About us

Strategy boutique from Rotterdam

Built on ambition. Driven by growth. 

When we founded Riverwise in 2013 – after previously leading the strategy team at IG&H – we wanted to create something different from what we knew. No large, impersonal office. No standard slides or “Zuidas mentality”. A true Rotterdam strategy boutique: strong in expertise, genuinely engaged, and focused on sustainable growth. For clients and for our own team. Establishing a company where I would have loved to join after graduating.

Our assignments can be roughly divided into three areas. We develop growth strategies that help chart a course in rapidly evolving markets. We help organizations design new propositions that respond to market trends, changing customer needs, and market opportunities. And we guide transformations within customer contact, intelligently combining customer value, efficiency, and technology, such as AI. 

We now work for a broad client base of banks, insurance companies, educational publishers, media and public organizations. But we’re true insiders in financial services and media. Besides client work, we also build our own startups: in recent years, we’ve launched several ventures, including an AI solution for financial advisors and Pascal-AI.nl – a digital employment law assistant for HR professionals.

Our clients appreciate our combination of substantive sharpness, direct style and extreme involvement. We speak our minds and will be there for you as long as needed. We don’t just advise, we contribute to what truly matters: tangible impact and sustainable growth. We combine traditional consulting skills with cutting-edge technology, such as AI and machine learning, to help our clients move forward. 

Our people are at the heart of our approach. Working at Riverwise means truly helping to build your Riverwise. Bas Hagoort and Frank Nijenhuis, consultants from the very beginning, are now also co-owners of the firm. We consciously choose for homegrown consultants: smart, driven newcomers who learn their trade with us and truly want to make a difference. So, we don’t focus on rapid growth by recruiting experienced consultants with a developed “consultancy DNA,” but rather on investing in talented individuals who strive for impact. Because that’s what ultimately makes the difference for our clients and ensures we remain that unique Rotterdam strategy boutique.

After more than ten years and countless strategic projects, I look back with pride—and look forward with even greater ambition. We continue to build a strong, unconventional agency that matters.

Looking for a sharper perspective on a strategic issue, or have you (almost) graduated and do you want to help build Riverwise? Let’s get acquainted!

Erik van der Sluis 
Founder & Managing Director