Since its inception in 2010 Corporate Casting has taken a dramatically different course from that of traditional headhunting companies. Originally, headhunting took its name from the rather bloody practice of severing the head of an enemy as a trophy of war or conquest. The modern practice of corporate headhunting sidesteps the bloody part, but nonetheless still searches for the right trophy to crown an organization.
At Corporate Casting, we reject the less savory connection with headhunting and instead find our inspiration from the world of cinema and theatre: We seek and find the actor or actress who perfectly fits the role, script and other players, using a unique ‘trilogy’ method, The Script©, to differentiate and expedite delivery of ‘on point’ selections of actors or ensembles within 12 weeks from a client’s ‘call to cast’.
In this way, Corporate Casting has gradually rewritten the script of 'old school' executive search and headhunting. A good example of this is the active role Corporate Casting plays in the development, placement and supervision of female executives. Diversity and inclusion are key in fighting the never ending war on talent – even more so today as the role of Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. The question is who are the new leaders, innovative board members and managers with the ideal set of skills. We adapt, adopt and improve!
Corporate Casting serves business as well as the public and voluntary sectors. We focus on the filling of key leadership positions as well as recruiting members of Executive and Supervisory Boards. Our main focus will always be on talented and ambitious people. Our products include casting, consulting, coaching, creation and capital.
Internationally active, we are always guided by our values of mutual integrity and trust, cultural transformation, diversity and inclusion.
CORPORATE
CASTING
"To Catch a Thief"
THE WISE ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL HEADHUNTING
THE AGENCY
Corporate Casting is owned by former investment banker and commodity trader Astrid Van Heumen who is professionally partnered with Dennis Heijn, a globally-schooled author and leadership consultant.
The partners are assisted by consummate all-rounder, executive assistant Marie-Louise van Beek, who runs the daily operations and is the critical link with clients and candidates. In addition, she manages the Kenau Women's Association and all its activities. Consultant Marita de Beer, with 25 years’ experience in more than 20 countries including some in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, advises on growth, development and profiling of diverse, top talent.
Our unique platform of ‘casting agency’ and trilogy method, The Script™, differentiate and expedite in times of increasingly algorithm-driven choices and deliver ‘on point’ selections of actors or ensembles within 12 weeks from a client’s ‘call to cast’.
Corporate
Casting
No script, no casting.
First, we ask our client to tell us their story, in their own words. We then help them polish it into a compelling script. Through honest and revealing dialogue with the company’s key players, we define the critical needs of the organization. Essential to this process is our finely honed practice of the art of listening. By the time we start the casting, we understand the company and have a well-developed storyline and refined sense of the characters necessary to fulfill the requested role for the organization to thrive.
Corporate Casting, if requested, has its own distinctive method for creating a new script to find the story behind the story. We like to think of ourselves as critical sparring partners in this process. This requires breaking with traditional patterns and using lateral reasoning and a new, different way of thinking. We might be disruptive concerning “old school” rules. However, we service our clients more effectively, tighten their scripts for the future and give the right players – our candidates - the roles that suit them best.
Our unique method for screening possible candidates is highly dependent on the ‘real’ character of the individual being considered. Who are they? What do they stand for? A resume provides the relevant facts pertaining to knowledge and experience, but the critical factors are defined by elements of a person’s character.
It is this definition of a candidate’s character, more than experience and qualifications, that will tell us how well he or she fits within the story, the team, the identity and the culture of the organization.
In this way, Corporate Casting challenges both the client and candidate to step outside their traditional corporate comfort zones and take a calculated risk. We use our intuition to suggest a match that may not always seem logical using the old rules, but rather a logic that fits the right character to the right role. This takes confidence and guts from both sides.
In recent years we have placed a considerable number of top players within a diverse range of companies and organizations at home and abroad.
At Corporate Casting our own roles are defined by integrity, motivation, creativity, expertise, and most importantly, hard-won experience. Corporate Casting represents, as a true casting agent, a portfolio of unique candidates.
Each of our candidates is, ultimately, a perfect match for a role. Where and when we find real talent, it is always a combination of character, knowledge, ambition and the desire to succeed. And this brings the candidate and our client the recognition, success and the applause.
Corporate Casting challenges clients and candidates alike to step out of their comfort zones and when the moment arrives, dare to take a calculated risk.
'All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players' - As You Like It, William Shakespeare (1564-1616).
Corporate
Consulting
Corporate Casting advises on the future script incorporating the company’s cast, major transformations & change implementation. We also devise tailor-made leadership development programs focusing on responsibility and ownership.
At Corporate Casting we are confident and committed to sharing our knowledge and skills and are up to the challenge of shaking up the corporate boardroom if necessary. As a critical sparring partner, we do what it takes to rewrite the script and refine the process to insure the right selection is made.
At Corporate Casting we are lateral thinkers. We are your trusted advisor.
Corporate
Coaching
At Corporate Casting, our relationships are the backbone of our company. In our own idiosyncratic way we have developed an extensive network of these relationships. We maintain close ties to all of our clients, stakeholders and candidates. ‘We keep in touch’.
Working with certified coaches, we offer constantly evolving training for teams and individuals, focusing on skill enhancement and extension. Coaching to the Top is a firm favourite among our candidates and includes intense profiling sessions. We also stage specific inspirational sessions for companies and management.
Corporate
Creation
Corporate Casting, Casting Corporates. With Corporate Creations we help our clients foster new business relationships, build networks and form partnerships with other casts. We share our collective knowledge, our experience and our own extensive network to open doors for our clients, helping them realize their dreams and ambitions. In addition to finding the right actor for the role we use our network to connect people and businesses.
True to our credo of building networks and partnerships with other casts – sharing collective knowledge - Astrid and Dennis recently cofounded the innovative platform People Centred Economy, The Future of Work together with investor, non-executive board member and freelance photographer Guido van Nispen. See article in The Latest & Greatest.
Corporate
Capital
Ceres, a Women’s Capital Fund, created by Corporate Casting, is an equity investment fund dedicated to support female entrepreneurs directly.
This investment fund is inspired by the powers of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships. According to mythology, it was Ceres herself who showed humans how to grow wheat. Like agriculture, in investments we also reap what we sow.
Corporate Capital is actively involved in positioning women in key positions and in executive board and non-executive board roles. With the creation of Ceres, a Women’s Capital Fund, we are able to grow and support a stronger field of female entrepreneurs.
Corporate
Clients
Corporate Casting is comfortable playing in all fields – be they public, semi-public or private entities.
Our unique approach and method, combined with the particular experience and skillset of our management team, enables an all-embracing casting spectrum - from the creative arts and culture, to finance, health, marketing, sales and science.
Through a global network of connections, we serve the needs of expanding multinationals, family firms and offices, management consultants, financial and banking concerns, entrepreneurial and new technology scale-ups.
Whether they be Dutch owned, vested or not, our focus is on clients who are driven by sustainable growth, diversity and equality. Partners who are open to roles, rather than sectors - availing themselves of innovative 'crossovers’, for example from health care to venture capital.
A summary of our sector coverage and services rendered:
- Artificial Intelligence & Cybersecurity
- Business & Professional Services
- Culture & Arts
- Energy
- Fast Moving Consumer Goods
- Finance
- Media & Communication
- Private Equity
- Property
- Scale-Ups
- Sport & Entertainment
- Consulting & Key Positions
- Board & CEO Services
- Assessment & Succession
- Executive Search
- Culture & Enculturation
- Family Firm Advisory
- Interim & Project Management Support
- Management Onboarding after M & A
- Project Management & Stakeholder Support
- Talent Strategy & Execution; Workforce Design
- Transformation & Change
Corporate
Candidates
Corporate Casting’s candidates range from executive and non-executive level to senior management and the highly-specialized. They are a diverse, inclusive cast of young, bright graduates as well as internationally experienced, exceptionally-skilled people over 50 - all burning with the same ambition as ours.
Our pool of multi-disciplinary, multi-core skilled professionals are perfectly placed for the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Talents that share the ability to play various roles or fulfill specialist functions and will either perfectly match or easily acclimatize to company culture. These experts are available for full time, interim or on project basis.
Our candidates are carefully selected after a stringent auditioning process that intensely tests their agility and ability – including the writing of their own ‘life script’ and their precise motivation for a new role.
Together with the CEO’s personally crafted ‘appetizers’ and tightly edited CV’s, these elements make for our distinct The Script© method of finding, screening & presenting our candidates.
Corporate Casting’s approach and methodology has led to the successful placement of numerous top candidates.
Below are a few examples:
- Consultancy
- Culture
- Family Office
- Non-Executive Boards
- Non-Profit
- Private Equity
- Property
- Sport & Entertainment
- Male and Female Partners & Directors
- Directors of Museums & Foundations
- CEO
- Multiple Roles including Presidents, Female and Male
- CEO
- CEO & Directors
- CEO & COO
- CEO, CFO & COO
Corporate
Connections
Making connections is second nature at Corporate Casting. Acting on the saying "if you can’t share, you can’t multiply", we happily share our network and contacts and actively facilitate private events to bring people together.
For us, contact does not end once a role is fulfilled. We stay actively in touch with our clients and candidates, following their development with genuine interest and are always there for advice and support – adjusting the script as needed, helping them answer: “What’s next after next?”
We happily share our active network and international contacts. We partner with SRI Executive with a focus on NGO and development.
Corporate
Column
Corporate Casting believes in the importance of information and erudition. We listen, we learn, we reflect. Through our Corporate Column we have an opportunity to share our thoughts and experience with our contacts and clients. It gives us the ability to share our thinking on the important issues of the day in this rapidly changing world.
Corporate Casting regularly publishes articles, gives speeches and participates in radio & podcast interviews – championing business and leadership issues, diversity, the impact of AI and other new technologies.
Corporate
Confetti
...we have tickets to the party, but we need an invitation to dance...
Corporate Casting initiates and stages special events with esteemed local and international guest speakers willing to share their thoughts on the latest issues and trends.
Since the foundation of KENAU in 2012, Corporate Casting has invited talented female professionals for "lunch pensent". From a handful of attendees at the start, this regular private lunch now attracts nearly 100 women. Membership is by invitation only. In a unique twist, Corporate Casting will include males for a first time debate at the Kenau & Krijgers (warriors) event in Amsterdam, annually on February 13th.
A highly-exclusive ‘People Centred Economy and The Future of Work’ session, organized and hosted by Astrid van Heumen, Dennis Heijn and Guido van Nispen, co-founders of the People Centred Economy initiative (PCE-NL) will follow in late March.
Contact
Office
FreedomLab
62 Plantage Middenlaan
1018 DH Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 422 07 09
info@corporatecasting.com
