Maureen Brinkman

Head of Talent

Hilversum, North Holland, Netherlands9 yrs 8 mos experience

Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

Led People & Culture team through significant scaling.
Implemented structured performance cycles for clarity.
Advocated for diverse and inclusive workspaces.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a strategic HR leader in the SaaS industry.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Team LeadershipHr OperationsPerformance ManagementStrategic Human Resources LeadershipLeadership HiringRecruitingLeadership

Other Skills

Cross-cultural TeamsOrganisatieplanningPersoneelsplanningEmployee EngagementHuman Resources (HR)Compensation StrategyStrategisch hrDiversity & InclusionCross-functional Team LeadershipExecutive CoachingOrganisatorische cultuurProcess ImprovementLabour IssuesHR ConsultingHR Business Partnering

About

I approach my work with a growth mindset, dedicated to inspiring businesses and their leaders to take that next step. My focus is on finding that delicate balance between the needs of the business and the well-being of its employees, and always striving to be practical and supportive. By streamlining processes and implementing just the right guidelines, simple and practical. My passion for what I do runs deep, and I lead with authenticity, constantly seeking opportunities to learn and improve. Lastly, I'm a staunch advocate for the creation of diverse and inclusive workspaces, I can write about how it will increase productivity and innovation.. But to be honest, I just think it's the human thing to do.

Experience

9 yrs 8 mos

Total Experience

1 yr 11 mos

Average Tenure

3 yrs 11 mos

Current Experience

Orbisk

Head of People and Culture

Jun 2024 – Present · 1 yr 11 mos · Utrecht, Nederland · Hybrid

As Head of People at Orbisk, I lead and grow the People & Culture team while supporting the company through a key scaling phase.
During this time, we doubled the team from 40 to 80 people, including hiring several senior roles to strengthen the leadership layer. Alongside this growth, I introduced a more structured performance cycle, bringing clarity and consistency to how we set goals, give feedback, and develop people.
I’ve also been involved in preparing the organisation for its Series A, ensuring the people foundations, processes and structure are in place to support the next stage of growth.
My focus is on building a strong performance culture, while keeping things practical and workable for the business and the people in it.

Cross-cultural TeamsHR OperationsTeam LeadershipOrganisatieplanningPersoneelsplanning

Part-time

Fractional People Leader | Start-ups & Scale-ups

Jun 2022 – Present · 3 yrs 11 mos · Hybrid

Fractional People Leader supporting founders and C-level teams in early-stage and scaling companies such as Augmedit (MedTech), Dexter Energy (Clean Energy) Keto-Mojo (Healthcare), Get Clone (FoodTech).
Focused on high-impact, short-term engagements: career frameworks, compensation strategy, leadership hiring, and founder advisory—bringing structure and clarity at critical growth moments.

Cross-cultural TeamsHR OperationsTeam LeadershipOrganisatieplanningPersoneelsplanningStrategic Human Resources Leadership+1

Skydreams

2 roles

Head of People & Culture

Promoted

Feb 2022 – Jun 2024 · 2 yrs 4 mos · Utrecht, Nederland

In this scale-up, I was responsible for the full People & Culture scope, working closely with the founders and leadership team.
Together with a small team (People BP and Office Manager), I focused on building the foundations needed to support growth, while keeping things practical and workable.
Some key highlights:
Hiring & ATS implementation
Introduced an ATS to bring structure and consistency to hiring, reduce bias, and improve overall quality and speed of recruitment
Performance management
Redesigned the performance cycle to create more clarity, better conversations and stronger accountability across teams
Team & leadership development
Supported team leads through training and hands-on guidance on topics like team development, employment law and day-to-day people challenges
Compensation & benefits
Built a compensation and benefits structure that was competitive, clear and aligned with the company’s stage and culture

Cross-cultural TeamsHR OperationsStrategisch hrDiversity & InclusionCross-functional Team LeadershipLeadership+5

People & Culture Business Partner

Jul 2020 – Feb 2022 · 1 yr 7 mos · Utrecht, Nederland

Cross-cultural TeamsHR OperationsLeadershipTeam LeadershipOrganisatieplanningPersoneelsplanning+1

Lightspeed hq

HR Business Partner EMEA (temporary)

Jun 2019 – Feb 2020 · 8 mos · Randstad

In this fast growing scale-up, my role in direct collaboration with the VP team in Canada was multifaceted:
My key responsibilities were in the GoToMarket strategy for the EMEA region (UK, BE, CH, NL), including spearheading market expansion, and leading senior leadership meetings for collaboration and strategic alignment. , Besides that, I've been leading changes in the compensation and benefit packages, and fostering employee engagement to create a motivated workforce.

Cross-cultural TeamsHR OperationsStrategisch hrLeadershipTeam LeadershipOrganisatieplanning+1

Iris

HR-manager

Jun 2018 – May 2019 · 11 mos · Randstad

As the Advisor to the Board at Iris Amsterdam, I provide strategic guidance. I lead talent development, implement the 360-degree performance cycle, and offer legal expertise. I craft and execute recruitment strategies, manage global talent, and oversee the creation of an Employee Engagement Survey to enhance workplace satisfaction. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, our Amsterdam office had to close its doors.

Cross-cultural TeamsHR OperationsStrategisch hrLeadershipOrganisatieplanningPersoneelsplanning+1

Pentana solutions

HR Business Partner Europe

Aug 2016 – Jul 2018 · 1 yr 11 mos · Nederland

Collaborating directly with our Australian-based executive team, I had the privilege of leading HR operations in Europe (UK, Italy, Netherlands). My key contributions included fostering employee engagement, leading impactful leadership meetings for strategic alignment, navigating and celebrating diverse European cultures, organizing development events, and providing expert legal guidance on HR matters.

Cross-cultural TeamsHR OperationsStrategisch hrLeadershipOrganisatieplanningPersoneelsplanning+1

Msx international

HR Advisor Benelux

Feb 2015 – Jul 2016 · 1 yr 5 mos · Nijkerk

At MSX International, a key player in the automotive industry, I played a pivotal role in HR. This involved implementing crucial processes for efficient onboarding and offboarding, crafting comprehensive HR policies, including the development of an Employee Handbook, and managing various HR administrative tasks such as contracts, letters, and payroll.

Cross-cultural TeamsHR OperationsStrategisch hrLeadershipOrganisatieplanningPersoneelsplanning+1

Drukwerkdeal.nl

HR officer/Recruiter

Feb 2013 – Jan 2014 · 11 mos · Deventer

Joining Drukwerkdeal as an intern, one of the Netherlands' fastest-growing companies (ranked #9), I quickly advanced to oversee Recruitment and HR activities. In this role, I led recruitment efforts to attract top talent, developed HR policies to create a positive work environment, managed various HR administrative tasks, and efficiently utilized the AFAS system for streamlined HR management.

HR OperationsStrategisch hr