Sander Claassen MBA
Director, governance professional and developer of sustainable leadership.
Sander Claassen works at the intersection of governance, leadership, strategy and social development. From various administrative, managerial and advisory roles, he deals with a central question: how can organizations and partnerships take responsibility for social value in an environment that is becoming increasingly complex?
His experience extends to education, public administration, regional development and social entrepreneurship. At Wagner & Company, he worked intensively on governance and the development of directors and supervisors, including from the Postgraduate Governance Training for Supervisory Board Members. As a city councilor, member of the States and group chairman, he gained experience with framing, control, public decision-making and weighing social interests.
Currently, Sander is director of Praktijkschool De Bolster and independent chairman of the Social Coalition Regio Deal Het Hogeland. From ClaassenConnect, he advises and guides directors, organizations and partnerships on issues related to governance, leadership, strategy and collaboration.
Sustainable leadership
In his work, Sander develops a vision of sustainable leadership in which values, relationships and system dynamics are connected.
Complex social issues rarely have one optimal solution. Directors and leaders are constantly moving between different interests and perspectives: between short-term results and longer-term value, between system logic and human relationships, between what is needed here and what choices elsewhere or for future generations mean.
From that idea, governance is not only about structures, rules and responsibilities. It is also about making explicit and legitimizing choices. What values are at stake? Who is affected by a decision? What effects arise in the short and long term? What uncertainties play a role? And how do we make choices understandable and responsible for the people who have to deal with them?
Sustainable leadership therefore requires more than accelerating, controlling and optimizing. It requires the ability to endure tension, to bring together different perspectives, to give space for contradiction and to give direction from trust when the outcome has not yet been determined.
Within ClaassenConnect, this is developed from five coherent dimensions: ethical leadership, serving leadership, community-oriented leadership, resilience and reflection. Together they form a framework for leadership in complex social systems.
Connecting theory and practice
The ideas of ClaassenConnect arise in the interaction between theory and practice. Sander connects insights from governance, public administration, leadership and organizational science with experiences from education, public administration, regional cooperation and civil society organizations.
His Indian-Dutch background and his years of involvement with Sulawesi have also deepened this vision. From Nederland–Indonesie Connect, he builds cooperation between governments, knowledge institutions, civil society organizations and companies in the northern Netherlands and Indonesia. This brings together different administrative traditions, cultural perspectives and views on community and leadership.
The question behind these different activities remains the same:
How do we organize together responsibility for sustainable social value?
About us
Sarah Smith
As a partner at ClaassenConnect, I support organizations in the semi-public and public domains from various perspectives, always tailored to the specific project and client. This ensures my approach is always tailored to your specific needs.
In recent years, I have worked independently on a variety of assignments, including acting Director of Operations, interim manager, strategic advisor, and process supervisor at educational and government organizations.
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Before that, I held various management and consultancy roles in the financial and public sectors. This broad background allows me to move effortlessly between management, executive management, and implementation, bridging the gap between strategy and practice.
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My strength lies in developing a clear strategy, translating it to all levels of the organization, and working together towards concrete results, with calm and structure as a foundation. I believe that true impact is created where vision and execution intersect, and where professionals feel heard and seen.
Julia Pupella
Julia is an associate of ClaassenConnect and plays a key role in strengthening our international collaboration in Indonesia, with a specific focus on Makassar, Sulawesi, and the wider ASEAN region.
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In her capacity as Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Makassar, Julia operates within a strategic hub in Southeast Asia. Makassar serves as a gateway to Eastern Indonesia and is rapidly developing as a connector to emerging ASEAN markets. Within this dynamic context, she brings together governments, knowledge institutions, and businesses, initiating sustainable partnerships that align international ambitions with local needs.
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At ClaassenConnect, Julia contributes to the further development of the Netherlands–Indonesia Connect. Her work focuses on sectors that are strategically important to the Netherlands internationally, including Agri & Food, Water & Maritime, Life Sciences & Health, and Education & Knowledge Development. She translates these domains into concrete collaborations and initiatives in Sulawesi and across the ASEAN region, combining economic opportunity with societal impact.
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Julia’s strength lies in her ability to connect international networks with regional ecosystems. In particular, she contributes to positioning the Northern Netherlands as a relevant partner in Eastern Indonesia. The Groningen region—known for its expertise in agricultural innovation, water management, energy transition, landscape development, and knowledge institutions—serves as a strong foundation for collaboration.
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This connection creates new opportunities for knowledge exchange, economic cooperation, and sustainable regional development. Key themes include climate adaptation, food security, nature-inclusive development, and future-proof healthcare and education—challenges that are both urgent and shared across Northern Netherlands and Indonesia.
Julia navigates seamlessly between diplomacy, policy, entrepreneurship, and local communities.
With her international network, diplomatic sensitivity, and focus on sustainable development, she strengthens ClaassenConnect’s position as a bridge-builder between Northern Netherlands and Southeast Asia.
