Erik de Haan

Erik de Haan is a Full Professor of Organisation Development & Coaching at the School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He holds ancillary roles as Director of Ashridge’s Centre for Coaching (UK) and Programme Director for the MSc in Executive Coaching. With a PhD in psychophysics from Utrecht University and an MA in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy from the Tavistock Clinic, his expertise spans organisational consulting, executive coaching, and emotional dynamics in teams.

His research focuses on real-world consulting practices, combining qualitative studies with outcome-based analyses. Key contributions include over 150 articles and 16 books such as The Leadership Shadow and Critical Moments in Executive Coaching. He edits journals including Consulting Psychology Journal and Tijdschrift voor Coaching.

• Education: Theoretical Physics (Amsterdam), PhD Psychophysics (Utrecht), MA Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (Tavistock Clinic)
• Key Focus Areas: Leadership hubris, organisational politics, supervision methodologies, and evidence-based coaching

His recent work emphasizes meta-analytic approaches to coaching effectiveness and ethical decision-making in healthcare contexts. Awards include the EMCC European Research Award (2019) and a shared Best Article Award (2020).

De Haan’s advisory work bridges academic and practical domains, with contributions to executive education programmes and collaborative research projects across Europe and beyond.