.”
In her early years, Renée took on a wide variety of assignments. “From a team leader role at Douwe Egberts to an HR consulting position at Bevolkingsonderzoek Midden-West—the latter, by the way, was in the same building as the Rvdb, which was kind of funny. The topics ranged from absenteeism policies to change management and onboarding. It was precisely that variety that made it so educational. I discovered how different organizations can be, and that there isn’t just one way to do HR well.”
After nearly two years, I started to feel restless. “I wanted to experience what it’s like to work at a single organization for a longer period, to delve deeper into the work, and to be part of a larger whole.” That opportunity came at Schiphol Group. “I started there as an HR advisor during a leave of absence, but was allowed to stay when someone retired. It felt like a great step: moving from general HR to Learning & Development, where my heart had actually always been.”
Still, things turned out differently than expected. “I was just getting into my stride when the pandemic hit. All development programs were shelved, and it became primarily a period of reorganization and crisis management. Suddenly I was at home, instead of among the people at Schiphol. The charm of that dynamic world was suddenly a distant memory.”
After the reorganization, Renée was given the opportunity to advance to HR Business Partner—a role she had always seen as her goal on the horizon. “That had long been my goal: to contribute strategically, to advise, and to shape the connection between people and the organization. But once I was in that role, I realized it wasn’t what made me happiest.”
She discovered that she was more drawn to the coaching and development-oriented aspects of HR. “I found energy in one-on-one coaching and conversations about growth and development. In my role at Schiphol, the focus was more on processes and policy, and that didn’t align as well with what’s important to me.”
She also noticed that the approach to professional development was different. “At Rvdb, it’s natural to talk about learning and growth—it’s truly part of the culture. At Schiphol, I had to take the initiative to start those conversations myself. There was room and a budget for development, but I sometimes found it difficult to translate that into daily practice. I’m a big believer in the 70-20-10 concept: learning doesn’t just happen in training sessions, but rather through reflection, coaching, and applying new insights to your work. At Rvdb, people actively follow up on that—colleagues, managers, everyone, really. I missed that ongoing dialogue about learning and development, and realizing that made it clear to me just how important it is to me.”
That realization was a turning point. “I had learned a lot during those years about working in a large organization, and I’m taking all of that with me. But I also knew: I want to return to an environment where personal development is central and where I can play an active role in it myself.”
I stayed in touch with the Rvdb. “I still attended the summer party and would occasionally have coffee with former colleagues. During a conversation with Aniel, I said, ‘If I ever come back, I want to do so as a talent manager.’ At that time, there wasn’t a position available, but six months later, that exact opening became available.”
Back at Rvdb, it immediately felt familiar again. “The warmth, the openness, and working based on trust—it was exactly as I remembered it. Of course, the organization has grown, and we’ve focused even more on our clients’ needs, but the core remains the same: development is central, and people always come first.”
Her role has evolved alongside the organization. “I started as a talent manager for junior interim professionals; now I mentor the senior group. That requires a different approach: less focused on learning the ropes, and more on professional development and leadership. I’ve taken courses in coaching-style leadership and am still learning every day on the job. Situational leadership, asking the right questions, helping people find their own answers—that’s what I love most about my job.”
What gives her the most satisfaction right now is the connection. “The best part of my job is talking about personal development—where someone is now, what they want, and what it takes to get there. Sometimes I hold up a mirror; sometimes I just lend a listening ear. The responsibility always lies with the professional themselves, but I’m happy to walk alongside them for a bit. That fits with Rvdb: we don’t grow here “for people, but with people.”
