Our philosophy
I have always been passionate about people; I love meeting people, making true connections, learning about others, and understanding what drives people to do what they do. From experience, I know that a business that is founded on good, trustful, and authentic human relationships has much more of a chance for success.
I strongly believe a workplace is a community; a place where people bond around shared values, feel valued as human beings, and have a voice in decisions that affect them. To create an outstanding culture where people want to work, elements of employee experience such as authenticity, belonging, optimism, purpose and meaning, social connection, and engagement all need to be taken into account.
With societal views and the world as a whole changing at a rapid pace, more and more companies are experiencing tension, especially in the area of people. Employee expectations have changed and topics such as Environmental, Social, and Governance; Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion; and a labor shortage have become prominent board room topics. Solving problems such as attracting and retaining different types of talent, identifying and leveraging employees’ unique competencies and characteristics, psychological safety, developing efficient, effective, and sustainable ways of working together—especially in hybrid or remote environments—and defining and instilling shared values and goals are critical to a company’s success, but most don’t know where to start.
The first step to strategic, cultural change is entering into a conversation about the people problems you are facing. The Why is usually clear, but the shoe pinches when it comes to the What and How. Shaping a corresponding people strategy that triggers change in day-to-day operations is where I excel.
Are you ready to start the conversation?
-Founder Adipoli
About Ilse
Prior to founding Adipoli, Ilse and her partner Pieter co-founded Customs4trade (C4T), where she served as both the Chief People and Operations Officer. She dedicated herself to building a diverse team around the cornerstones of talent, organisation, leadership, and human resources—the four pillars of Adipoli. Ilse forged the backbone for C4T’s healthy and inclusive culture, which supported sustainable year-over-year growth.
Before co-founding C4T, Ilse was a worldwide buyer for C&A Europe, regularly traveling throughout Europe and Asia and interacting with a variety of cultures and personalities while also being accountable for achieving financial goals. This rich experience on both the personal and operational side of business informs the holistic approach of Adipoli.
In her personal life, Ilse enjoys at-home time and new adventures with Pieter, her soul mate and her rock. Their three independent and ambitious daughters keep life exciting, always bringing a new perspective to the world, and their four mischievous cats keep them on their toes. Ilse subscribes to an Ayurvedic lifestyle that balances mind, body, and spirit, and ensures time off to retreat, reflect, and reconnect in the Indian jungle with local community.
Adipoli’s Values
Values should be clearly laid out and transparent, so our recruits, employees, co-workers, business partners, customers, and the community alike can easily assess if we walk the talk. These values represent our agreed-upon ways of working toward our common business goals and underscore our promise to contribute to a more ethical and sustainable business world. We call it our operating DNA.
#HeadandHeartLeadership
We lead with both our heads and our hearts, with the head representing capability, perspective, wisdom, and curiosity, and the heart representing humility, self-awareness, courage, and empathy.
#TogetherisBetter
We work collaboratively as a team, promoting belonging and treating each other as global BEings, which leaves us open to opportunities, innovation, relationship building, growth, and possibilities. Going beyond what is comfortable allows us to expand what is possible.
#WeOperateonPrinciples
We document and agree as a community to 5 Golden Rules for People and 10 Commandments for Business that include environmental, social, and governance factors, resulting in an ethical and sustainable business that benefits the broader community.