Carlijn is a passionate innovator in learning and development with over 14 years of experience at the City of Amsterdam. Currently driving L&D innovation and conducting PhD research on psychological safety, leadership, and team learning, she combines academic rigor with real-world application. As former Head of Talent and Leadership Development, Carlijn designed impactful programs that supported leaders and talent across the organization. Her approach is centered on "just enough and just-in-time" learning, with a strong emphasis on performance support and executive coaching. A skilled change agent, she has led transformative initiatives, including a groundbreaking traineeship for former refugees. Carlijn’s work is deeply rooted in empathy, inclusion, and evidence-based practices—empowering people to grow, lead, and thrive.

Working for Amsterdam means working for the most beautiful city in the world. Think of its rich history, the role Amsterdam plays internationally, and events such as Sail, Gay Pride and King’s Day. Of course everybody wants to visit Amsterdam, or work or live here. As you can probably imagine, working for Amsterdam is a challenge every day. How do we handle the growing bustle in the inner city? Or the high demand for new homes? Or obesity among young children? At the municipality of Amsterdam we work daily on challenging projects like these.