About Us

Habilis knows what it takes. For more than 25 years, we have successfully brought organisations, candidates and talent together within the manufacturing and process industries. We do this through our Executive Search, Recruitment & Selection, Interim Management and RPO services. Four disciplines with one shared mission: to strengthen organisations for the long term by bringing the right people into the right positions. No socially desirable answers, but genuine commitment, clear communication and a pragmatic approach.

Our mission is to strengthen organisations and support the sustainable career development of highly qualified professionals by providing reliable, ethical and tailored advice. We successfully connect candidates and organisations for both permanent and interim positions at management, director and executive level within the manufacturing and process industries, both nationally and internationally.

Habilis’ strength lies in its people. Passionate and committed professionals who are not afraid to take a critical look at themselves, believe there is always room for improvement and refuse to settle for less. Every day, we build long-term partnerships where ambitions come together and both people and organisations grow stronger, across all our services.

Based in Eindhoven, we work with organisations in the manufacturing and process industries across the Netherlands and internationally. Our consultants combine recruitment expertise with in-depth knowledge of management, organisations and industrial markets. This combination enables us to understand both the specific requirements of a role and the broader organisational context, allowing us to contribute as a knowledgeable partner at a senior level.

Bert-Jan IJpelaar

Senior Consultant | Partner

☎ +31 6 54 98 86 45 ✉ ijpelaar@habilis.nl in LinkedIn

After my internship, I joined the manufacturing industry as an HR professional, where I gained more than eight years of experience in various line management positions within the glass industry. In 1999, I founded Habilis Mens & Organisatie, which started as a consultancy firm specialising in HR-related issues but soon shifted its focus towards recruitment and interim management.

More than 25 years later, I’m still full of energy, spending my days having meaningful conversations with clients to really get to know their organisations and ultimately help them define the right profile for a position.

I also work closely with candidates, helping them understand the story behind the organisation. Of course, these conversations are about work, but above all, they are about what drives people, the type of organisation they do or don’t fit into and the kind of role they are looking for.

Mario van Bambost

Senior Consultant | Partner

☎ +31 6 53 10 09 76 ✉ vanbambost@habilis.nl in LinkedIn

After 40 years in HR, there’s one thing I know for certain: success starts with the right people. I spent the first twenty years of my career in the corporate world at C-level, right at the heart of the dynamics of large organisations.

For the past twenty years, I’ve been helping to build Habilis. During that time, I’ve developed a strong understanding of family-owned businesses, both their strengths and the complexities that make each one unique. Clients appreciate my calm and thoughtful approach. I don’t believe in sending CVs for the sake of speed. I believe in understanding the question behind the vacancy, listening carefully and having meaningful conversations with both clients and candidates.

That approach is at the heart of how we work at Habilis. We know our candidates. We understand the organisations we work with. And we take the time to bring the two together in a way that lasts.

Because the right match starts with truly understanding both sides.

Peter-Paul Dings

Senior Consultant | Partner

☎ +31 6 53 48 73 77 ✉ dings@habilis.nl in LinkedIn

With more than 20 years of experience in senior HR roles within the manufacturing industry, I’ve learned to look at a match from both sides. I understand what an organisation needs, but also what professionals are looking for in their careers. Having worked closely with many different organisations over the years, I quickly get a sense of how a company operates, its culture and the people and qualities that will genuinely fit.

My connection with Habilis goes back well before I became a partner in 2017. I was a client of Habilis for ten years, so I experienced our way of working first-hand. The authenticity of Habilis, combined with its personal, committed and entrepreneurial approach, reflects exactly how I like to work.

Bob IJpelaar

Consultant | Partner

☎ +31 6 24 32 15 21 ✉ bobijpelaar@habilis.nl in LinkedIn

My journey with Habilis started in 2015, during the second year of my HRM studies, and I stayed actively involved with the organisation throughout my studies.

In 2022, Philippe and I launched Habilis Evolution, focusing on professionals who are ready to take the next, or even third, step in their careers. Three years later, in 2025, I became a partner at Habilis.

My work today mainly revolves around RPO and Recruitment & Selection, but technology and innovation are also an important part of what drives me. I’m particularly interested in how the labour market continues to evolve and how AI and other technologies can make recruitment processes smarter and more effective.

Philippe Cleutjens

Consultant | Partner

☎ +31 6 26 92 98 25 ✉ philippecleutjens@habilis.nl in LinkedIn

My journey with Habilis started in 2016, while I was still a student. After gaining experience at Michael Page, I returned to Habilis in January 2022. Together with Bob, I saw an opportunity to respond to a growing need among our clients: finding highly educated professionals at entry and mid-career level. That idea became Evolution, which has since developed into our Recruitment & Selection service alongside Interim Management and Executive Search.

In 2025, I became a partner at Habilis. Besides recruitment, I’m responsible for marketing and always looking for ways to move Habilis forward, whether through new initiatives, fresh ideas or by modernising the way we work.