An organisation is a reflection of its people. Here we are.
Qi TEAM
Mette Kristine Oustrup
CEO & Founder
Mette Kristine Oustrup is the founder of Qi Global, a global network of innovators. A graduate in International Business and Marketing, Kristine originally joined the start-up phase of fashion group St Martins and later went to Hong Kong as Head of Special Projects for global lifestyle brand DIESEL. Her next adventure, as co-founder of the French trend agency Style-Vision in 2001, involved working with high-profile brands such as Chanel, Philips Design and Firmenich, while building bridges to other international trend agencies. Kristine invented the Style-Vision Round Table events held twice a year at the Grand Hotel Cap-Ferrat in the South of France, supported by the Financial Times newspaper. She also created the Mood Consumption Theory, later Elemental Experience Design (EED) merging Western and Asian thought and design processes into one flexible design and marketing tool. With her innovative ideas gaining more and more recognition in countries such France, USA and China, she was appointed “Goodwill Ambassador of Copenhagen” to represent and promote her country of birth.
Marieke van der Heijden
PROJECT LEADER – BIC
Marieke van der Heijden is the Project Leader for Building Innovation Culture (BIC), one of the projects currently being grown in the Garden of Qi. She started her career as a management trainee at TNT in the Netherlands where she worked for over five years in international logistics, corporate communication and business development. With her special interest in cross-cultural differences and her enthusiasm for corporate social responsibility, Marieke jumped at the opportunity to be sent out as a project manager for the United Nations in 2012, undertaking the WFP school feeding programme in rural areas of Malawi. Upon her return to Amsterdam, she initiated successful fundraising and awareness programmes within TNT and also taught primary school children on topics such as hunger and sustainability. Her expertise in project management, corporate communication and her curiosity for innovation and sustainability, as well as her energy and entrepreneurial drive, led her to Qi Global. Marieke holds a Masters degree in Communication and Information Sciences from the Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands). In addition, she studied courses in business management at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Cynthia Thane
SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING ASSOCIATE
Cynthia Thane is an intern who discovered Qi Global at the launch of the Urban Eco-Warriors. She is currently an undergraduate studying Accounting and Finance at the University of Exeter (UK). Although Cynthia grew up in Singapore, she was originally from Myanmar. With her concern and passion for the environment, she was motivated to join Qi global to contribute to a common cause. During her school days, she has led a group of friends as a project leader in fundraising and volunteering for the school for the orphans in Batam, Indonesia. Experiences from being a Vice-President of International Society in the University of Exeter allow her to be versatile and suitable for Qi’s programs and projects. She is thrilled to be part of the Qi team to help nurture innovative ideas for a brighter future.
Ellen van den Berg
CONTRIBUTING CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Ellen is a multimedia artist and designer with three years professional experience currently based in Singapore. A graduate in fine arts from Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, Ellen has also studied architecture, interior design and furniture design at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, and also has a degree in classical furniture upholstery. While she has recently started her own art and design consultancy firm, L Creative Consultancy, Ellen has previously worked as the manager of De Appel, a contemporary arts centre in Amsterdam, and was also the production assistant for creative industry events, such as the World Press Photo in Amsterdam. As a creative consultant, her added value lies in combining knowledge and skills in communication, design and implementation, and she is excited to bring her expertise to the growing Qi team. In addition, Ellen’s great admiration for people who work for a better world was the element that drew her to Qi, and she is keen to contribute, inspire and work together with different people towards this common goal.
