Mike van der Vijver (1957) works as an itim trainer and consultant from the Netherlands as well as from Naples in Italy. Trained as a biologist (majoring in Ecology), Mike has never worked in this field. After graduating from Utrecht University, he travelled extensively throughout Europe, learned Italian and lived in this country for about two years, teaching English as a foreign language. On his return to the Netherlands, he took out the Dutch State Certificate for Translator and Interpreter, gradually moving into the field of conference interpretation and joining the roughly 35 recognised Conference Interpreters practising in the Netherlands.
Ten years in this profession brought Mike extensive experience in working for international clients (mainly multinational companies and supranational organisations) and working in international teams. As a result, he realised that language differences were not the main cause of the difficulties in international relationships. From there, starting to work in the field of intercultural management and communications was a small and logical step. Since joining itim, Mike has worked for a great variety of clients, ranging from large multinational companies to public authorities, putting to use itim’s methodology in such diverse fields as high-tech manufacturing, elementary school teaching, expats in SMEs, European Works Councils, international police work, etc. Given his personal intercultural experience - his wife is Italian - he is itim’s specialist on relationships with Italy.
Mike still spends a fair amount of his time in his home country, the Netherlands, working on assignments for Dutch clients. Whenever he can, however, he joins his Italian wife and three daughters in Naples, Italy, enjoying the climate, food and people of this ancient city and using it as his home base for his Italian clients. Mike is fluent in Dutch, English and Italian and has a fair command of French and German.
Ideas4 culture: organisational culture, intercultural management, intercultural differences, expatriation and international business and negotiation
