I first came into contact with Huib when I was HR Director of Facilicom. It was during a High Potential training programme and Huib was responsible for individual coaching sessions. Right from the start, Huib created an atmosphere of trust where I felt at ease. This surprised me, as I am usually on my guard during initial encounters.

Huib is an extremely intelligent person, and someone I felt I could relate to on a high level. This appealed to me, as I'm not into vague or nebulous communication. Huib's method of inquiry and probing gets straight to the heart of the matter and, so doing, helps you to get to know yourself, identify the patterns driving your behaviour and devise strategies to adapt and adjust.

Walking is one of the most effective forms of massage, Huib claims. Our get-togethers took place in the woods or along coastal sand dunes. During those walks, we'd engage in conversation and inquiry on two levels: semantics and concrete words on one level; self-reflection on a second, deeper level. Experiencing and feeling the effect of your personal and professional life story. This made for some demanding, even tough, sessions, yet were extremely effective.

A personal turning point - when I was directly confronted with the core of my being - was during a 'boxing clinic' Huib had arranged for me to participate in. Any theory I've ever come across on positioning and 'how to position myself' instantly turned tangible in that ring. It wasn't enough to have a 'I know I can do it' mindset; with a formidable, larger-than-life opponent, I had to feel it physically in every fibre of my being.

Experiencing my physical power like that has really had an effect on me. It's all about courage, and finding the balance between thinking and feeling. I'd say I am more grounded now and am a better leader to my people. My natural response is no longer to want to take over complex tasks but to first act as a sounding board to empower others. Standing up to my superiors or senior management comes easier, too: instead of ruminating about it endlessly at home, I'm able to act in the moment and trust in my intuition to guide my responses.

If there's one quality I particularly appreciate in Huib, it's his commitment to finishing whatever he starts. I've since left Facilicom but Huib has remained my coach to help me complete the process. I'm able to call him whenever I need him, and while I wouldn't take advantage of this, it's very reassuring to know Huib is there to listen if anything urgent arises.

A few months ago, I took the plunge to start my own business as HR advisor. It feels like a big step, but one I'm now ready to take. My coaching sessions with Huib haven't just influenced my professional life: they've also had a ripple effect in my role as partner and father - even as a football coach to a team of eager six-year-olds! I live much more in the moment and experience the pleasure of the game in a much more intense way.