The minds behind
the Business Puzzles series.

Robert van Pappelendam

Author — The Start-Up Puzzle & The Innovation Puzzle

After getting his Master's degree in Dutch Civil Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam, he built up over 30 years of experience in International Corporate Business Leadership roles and was simultaneously involved in various start-ups in FMCG, Luxury, and MedTech as a founder, advisor, and angel investor. He has been the commercial leader of well-recognized and awarded global brand and innovation programs. As a lifelong learner, he has always been fascinated to see organizations transform into unstoppable lions. Robert's core interest areas are Strategy, Innovation, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and New Business Development. Robert has become a bestselling and award-winning author and lecturer with his first research and publication, The Start-Up Puzzle.

Alan Maingot

Co-Author — The Innovation Puzzle

Matriculated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia and was awarded the prestigious Canadian Society of Chemical Industry Gold Medal. He spent 36 years in R&D at Procter & Gamble, with responsibilities across multiple categories. He was the global R&D Vice President (Chief R&D and Innovation Officer) for P&G's Global Oral Care, Global Family Care, Global Baby and Feminine Care, and Global Hair and Beauty Care, sitting on the CEO's multifunctional leadership teams leading innovation, innovation strategy, and delivery. Since 2019, he has been the Founder and CEO of Maingot & Kaw Innovation and Leadership Consulting, LLC, advising both start-ups and mid-to-large companies on innovation, innovation strategy, and effective innovation organizations.

Dr. Joris Meijaard

Academic Contributor — Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

Academic Director of the Department of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam. He graduated as an econometrist and obtained a PhD in Business Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Joris has more than 20 years of experience in economic and business policy research. In 2011, he founded research agency MIR, which specializes in innovation and company growth. Joris focuses on the development and evaluation of innovation and entrepreneurship policy, as well as entrepreneurship and new business development.

Dr. Juan Pablo Madiedo

Academic Contributor — Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

Associate Professor at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. He is a member of the Erasmus Center for Innovation and the Academic Director of RSM's MSc Management of Innovation Program. He obtained his PhD in Business Studies from IE Business School, IE University in Spain. Before joining RSM, Juan held positions at IE University in Spain and Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. In recent years, he has held a visiting scholar position at INCAE Business School in Costa Rica.