The Heartbeat of Success: Making People Central to the Company
Susan grew up in Haarlem, the Netherlands; close-knit family ties and enduring friendships enriched her formative years. These early influences ignited her journey through hotel school and, later, university, where she delved into Human Resources. Post-graduation, she further honed her expertise, earning a master’s in Sociology focusing on management, labor, and policy.
With a background that includes roles at major corporations like Merck, Sharp, and Dohme, Susan’s journey in human-interaction management has been marked by a commitment to putting people at the center of business success.
Susan Braakman – Director of Group Services
Her career has seen significant milestones, including her role as Business Director for DOCS (a recruitment agency now part of ICON), where she led a team focused on marketing and sales recruitment. This experience broadened her horizons, especially as she navigated complex matters like mergers and acquisitions. For Susan, this journey reinforced her core belief that businesses should prioritize their people.
Networking and mentoring without expecting anything in return are core principles for Susan. She sees the true value in understanding and adapting to new situations, fostering positivity in the workplace, and cultivating collaboration, consensus, and sound decision-making. She champions the idea of having a strong network of unofficial collaborators and advisors, both within and outside the organization, to promote self-reflection and improve team dynamics.
Susan embraces three fundamental principles in her approach: uniting diversity by aligning individual needs with a collective purpose, fostering authentic leadership that empowers individuals to manage groups in their unique styles, and advocating for a harmonious balance between personal and professional life. These guiding values and experiences culminated in the serendipitous encounter between Kieran and Sabine. Upon meeting, they swiftly discovered a shared vision for the corporate world, emphasizing the significance of skill development to adeptly navigate continual changes and meet evolving stakeholder expectations in today’s dynamic business environment.
Susan’s passion for a people-focused perspective extends to her vision for the biotech world, where she envisions a culture that prioritizes patient benefits and looks beyond corporate-centric views. As Director of Group Services at Seuss+, she applies her unique approach to both internal and external challenges, seeking tailored solutions for efficiency and sustainability.
Susan’s love for long-distance running and cycling reflects her patient and strategic mindset. She values the process of carefully considering strategies and the phases required to achieve goals.
Completing her legal mediation course aligns with Susan’s commitment to effective communication and conflict resolution. She plans to share these skills with companies and individuals to create healthier, more productive work environments.
In her role as Director of Group Services at Seuss+, Susan serves as the operational glue, bringing together the various dimensions of an organization, from culture and ambition to expectations and results. With her strong emphasis on the human factor, Susan is a driving force for creating cohesive and successful organizations.
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As Director of Group Services at Seuss+, Susan Braakman is responsible for making HR processes, L&D systems, finance, IT, Facilities and contract management. She was previously Operations Manager, where she provided senior oversight for recruitment operations and processes. Prior to Seuss+, Susan held various roles associated with building talent and impactful recruitment at multinational corporations. Along with her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources and Masters in Sociology, she holds two additional Masters qualifications – labor law and legal mediation. Susan is highly active within the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) Europe, serving as President of Member Value Offering as well as being a mentor in their highly successful European Mentoring Program.
