In June 2025; Wouter Blom joined the global ERA network as a partner. In his profile text; you can read a brief summary of his time before ERA and the expertise he brings with him. To get to know our new people a little better; we ask each new partner six questions. Read Wouter's spontaneous response:
1. Why this new step in your career
To start with a cliché: it feels right. I really enjoy helping people and companies with my expertise; and I think I can put that drive to good use in consultancy work. The flexibility in terms of working hours; being my own boss; combined with the power of the ERA network; make this the ideal step in my life right now.
2. Was this what you wanted to be when you were a child?
Haha! Well; as a child; I wanted to be a director. Just like my father. In 2012; I actually became one. But just as 'possession is the end of desire'; I discovered that such a position; within a multinational owned by private equity; comes with challenges that are not necessarily in line with my own values and ambitions. Fortunately; self-employment was my second dream.
3. Every career has its ups and downs. What are you proud of? And what would you like to do over?
In 2012; I was appointed managing director of Unijoint; an operating company within Talis. The company manufactured couplings and had been making losses for three years in a row. Shortly before that; an interim manager had laid off a quarter of the staff on the instructions of the group's CEO. I was given the (un)grateful task of doing the same work with fewer people; boosting morale and; last but not least; returning the company to profitability. And I succeeded. Within a year; we went from a 13% loss to a 6% profit. And I saw smiling faces in the company again.
I was a smart kid who; at the age of 17; had a grammar school diploma – with an extra subject – in my pocket; without having to do too much homework. It came easily to me – too easily. My preferred course in Rotterdam still had a numerus clausus at the time; and unfortunately I was not selected. I had to rush to Eindhoven; quickly find accommodation and start a course that was not my first choice. But I was not used to studying hard; so I didn't; and as a result I did not complete my first year within two years. I then transferred from TUE to HTS; completed that program with ease; and started my career as a business engineer. But if I could do it all over again; I would give my younger self a kick in the butt and make sure I got that academic degree.
4. What kind of (work) challenge would get you out of bed in the morning?
Improvement! I love looking for the optimal solution in every situation. Whether it's optimising technical processes; streamlining collaboration between people; or identifying and eliminating unnecessary activities; I always enjoy getting my teeth into analysis and finding solutions.
Some people have stage fright; but you can hardly make me happier than when you put me in front of a room full of people to give a presentation. With or without PowerPoint; on any subject: I enjoy it!
5. Who is your role model?
As a teenager; I had a music teacher: Ad Smidt. The man was single; smoked like a chimney; played the piano and flute beautifully; and had the most interesting personality I can imagine. He had a house full of books; thousands of LPs; a cellar with hundreds of the best mature French wines; paintings and lithographs on the walls and African and Indonesian art in every room. And countless stories to go with them. We became friends and I learned a lot from him. Modesty; for example. And how to enjoy life. One of his most famous sayings was: if you want to see something clearly; you have to look away from it (try it with a double star in the night sky: if you look directly at it; you won't see that there are two). Unfortunately; he is no longer with us.
6. What is your ERA dream?
In addition to the usual wishes (challenging projects; flexible working hours and a decent income); I would secretly love it if one of my hobbies and my professional life could come together. I am an enthusiastic lover of single malt whiskies. How great would it be to be able to work on a project within a whisky distillery!
ERA is delighted that Wouter Blom is joining the network and wishes him a successful future; driven by his motto: Passionate about optimisation!
