Sharpe International has been advising global and domestic companies and institutions successfully since February 2012.
We understand the importance of a well-managed reputation when it comes to building brand advocacy with stakeholders and opinion formers. To enhance and protect this, we use integrated communications.
We are driven by our sincere interest in the company, its people and its products and services. Motivated by our curiosity, creativity and passion for communications, we work in close partnership with our clients. At the same time, being outside our clients’ organisation enables us to look objectively at opportunities and threats and give clear advice. We are a no-nonsense firm believing in honesty and transparency.
For our (international) corporate clients we often act as their first point of contact for Dutch and Belgium media.
It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.
Our people
Partner/Consultant
Mark Beers
Mark Beers has more than twenty-five years of international experience in
corporate communications, media relations, financial public relations,
marketing PR, issues management, crisis communications, public affairs,
media training and congressional facilitation.
After working for two PR agencies for six years, Mark worked for various sub-contractors of Fortis and ING in the past 15 years. 10 of those years, he concentrated on asset management and investment products. As European head of communications of ING IM, he managed various communication agencies, based in the Netherlands, the UK and the Nordics
Mark is fluent in Dutch (native speaker) and English (full working proficiency), has limited working proficiency in Danish and Spanish and speaks German and French on a conversational level.
Partner/Consultant
Frans Gunnink
Frans Gunnink has more than twenty-five years experience in financial media and communications. He was among others editor-in-chief, publisher, and project manager for leading financial media, such as IEX and Het Financieele Dagblad.
Frans is a specialist in reaching the retail and institutional investor. He has been working as a consultant since 2000.
Native Dutch speaker Frans is fluent in English and German and has limited working proficiency in French.
Associate partner / consultant
Alfred Kool
Alfred Kool has more than 30 years of experience in corporate communication and reputation management. Before joining Sharpe, he held the position of strategic communication advisor at Willis Towers Watson for 8 years. Prior to that he was partner at Kool, Baas & De Quelerij, a boutique consultancy for strategic communication advice. Throughout the years, Alfred advised and assisted numerous pension funds, administrators and other pension related organisations in the field of communication, governance and strategy development. He has been engaged in various communication-roles since 1985, including the position of Director of Corporate Communication at PGGM. He acquired a thorough knowledge of the financial sector, from an asset as well as from a liability perspective. Alfred studied corporate communication, marketing and English. He is fluent in Dutch (native speaker) and English (full working proficiency) and speaks German and French on a conversational level.
Editorial consultant and staff writer
Manno van den Berg
For many years, Manno van den Berg was one of the leading editors in the Netherlands writing for De Financiële Telegraaf with in-depth knowledge about investments and personal finance. The last two years prior to working for Sharpe, Manno has been responsible for investment management content for NN Investment Partners. . Manno advises on media communication and content campaigns. Manno is Dutch, speaks English and German fluently and has basic communication skills in French and Japanese.
Marketing, Social media and PR specialist
Marie Claire van Hessen
Marie Claire van Hessen has more than twelve years experience in marketing, direct marketing and marketing communications. Marie Claire obtained master degrees in Corporate Finance, Business Informatics and Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam. Marie Claire is founder and managing director of MCPR. At Sharpe International, Marie Claire is responsible for marketing, social media and PR activities. Marie Claire is native Dutch speaker and is fluent in English.
Manager Publication Desk / Editor in Chief
Wouter Goedkoop
Wouter Goedkoop has more than twenty years experience in marketing, direct marketing, marketing communications and text production. Wouter obtained a Bachelors at the Hogeschool van Economische Studies in Amsterdam and graduated in American studies at the University of Amsterdam.
At Sharpe Financial, Wouter runs the publication desk and is responsible for processing and issuing our clients’ research, market analyses and press releases. Wouter is native Dutch speaker and writer and fluent in English. He speaks Spanish, German, and French on a conversational level.
Senior Investment Writer
Jan-Willem Mout
After his university Jan Willem Mout has been working as a journalist, investment writer, editor and translator in the financial industry since 2000. He has written and translated websites, (email) newsletters and for various international asset managers and financial institutions. He has a great knowledge of for example investment strategies and economic issues, which helps him to write in an accessible and understanding way for professional audiences.
Jan Willem is a native speaker and writer of Dutch and has professional working proficiency in English and German.