Magrita Noordmans facilitates peer groups across a wide range of professional areas – from Procurement and Sales to Innovation, Sustainability, and Operations. What connects her work across these groups is a consistent ability to move conversations from the surface to what’s really going on – and to create a room where that feels safe.
Magrita says:
My background is in traffic engineering, and from there I built a career in Sales and Business Development, program management, and co-founded a startup. That path gave me a hands-on understanding of how organisations actually work – the decisions, the pressures, the things that keep leaders up at night. When a member comes in saying “my team isn’t taking ownership,” I don’t take that at face value. I might ask: “What are you doing – or not doing – that could be contributing to this?” or “What are you afraid might happen if you give them more space?” For me, the real work starts when we move away from the problem as it’s first presented and start exploring the assumptions behind it. That’s where peer-to-peer learning truly begins.
The atmosphere in my peer groups flows freely – there’s structure, but also laughter and energy, and people genuinely listen to each other. I don’t use the same format every time, because each group has its own DNA. My operations leaders, for example, love a long opening round where everyone shares where they are – it helps them spot connections themselves. I also use an image card game where members pick a card that matches their mood and explain why. It sounds simple, but it consistently opens up stories and reflections that a direct question never would. I try to read the mood of the day and adapt from there.
When the network makes a difference
I became a Chair because I am genuinely curious about people – their professional challenges and their personal growth. I always leave meetings feeling inspired myself. Asking questions gives something to the group, but I get a great deal back in return. It pulls you out of your own bubble and exposes you to perspectives and experiences you wouldn’t encounter otherwise. What I find most rewarding is hearing a member say at the end of a meeting: “I can’t have this kind of conversation anywhere else – and it helps me make better decisions.” The topics that land on the table are real and varied: a difficult new boss, budget cuts with major consequences, a career crossroads at a certain age, a company acquisition, new regulations, and complex business dilemmas. Knowing that the peer group is the place where people can bring all of that – and leave with more clarity – that’s exactly why I do this.