Anne Marie Magis (60) started her career as a trainee at ABN AMRO. Three decades later, she sat at the board table, led large-scale digital transformations and represented the bank in discussions with regulators. Today, she has chosen Summiteers – the advisory firm that brings strategy to life. Why? A conversation with Anne Marie and co-founder Dolf L’Ortye about courage, curiosity and timing.

From boardroom to advisory table

Leaving a top role at a major bank for a young advisory firm is a move some would call unexpected. Anne Marie sees it differently.

“Life is short. Many people like to set a clear course and stick to it. For me, collecting experiences and continuously learning new things is what matters. I had learned what I needed to learn in the world of large corporates.”

“This feels like the final phase of my career,” she says. “But one that can still last quite a while. How great is it to be able to reinvent yourself one more time?”

Experience that matters

More than 25 years at ABN AMRO is not just a career; it is a library of experience. Anne Marie was HR Director during a period of major upheaval, led the introduction of agile working across the bank and, as Director of Digitalisation, shaped the innovation agenda. In her final role as Head of Strategy Execution, she led the bank’s entire change portfolio on behalf of the Executive Board and represented ABN AMRO at the ECB and DNB.

In addition, she is Vice Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Port of Amsterdam. In short: someone who knows how things work at the top.

From lunch to falling in love

The connection came about the way good things often do: through someone who knew both sides. Anne Marie: “I went for lunch with Jaap, a former colleague and a close friend of Dolf’s. He said: if you’re looking for something new, you should talk to Summiteers. A week later I was at the table with Dolf, Lidia and Paul.”

There was an immediate click. Still, it took eight months and three conversations before it became official. “I had just spent ten years working sixty to eighty hours a week. I needed some time to decompress.” Yet the conversation never really stopped. “We kept emailing, staying in touch. Until it was clear on both sides: we’re in love. And then you go for it.”

Dolf had known Anne Marie for some time. “During one of our training programmes she addressed a group on advisory skills. What stayed with me was not so much the content, but the humanity with which she delivered it. I remember thinking: I would work for her anytime.” Anne Marie laughs: “Now it’s the other way around.”

The right moment

Timing is everything. Summiteers was founded in 2017 and has grown steadily. Dolf: “When we were still a team of five, this would not have worked. As a company, you need to be ready for someone like Anne Marie. Now we are.”

What convinced Anne Marie? No endless assessments or procedures. “Four people who own their firm. Who, based on intuition and conversations, said: we dare to take on this adventure. That’s what I fell for.”

Strong experience, modest presence

In assignments, Anne Marie introduces herself with disarming modesty. Dolf: “That suits her, but she has done far more than ‘a few nice roles’. In the project we’re currently working on together, you really see it. Sometimes she shines a sidelight on an issue and you think: that’s it. A wealth of boardroom experience, combined with the curiosity to learn an entirely different craft. That’s incredibly valuable.”

For Anne Marie, the biggest shift is being a colleague again. “In recent years I was ‘the boss’: coach, leader, decision-maker, motivator. Now I can simply say: I don’t know, what do you think? I get inspired by colleagues. And the fact that many of them are younger than me makes it even more enjoyable.”

Challenging each other

That mix of experience and curiosity works both ways. Anne Marie: “I now work with a junior colleague. Sometimes he calls me and says: I’m struggling to interpret what happened here, can you help? From my background I can quickly place the dynamics. But when it comes to process design, I still have to stop and think. I help him understand the dynamics; he sharpens me on the process.”

Dolf recognises this internally as well. “Sometimes Anne Marie puts on her supervisory-board hat and asks questions about how things work here. Always politely, but very precisely. She often puts her finger exactly on the sore spot. It makes me reflect on our own organisation.”

Looking ahead

Where is this heading? Dolf is clear. “We want to be able to take on the complex strategic dossiers that others struggle with. To do that, we need to strengthen our execution power. Anne Marie is an important piece of that puzzle. It’s not about sector specialisation. It’s about building a team with the courage to tackle complex challenges.”

Anne Marie looks around. “I’m genuinely impressed by what the young people here are capable of and by the professional way everything is organised. At the same time, it’s completely different from the large consulting firms. I find that incredibly refreshing.”

Asked what drives them, they give the same answer: doing great work with great people. Not coincidentally, that has been the Summiteers philosophy from day one.

Want to know more?

For more information, contact Summiteers via info@summiteers.nl or +31 30 276 91 13.

‍