Dutch organisational consultancy Corion expands into Chile

The boutique Dutch consultancy Corion has opened its first office outside of The Netherlands. The firm chose to forgo the obvious routes into European powerhouses Belgium, Germany or the United Kingdom, instead opting to expand into Latin America. David Allendes Cordes, a Chilean local, will head Corion's new office in Santiago de Chile as partner and attempt to gain a stronghold in the Chilean market.

Corion was founded in 2006 by Jeroen van Maaren, who previosuly gained years of experience in IT consulting with Dutch consultancies Centric and Ordina. Over the past ten years, the company has developed into a successful organizational consultancy which specialises in both project management and strategic advice. Corion currently has approximately twenty professionals which work in both the public and private sectors.

When consulting firms push for international expansion, they typically look closer to home. Examples from The Netherlands include VOWD, a marketing consultancy firm which opened its first office abroad in Brussels, Belgium, and Innopay, which selected Frankfurt in Germany as the base for its international expansion. Meanwhile, UK-headquartered Eden McCallum picked Amsterdam and Zurich as the hubs for its second and third office respectively.

However, as Van Maaren explained, the decision for a trans-atlantic expansion had some logic behind it. "The added value of European advice commonly increases as you move further away from home. And given my relationship with Chile, this was an excellent opportunity.” He continued; ”I have lived in Chile for some time, and since my return to the Netherlands in 1990, I have dreamed of reconnecting with the country." Around 25 years down the line, his dream of returning to the country has now become reality. "I am extremely proud that our professional and personal ambitions are so intertwined," said Van Maaren.

According to both Cortes and Van Maaren, the local consultancy market offers substantial opportunities for success. Chile has seen two decades of stable economic growth due to the country’s "strong institutions, investment in profitable emerging industries and precious metal mining."

"The leadership and management philosophy of Chile has not grown in sync, and we therefore see opportunities in this area," said Van Maaren. He continued: "There are many opportunities, especially in medium and large companies and inside governmental organizations. These are often still highly hierarchical and there is still much unused potential among employees which can be activated. Corion will help organizations increase their productivity and implement change, among others."

Van Maaren describes the firm's unique approach as a “deeply human” one. Cortes recently experienced the practice first hand when he received training in the Netherlands. "I have had the opportunity to see how the firm works in the Netherlands, and to be able to experience its approach and methodology at a number of Corion's international clients." The duo are optimistic in what the future will bring: "We are confident that there are opportunities to leverage Corion's knowledge in Chile."