David van Noort
“Stop firefighting. Start leading.”
About David
David guides organizations, management teams, and boards through complex change challenges at the intersection of strategy, leadership, and execution.
As a certified Leading with Obeya (LWO) Specialist I, he helps organizations create more focus, ownership, and cohesion through powerful steering dialogues and visual portfolio management.
With over 20 years of experience as a Lean Master Black Belt and Six Sigma Black Belt — gained at ABN AMRO, Nationale Nederlanden, De Nederlandsche Bank, Deutsche Bank, HSBC Private Bank, and de Volksbank, among others — David combines the structure of Lean and Agile with a strong people-centered approach. For example, he led the Agile transformation at ABN AMRO Clearing Bank and worked as a Senior Lean Transformation Coach at de Volksbank. Additionally, throughout his career, he has provided numerous Lean training courses, ranging from White Belt to Black Belt level.
People First as the foundation for sustainable development
Vision on leadership and change
He believes that sustainable change arises when people find their True North — improving not only processes, but also leadership, collaboration, and behavior. This conviction was reinforced during two study trips to Japan, including visits to Toyota and Nissan and a meeting with former Senator Katsuhiko Eguchi, a close associate of Konosuke Matsushita (founder of Panasonic, seen in Japan as the “god of management”) for 23 years. His lesson was simple: People First. The results will follow.
Additionally, David is a Licensed Professional Coach and certified in Deep Democracy (Yellow Belt), through which he supports teams in identifying and breaking down underlying patterns that reinforce or hinder change.
Participants and clients appreciate him as an open trainer and coach with extensive knowledge and good practical examples — striking a good balance between humor and sharpness, and radiating calm.
Core qualities
- Passion for people — enjoys supporting people in their growth and working together to achieve the best result for the client
- Open demeanor, with high energy and a positive work attitude that motivates teams to get started and continuously improve
- Strong communication skills — tries to understand first, then be understood.
- Result-oriented and determined — fully committed to achieving set goals
- Analytical and pragmatic — translates difficult situations into solvable problems
A selection of our clients
Experiences & certificate
- Obeyas set up at Aegon, ASR, SVB, Stedin, DICTU, Essent, Police, and Customs
- Five years Release Train Engineer (SAFe), extensive experience in portfolio management
- Certified trainer in Leading with Obeya and the Obeya Association Six Panels
- Author of a trade article on Obeya in combination with SAFe
Typical assignments
- Strategy execution and portfolio management with Obeya (QBR)
- Leadership development
- Lean and Agile transformation
- Coaching of management and executive teams
- Setting up (lean) operational management and process improvement
- Change management in complex, rule-driven organizations
In conversation with David?
Curious if David is the right coach or interim leader for your challenge? Schedule a no-obligation consultation.