ABOUT US
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A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP
CONSULTANCY EXPERIENCE
MEETS
IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF CORPORATE REALITY
Rudolf Rodenburg – Mariska Praktiek
Dutch nationals:
pragmatism and directness, under a friendly cover.
We lived across Europe and worked globally (we still do).
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We have a can-do mentality, and are driven by turning our clients' 'impossible' into achievable.
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We successfully bring together parties from different cultural and functional backgrounds to create an open atmosphere and build on strengths and cultural differences.
We have that personal touch that larger consultancies often lack.
This is top-level
strategy consulting
reimagined for smaller budgets
Rudolf has worked at some of the world’s leading strategy and brand consultancies, including Interbrand, WPP’s Design Bridge & Partners and Omnicom’s TBWA.
He develops strategy, aligns the branding and oversees communication to ensure cohesive and impactful results for his clients.
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His experience spans a variety of industries: from pharmaceuticals to airlines, from energy to FMCG, and from finance & insurance to non-profit and governmental.
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As a consultant, he regulalrly encounters new industries, which enble him to bring in fresh across-sector perspectives. He quickly immerses himself in unfamiliar fields while maintaining an objective view, ensuring that he's not constrained by too much industry-specific thinking.
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Rudolf has created many OGSMs across a wide range of sectors and for national organisations as small as 8 to Europe-wide organisations with over 1000 employees.​
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Working with Rudolf:
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He's known for his logical and objective approach, keeping a clear view of complex situations and zeroing in on what's essential for results.
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He expertly challenges his clients to think deeply, maintaining a sense of humour that makes the process engaging.
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His approach emphasizes clarity and focus, ensuring that strategies are both practical and impactful.​​​
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Rudolf holds a Master’s Degree in Business Economics.
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Mariska has a background in the international corporate environment with experience across multiple industries, including IT, insurance, finance and oil & gas. She spent over ten years at Shell, where she developed a deep understanding of corporate dynamics and strategy execution.
Her responsibilities included:
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communicating the strategy across the organisation, ensuring it was understood and embraced at all levels
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ensuring engagement across all corporate functions, working to align different teams and departments with the company’s strategic goals
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Additionally, Mariska has trained numerous leadership teams and managers in leadership communication, empowering them to effectively lead their teams through periods of change.
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Working with Mariska:
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She is excellent at thinking outside the box, which allows her to come up with creative solutions to complex problems. Her creativity is grounded in a clear understanding of the nuances of each project.
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She is patient, working through complex processes methodically to ensure thoroughness and accuracy in every task.
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Mariska's sharp eye for detail enhances her ability to deliver high-quality, accurate work, streamline problem-solving, and ensure client satisfaction.​​​
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Mariska holds a Master’s Degree in Business Economics.​​​​
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our difference:
actionable – achievable – affordable
SMEs, Start-Ups and Entrepreneurs deserve access to premium strategy consulting, just like larger companies.
However, there are several reasons why they often
don’t have this access.
Athena Associates overcomes these barriers with you.
COMPLEXITY
We reduce complexity with a streamlined, standardised and proven approach.
NO LINK TO REALITY
Instead of wordy and abstract powerpoint presentations, we deliver a complete, actionable
business plan on one A4 page.
UNCLEAR FEES
We charge per project, not per hour: a fixed approach, with a fixed format for the outcome, and a fixed low fee. No surprises.
INDEFINITE TIMING
Our structured approach of three 1/2-day workshops ensures a
time frame of 1 month
from beginning to end.
WHY WE DO THIS
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Seeing the impact of a well-crafted OGSM is incredibly rewarding, especially for SMEs, Start-Ups, and Entrepreneurs, where results are more immediate and transformative. It’s not just the business that benefits—it's the people who experience the greatest growth.
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We are driven by a sense of fairness. High-quality consulting should not be out of reach for smaller businesses. Too often, great strategy support is reserved for larger companies with big budgets, and we believe that smaller organisations deserve access to these same tools and insights.
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We love working at both ends of the spectrum: helping you shape the big picture while getting to the essence of what truly matters, and then breaking it down into manageable, actionable steps.
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Our combined experience gives us the ability to do this effectively. Rudolf brings a breadth of consultancy expertise across many industries and disciplines, while Mariska offers an in-depth understanding of how businesses truly operate, from within.​​​
ATHENA
STRATEGIC WISDOM – TACTICAL EXPERTISE
The Greek goddess of wisdom and strategy perfectly symbolises our consultancy's ethos and approach.
Athena was known for her clear-sightedness, great ideas and highly-developed ability to think ahead.
She was the decisive factor in winning battles.
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These are the qualities we bring to our strategic work with our clients.
Athena is our patron of strategic mastery.
the consultant's edge
CLIENTS
Struggle to maintain objectivity
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internal biases, personal agendas, conflicting priorities
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desire for consensus without critical thinking
CONSEQUENCE
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suboptimal strategic decisions
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OUR VALUE
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impartial, unbiased
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not involved in internal politics and dynamics
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objective advice and insights
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we challenge assumptions
RESULT
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a more objective strategic approach
OBJECTIVITY
CLIENTS
Have narrower perspectives
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limited exposure outside their own field of expertise
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biased view on importance of their own field of expertise
CONSEQUENCE
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missed opportunities
OUR VALUE
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experience with many disciplines and areas of expertise
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fresh ideas
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alternative viewpoints
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best practices from other industries
RESULT
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enriched strategic planning process
NEW PERSPECTIVES
TOUGH DECISIONS
CLIENTS
Find everything important
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lack of focus on the essential
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doing everything a little bit
CONSEQUENCE
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little progress, efforts too spread out
OUR VALUE
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guiding you through a logic decision-making process
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helping you to decide what NOT to do as part of your strategic plan
RESULT
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a focussed, achievable OGSM
what clients say
"The process of developing our OGSM was thorough and enlightening. Each step, each decision, provided more clarity."
PROCESS
"Creating our OGSM was like mapping our path to success. It was a real eye-opener to see our plans laid out so clearly, giving everyone a clear role and focus."
"I'm naturally creative and a real doer, so I never thought I'd enjoy strategy this much. Everyone should experience this process!"
​"Since we started implementing the OGSM, our strategic direction has never been clearer. We've seen a remarkable alignment across departments, and our goals now feel achievable and tangible."
RESULTS
"Having an OGSM in place has truly transformed our operations. It’s like we all suddenly got a compass pointing us in the right direction—less confusion, more results."
It's amazing how everything
starts to align, fall into place and make sense
once the OGSM takes shape.
"Working with Rudolf and Mariska was an exceptional experience. They are knowledgeable, incredibly responsive and committed to our success. They really made something complex accessible and enjoyable."
ATHENA ASSOCIATES
"Hands-on and patient, involving us in every step of the process. They challenged us in a friendly yet firm way, which really helped us to come up with our own solutions. We truly feel like we own our strategy now."
Due to the strategic and confidential nature of our work, we do not list client names on our website. References are available upon request.