Peter Van Ooik’s inspiring journey at AMCO began as a novice consultant in the Benelux office and has led to his current role as Managing Director in the Philippines. He shares a glimpse of his journey and some of the challenges and joys he faced while simultaneously driving essential change management and adapting to a new culture.
I began my journey with AMCO in 2016, starting as one of the very first employees in the Benelux office. Just three weeks in, I was thrown into my first project, and let me tell you, it was a steep learning curve
I jumped right in, building cube views and getting my hands on how consulting really works. I wanted to soak up every bit of knowledge and was determined to learn it all from the ground up.
Seven years later, I had the opportunity to take on the role of Managing Director in the Philippines—and I couldn’t pass it up.
It was a big leap for me, especially since I knew the team back there was facing some tough challenges. The previous leadership had left a wake of discontent, leaving many people unhappy with their workplace.
However, I viewed this challenge as an exciting opportunity to make a difference. My first goal was straightforward: I wanted to make everyone on the team feel happy and appreciated.
I believed that if I could create a space where people felt cared for, secure, and inspired, we could build on their skills. From there, I aimed to bridge the gap between the Philippine team and the rest of AMCO, bringing us all together.
I envision AMCO as a workplace where everyone can thrive and share their ideas and contributions with excitement. I’m all in on this vision, no matter our cultural background, and it really excites me to cultivate this environment where we can grow stronger together.
Coming from a Dutch background, though, I know I can come off as pretty straightforward. To avoid any obvious mistakes—and better understand everyone—I did quite a bit of reading on cultural differences.
My goal had always been to shift our team from the traditional Filipino top-down approach. I wanted to foster a consensus-seeking culture, a more collaborative culture where everyone felt like their voice mattered.
I remember a conversation that stood out during those early days: After I expressed my concern about our pace, a team member came to me and said, “I think you’re being too negative. We’re doing better than you realize." Hearing that from her—a Filipino colleague speaking honestly to me as her superior—felt like a big win. It was a crucial step in the right direction. Slowly, but surely, we began to transform our team culture into one based more on trust.
I really make an effort to connect with every single person on my team. I won’t lie; it isn’t always easy, especially since we’re now over 80! But getting to know everyone truly matters to me. That’s just how I work.
At the end of the day, it’s all about happiness for me—having the freedom to do what I love while making a positive impact. I’m driven by working with people who share that same goal… yes, working with people is what really motivates me!
I’ve really come to appreciate the charming Filipino culture. People here, in general, seem happier, more smiley, and genuinely care for one another.
I’ve also become much more patient over time. You really have to accept that things move at their own pace, and there’s no point in getting upset about it.
For instance, when our son was born, we faced a mountain of paperwork—birth certificates, passports, you name it. It felt like we were dealing with a ton of documents going back and forth, and it was so time-consuming compared to what my wife and I were used to back in the Netherlands.
But that’s just part of the adventure of living here. We kept reminding ourselves, we’re here for the experience, and we really learned to embrace and enjoy that part too.
- Peter Van Ooik
Managing Director, AMCO Philippines
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