What Talent naar de Top does

Talent naar de Top is a Dutch non-profit foundation (Stichting) established in 2007 and headquartered in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, focused on advancing gender and cultural diversity in senior leadership across Dutch organizations. The foundation operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including the Charter (a signatory commitment by 300+ Dutch organizations), the Monitor (a benchmarking and measurement instrument that added cultural-diversity dimensions in 2017), Cross Mentoring (covering 50+ companies with a Cross Cultural Mentoring extension), Boardroom Coaching, the Executive Search Code, and Custom Training. It also runs recognized Dutch executive-recognition brands, Topvrouw van het Jaar (merged into the foundation in 2022) and the Young Talent Award.

The organization is staffed by 27 employees and serves primarily Dutch enterprises, executive search firms, and senior female and culturally diverse professionals. Its core technology surface is light: the Charter and Monitor function as membership- and benchmarking-oriented platforms rather than software products, supported by standard web infrastructure. Business model revenue derives from two streams — annual Charter subscriptions/memberships from signatory organizations, and professional services revenue from training, events, mentoring program fees, and executive coaching engagements, with pricing conducted on a quote/contract basis per engagement.

Strategically, the foundation has pursued a programmatic consolidation path, absorbing Opportunity in Bedrijf (2017) and Topvrouw van het Jaar (2022), broadening its inclusion agenda from gender to cultural diversity, and partnering with Radboud Management Academy in 2025 to extend its executive training reach. Governance is overseen by a board chaired since April 2023 by Choy van der Hooft-Cheong. The organization operates exclusively within the Netherlands and has no disclosed funding rounds, consistent with its non-profit foundation structure.

Name

Talent naar de Top

Legal name

Stichting Talent naar de Top

Website

https://talentnaardetop.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Talent naar de Top is a Dutch non-profit foundation operating since 2007 that advances gender and cultural diversity in Dutch senior leadership through Charter signatory commitments, benchmarking, mentoring, executive coaching, and award programs serving 300+ organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversity and Inclusion Consulting

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

DEI, Inclusive Leadership & Cultural Intelligence Coaching (EDABANAJ), Leadership Potential, High-Potential & Succession Assessments (BPACAMAH)

Keywords

• Diversity consulting services
• Inclusion training programs
• Executive mentoring programs
• Corporate diversity monitoring
• Boardroom coaching services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amstelveen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charter & Monitor Membership: Annual membership contribution from organizations that sign the Charter Talent naar de Top, committing to gender and cultural diversity targets. Membership includes access to the Monitor tracking system and the broader organizational network.
2. Cross Mentoring Program Fees: Annual contribution from aangesloten (member) organizations includes participation in the Cross Mentoring year program, which pairs mentees with mentors cross-company.
3. Boardroom Coaching Program: Annual exclusive coaching program for female executive potentials, delivered in partnership with top executives. ~50 participants (25 duos) per program year. Quote-based pricing.
4. Customized Training Programs: In-house training on diversity and inclusion topics (unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, intercultural effectiveness, psychological safety, HR's role in D&I, authentic leadership, effective mentoring) tailored to client objectives, group size, and D&I maturity.
5. Executive Search Code Monitoring: Annual monitoring of executive search bureaus that sign the Executive Search Code, tracking their contributions to diversity in top appointments. Signatory search firms pay to participate in the code and monitoring framework.
6. Topvrouw van het Jaar Event: Annual election and award ceremony for Topvrouw van het Jaar and the Young Talent Award, generating nominations, ticket sales, and sponsorship interest.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Talent naar de Top is a Dutch non-profit foundation that helps organizations improve gender (m/v) and cultural diversity in leadership through the Charter & Monitor commitment and tracking system, Cross Mentoring, Boardroom Coaching, and the Executive Search Code. It also delivers customized training programs on unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, intercultural effectiveness, psychological safety, and HR's role in D&I, plus the annual Topvrouw van het Jaar recognition election. Services are sold to large Dutch corporations, government bodies, and executive search firms through annual memberships and program fees.

Product overview

Talent naar de Top is a diversity and inclusion accelerator and advisory firm operating a platform of interconnected programs. The core offerings include the Charter & Monitor system for goal-setting and progress tracking, the Cross Mentoring and Boardroom Coaching programs for talent development, the Executive Search Code for recruitment practices, and custom training programs. The portfolio also includes the Topvrouw van het Jaar awards and Young Talent Award as recognition platforms. The Masterclass Diversiteit & Inclusie is delivered in partnership with Radboud Management Academy. These products work together as a comprehensive ecosystem: organizations commit via the Charter, develop talent through mentoring and coaching programs, train staff via custom programs, and participate in award recognition, all monitored through the annual Monitor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Topvrouw van het Jaar: Annual award election recognizing female executives in Dutch companies as role models, including the Young Talent Award for women under 31
• Cross Mentoring
• Boardroom Coaching
• Charter & Monitor
• Executive Search Code
• Young Talent Award

Products and services

• Charter & Monitor A commitment program where organizations set diversity targets for gender and/or cultural representation. The Monitor tracks annual progress through quantitative and qualitative metrics, including inclusion measurement since 2021. Designed for Dutch corporations and government bodies seeking to set and meet measurable D&I goals.
• Cross Mentoring A one-year cross-company mentoring program that pairs mentees with mentors based on profile and development needs. Includes Cross Cultural Mentoring as an integrated component. Over 50 companies participate annually with approximately 200 mentees and mentors.
• Boardroom Coaching An exclusive annual program pairing female executive potentials with top executives for coaching. Includes 4 one-on-one sessions and peer group networking over one year, with approximately 50 participants (25 duos) per program year. Designed for women targeting boardroom and C-suite roles.
• Executive Search Code A code of conduct for executive search firms committing to nine principles for diverse recruitment, including selection on both masculine and feminine qualities, minimum woman percentages for candidate lists, and annual monitoring. Designed for Dutch executive search firms.
• Trainingen op Maat (Custom Training) Customized training programs on topics including unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, intercultural effectiveness, psychological safety, and authentic empowerment. Delivered by expert trainers with expertise in diversity and inclusion facilitation. Tailored to client objectives, group size, and D&I maturity.
• Masterclass Diversiteit & Inclusie Masterclass on Diversity & Inclusion developed in partnership with Radboud Management Academy. Provides insights and tools to advance D&I topics in organizations within a short timeframe.
• Topvrouw van het Jaar (Top Woman of the Year) Annual award election recognizing female executives as role models, held every September. The jury evaluates courage, ambition, and leadership style alongside results. Three finalists are selected from a shortlist and present personally to the jury.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of Cross Mentoring participants take one or more career steps after program completion
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Radboud Management AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Talent naar de Top co-develops and co-delivers a Masterclass Diversiteit & Inclusie with Radboud Management Academy (part of Radboud University). The masterclass provides participants with insights and tools to advance diversity and inclusion in their organizations within a short timeframe.
• Topvrouw van het JaarflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022In October 2022, Stichting Topvrouw van het Jaar and Talent naar de Top merged their organizations to strengthen their shared mission of making the top of Dutch organizations more diverse and inclusive. The annual Topvrouw van het Jaar election (held since 2005) and related programs are now operated under the combined organization. Louise van Nispen serves as Bestuursvoorzitter (Chair) of Topvrouw van het Jaar within the combined structure.
• Opportunity in BedrijfcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Opportunity in Bedrijf (founded 1996) was merged into Talent naar de Top in 2017, expanding the organization's scope to include explicit focus on cultural diversity in addition to gender (m/v) diversity. The Monitor was also updated to reflect both dimensions.
• Executive Search Code Signatory Firms (Korn Ferry, Schaekel, Stanton Chase, Ten Executive Search, Spencer Stuart, Beteor, Confius Executive Search, Castanho Executive, Berenschot, Partners at Work, TEN Executive Search, Bosch & Partners, Holtrop Raveel & Oosterhoff, Bosman & Vos, Perrett Laver, NR Search, Chassé, N2Growth, Women in Technics, Kienbaum, Movimento, Vroom & Den Dame, Wesselo, WHYZ, Maes & Lunau, Femela Capital, RO Executive Search, ADJ Executive Search, Odgers Berndtson, Dicke Roell Breedveld, Talent Performance, Boyden, Egon Zehnder, Brightlinck Executive Search)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSince 2015, executive search firms that sign the Executive Search Code commit to nine principles for diverse recruitment in top appointments — including selecting on both masculine and feminine qualities, striving for minimum women percentages on candidate lists, and demonstrating measurable improvement in diversity at top level. Annual monitoring provides transparency on each firm's contribution to diversity in executive appointments. Signatory firms are recognized with the Executive Search Award.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Seramount: Membership-based D&I advisory organization (formerly Diversity Best Practices) serving large employers with benchmarking, training, and inclusion programs. Directly comparable to Talent naar de Top in offering subscription-based D&I benchmarking, training, and member-network services to enterprise clients, primarily in the US.
• Working Mother Media: Media and research organization running the Working Mother 100 Best Companies benchmark and related D&I recognition programs. Comparable to Talent naar de Top's Topvrouw van het Jaar awards and Charter/Monitor benchmarking model — both use public recognition lists and corporate benchmarking to drive D&I progress among member organizations.
• 30% Club: Global campaign-driven organization with a Netherlands chapter focused on achieving at least 30% women on corporate boards and senior leadership. Highly comparable to Talent naar de Top's boardroom-focused gender diversity mission, with similar advocacy, monitoring, and member-organization network model.
• Catalyst: Global non-profit membership organization advancing women in the workplace through research, benchmarks, and inclusion-focused programming. Closely mirrors Talent naar de Top's charter/membership model, monitoring frameworks, and employer-facing D&I advisory work, though Catalyst operates at global rather than national scale.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Creative Leadership: Global leadership development research and training provider offering inclusive leadership, mentoring, and executive coaching programs. Comparable to Talent naar de Top's customized training and Boardroom Coaching offerings, though operates at global scale across many leadership themes beyond D&I.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership consulting firm with a dedicated D&I practice and board diversity advisory. Comparable to Talent naar de Top's executive-search-adjacent work (Executive Search Code, Boardroom Coaching), but serves global clients as part of a much broader consulting portfolio.
• Korn Ferry: Global executive search and organizational consulting firm with established DE&I advisory services including diverse candidate slates and leadership advisory. Comparable to the Executive Search Code monitoring and Boardroom Coaching aspects of Talent naar de Top's work, though Korn Ferry operates at global scale as part of a broader portfolio.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with diversity and inclusion commitments integrated into its search and board advisory practice. Comparable as a signatory and participant in the Executive Search Code, but broader in scope than Talent naar de Top's specialized Dutch D&I focus.
• McKinsey & Company (Diversity & Inclusion practice): Global management consulting firm with a sizable Diversity & Inclusion practice offering corporate D&I strategy, measurement, and capability-building. Comparable to Talent naar de Top's advisory and training offerings, but as a broader incumbent serving cross-industry clients globally rather than specializing in the Dutch D&I ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Center for Talent Innovation: Research-driven non-profit focused on D&I benchmarking, talent risk studies, and corporate advisory. Comparable in its research-and-benchmarking orientation to Talent naar de Top's Monitor and Charter framework, but smaller scale and primarily US-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/talentnaardetop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Talent naar de Top