Written by Consultancy.co.uk
Something is brewing in the business world. Disruption is nothing new, but with the rise of AI, everyone realises that we are on the cusp of something truly momentous. That is certainly true for Justa de Graaff and Reinier Plantinga. Together, they’re helping companies realise the enormous promise of AI – and, as brand-new partners, they’re building the next chapter of Improven: “It feels as though everything is coming together now.”
It was only a few months ago that we last caught up with Justa and Reinier, who had just joined Improven’s partner team at the time.
Back then, we interviewed them separately. This time, they were keen to sit down together. Since becoming partners at Improven, Reinier and Justa have been spending a lot of time together. “We’re both busy building up our own teams,” says Justa. “Hiring people, lots of client meetings, roundtables, events – you name it.”
It is certainly an extraordinary time for Improven. Earlier this year, the firm joined forces with Moore, one of the largest accountancy firms in the country.
“We’ve gained a whole new world,” says Reinier. “That gives us so much energy. First of all, they’re just really lovely people. Together, we’re working towards our ambition to develop a full-service provider, of which we form the consultancy arm. It also offers a huge number of new opportunities: Moore is very strong in the SME sector, whilst we operate more in the corporate and enterprise markets, so we complement each other perfectly. We’re currently exploring all these possibilities.”
Magnifying glass
In short: Reinier and Justa certainly get plenty of exercise. The fact that they get on so well might seem surprising at first glance: whilst Reinier focuses on the financial sector and Improvens’ new AI & Data team, Justa specialises in behaviour and personal leadership.
However, anyone who understands what is involved in successfully embracing new technology will grasp the combination straight away. “It’s obviously about much more than just the technology itself,” emphasises Reinier. “The human aspect is just as important. You saw that with digital transformation, data-driven working and robotics – and now it’s doubly true for AI.”
”AI amplifies your strengths, but it also immediately exposes your weaknesses.”
For whilst digital innovations have been following one another in rapid succession for years, everyone agrees that AI is not just the next technology. “AI is so impactful that it acts like a magnifying glass,” says Justa. “It amplifies your strengths, but also immediately exposes your vulnerabilities: roles that aren’t clearly defined, a lack of ownership over data – AI makes it all visible.”
This is partly down to the speed at which AI is developing. “It’s no longer linear,” says Justa. “Compare it to a new ERP system: the implementation of that can also be far-reaching, but once it’s done, you’re sorted for the time being. With AI, it’s completely different: it’s constantly changing. That means you have to build an organisation that keeps learning all the time. And that starts with staff behaviour: they must demonstrate leadership.”
From isolated islands to a single vision
So Justa and Reinier’s teams often go out together. “AI isn’t purely a technical issue or a leadership issue,” says Reinier. “It’s both.”
In fact, these are just two of the many facets of a sound AI strategy. “There’s so much to it,” confirms Reinier. “How do you ensure that AI aligns with your organisational strategy? What use cases arise from that? What do you need to realise value from those use cases? Is the data foundation in place? Which laws and regulations do we need to comply with? What skills do employees need to have? And so on…”
What makes the challenge even greater is that organisations are usually already using AI, but without a clear vision. “Initiatives have often already been launched within teams or departments,” explains Justa. “But that makes it very fragmented – they’re all just isolated islands.”
To arrive at a single overarching vision and strategy, Improven uses AI frameworks. “That sounds more technical than it is,” says Reinier. “It provides a structure for designing your AI strategy based on your organisational strategy, whilst taking into account the countless issues involved in AI.”
Bespoke
The final approach varies significantly from one organisation to another. “At one end of the spectrum, for example, we’re helping an independent administrative body that’s barely using AI at all,” says Reinier. “They’re very keen to find out: What opportunities are there for us? Where do the risks lie? What are other independent administrative bodies doing?”
“And at the other end of the spectrum, we’re working with a major financial institution that’s been doing this for years, using AI agents and the most advanced applications. They’ve got perhaps as many as 300 different initiatives running, which they now want to harmonise more effectively, but without sapping the energy from them or stifling them with excessive scrutiny.”
“There are so many new opportunities emerging to help organisations get started at this crucial time.”
There are also significant differences on a human level. “Take a regulator,” Justa begins. “It’s deeply ingrained in their culture that you mustn’t make mistakes. We, on the other hand, teach the teams to experiment more, so that they become more agile and adapt more quickly to change. Conversely, we’re helping a highly innovative start-up within the defence industry. There, they want to move so fast that we actually have to slow them down.”
It all comes together
Things are moving quickly for Justa and Reinier too – although they’ve only known each other for about six months, they already seem to be completely in tune with one another. When asked how different they are from one another, Justa doesn’t have to think for long. “Enormously,” she says with a grin. “Working together is really difficult.”
On a more serious note: “No, a few years ago we naturally took a slightly different path, with Reinier focusing more on the technical and business side and me on behaviour and leadership, but that actually means we complement each other perfectly.”
“Absolutely,” nods Reinier. “And we’re the two newcomers to the partner club. That does create an extra bond. We also share the same drive. All in all, it all just falls into place.”
Above all, they are looking forward to the coming months. “We’ve only just got started, of course,” says Reinier. “And it feels as though everything is coming together now: our arrival as partners, our collaboration with Moore and the rise of AI. So many new opportunities are emerging to help organisations move forward at this crucial time.”
He also hints that Improven will be launching something new in the coming months. “I’m not actually allowed to say anything about it yet, but it fits perfectly with this story,” he reveals.
“So, more to come soon,” adds Justa. “You’ll be hearing a lot more from us.”
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