Maartje Van Krieken

Maartje van Krieken is a fractional CEO, COO, and CSO who brings calm, structure, and momentum to organizations navigating turbulence. She specializes in helping mid- to upper mid-market B2B companies regain stability and alignment after rapid growth, strategic pivots, or organizational strain driven by value.

Maartje has led the delivery of billion-dollar complex global initiatives, with project teams numbering in the hundreds, operating across continents, in frontier environments with complex governance and partnerships. She spend 20+ years in the international oil & gas industry, where she built deep expertise in strategy execution, risk management, facilitating complex decision making and cross-cultural leadership through projects and operations from Scotland to Eastern Russia, India to Iraq and Bakersfield to Pittsburgh.

Today, she applies that same discipline and systems thinking to businesses that have outgrown their early structures or are struggling to convert potential into recognized value. Her clients span energy transition, advanced manufacturing, technology, professional services, and public-private sectors—from hydrogen fuel-cell ventures and oil-field service firms to human-services networks and government master-planning projects.

Accredited as an Executive Coach, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, HR and Supply Chain professional, Maartje integrates strategic, operational, and people lenses in every engagement. She holds an MSc in Innovation Management and is Red Cross & FEMA-trained in disaster response; experience that underpins her steady leadership style and her ability to bring order to high-pressure, high-stakes environments. Maartje hosts The Business Emergency Room podcast, providing value through practical tools and tactics to her global audience weekly, showcasing her elaborate referral network.

Beyond consulting, Maartje holds several international commercial advisory board positions, is an active angel investor and startup advisor. A former franchise owner herself, she understands firsthand the realities of entrepreneurship, exit planning, and scaling under uncertainty.

Her clients, CEOs, organizational leaders, boards, and investors, typically call her when they can no longer ignore the internal noise. The business may be sound, but leadership relationships, governance, or execution have become strained. Maartje’s first step is always to rebuild trust and rhythm: reconnecting C-suite, board, and operational layers so the organization can make clear decisions, execute effectively, and be valued for what it truly is.

Her approach is pragmatic, energetic, and no-nonsense. She blends analytical rigor with hands-on delivery, helping leadership teams re-establish decision resilience and operational confidence without adding bureaucracy. Colleagues describe her as a “strategic first responder” able to diagnose fast, steady the system, and turn overload into coordinated progress.

Based in New Orleans, Maartje works across the U.S. and internationally. Whether stabilizing a scaling startup, aligning an investor-backed manufacturer, or guiding a board through complex transformation, she brings a rare mix of global perspective, operational realism, and human insight; delivering clarity and traction when organizations need it most.