Meet MSM's faculty members: introducing André Dellevoet

Maastricht School of Management provides scientific knowledge allowing managers and entrepreneurs to make evidence-based decisions. To achieve our mission we encourage and support our faculty members in a broad range of areas. MSM’s faculty members are passionate about what they do and tenacious in finding solutions to the toughest business challenges. Each month MSM will highlight one of its faculty members and this month the spotlight is on André Dellevoet.

Let me introduce myself…
I am André Dellevoet, Senior Project Consultant at the International Projects department (IPD) of MSM.
I hold a Master’s degree in Law from Maastricht University (NL) and a Master’s degree in Political Sciences from Leiden University (NL). My specialization was international law and human rights and international relations. My MA thesis focused on democratization in developing countries.

I learned what it takes to start, manage and grow a business in very challenging environments…
My career started in 1991 when I joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Right from the start, my interest was in international development, but not from a classical “aid” perspective but rather from an integrated more strategic approach combining aid, trade & investment, diplomacy and defense. During that period, I was posted in several African countries and witnessed the importance, and at the same time the limits, of this integrated approach. After being involved in developing one of the biggest Dutch private sector development programs ever (PSOM), I became more specialized in the development of the private sector in developing countries, especially Africa, including technical assistance and finance. Through my executive management functions at the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) in Kenya and the Agricultural Business Initiative (aBi) in Uganda, I learned what it takes to start, manage and grow a business in very challenging environments.

I have learned that there is a totally different reality for businesses in developing countries…
Last year, after 15 years of living and working in Africa, me and my family returned to the Netherlands. MSM invited me to come on board to support them in managing a number of projects in Uganda and Ghana, and at the same time develop new projects in the MENA region. I have always worked in international environment, which comes entirely natural to me. I am happy to find that kind of environment at MSM. It gives me energy! Having been active for 20 years in private sector development, I have learned that there is a totally different reality for businesses in developing countries, which defies much of what we think we understand about doing business and teach at universities and business schools. I call it “informal business practices” to encompass a wide range of business activities at governance/management, HR, financial management, production, procurement and other activities that are sometimes illegal, unethical or just informal/not regulated. I am currently preparing a few publications on this topic and hope to develop a new education program next year.

I have reinvented myself at least four times when I faced a dead-end street and never regretted it…
in my position as Senior Project Consultant at MSM, I am involved in project management as well as acquisition of new projects. I also dedicate much of my time to research and new program development. This way, my work covers both the present, guaranteeing the continuity of MSM, as well as investing in MSM’s future. My dream for the future is to end my rich career as a lecturer at MSM and hand over my knowledge and experience to a new generation. To my current and future students, I would like to say that the mission in life is not just to have fun, but to become who you are! I have reinvented myself at least four times when I faced a dead-end street and never regretted it. A step in the dark, 15 years ago, gave me lots of challenges but above all a meaningful career and a lovely family.

The person that I admire the most in life is…
Kofi Annan! He was my support and inspiration when I managed the AECF under an international NGO called AGRA. In his presence, you just felt the quality, the wisdom and the human civility, of that great gentleman.

Related news
Tanzanian delegation visits the Netherlands to learn from the Dutch agricultural (education) sector
First “capacity building for your organization” webinar organized for MSM’s project partners
Meet MSM’s faculty members: introducing Hans Nijhoff