Dirk Ottenheym
Not a consultant. A wayfinder — someone who steps into the unknown and learns to navigate it from inside.
I work with professionals who left a career that worked — and now need orientation in the space between what was and what's next.
Why I do this
I've made the cut myself. More than once.
I've left functioning structures — roles, businesses, countries — not because they failed, but because they'd run their course. Each time, the decision was clear. What followed was not.
I know what it's like to walk away from something that looks good on paper and stand in the open with no title, no daily structure, and no ready answer to “so what do you do now?”
I also know that the disorientation is not the problem. It's the necessary passage. But it needs a counterpart — someone who holds the structure while you find the direction. That's what I do.
What I bring
Operational leadership
Built and managed teams. Run businesses. Held responsibility for people, money, and outcomes — in corporate structures and in my own ventures.
Outdoor expedition leadership
Certified in experiential education and outdoor training. Led groups through multi-day expeditions — canoe, hiking, wilderness settings.
Systemic & Gestalt training
Advanced training in systemic consulting and Gestalt-oriented approaches. Long-term practice in both 1:1 and group work.
Community building
Built intentional communities from scratch, in different countries, with different people. Structure where none existed.
Lived international experience
Germany, Portugal, Thailand, Vietnam. Rebuilt my own life across borders and cultures, each time with less baggage and more clarity.
Credentials
- Certified Experiential Educator
- Outdoor Trainer Certification — technical skills, group leadership, safety
- Advanced Training in Systemic Consulting & Gestalt-Based Approaches
- Silver Lifeguard (DLRG)
- Additional professional qualifications — documentation available on request
When you sit across from me, you're not talking to someone who read about career change in a textbook. You're talking to someone who has burned the ships, rebuilt from zero, made the mistakes, and learned what actually creates forward movement.
What I offer is not advice. It's orientation — a compass and clear coordinates. The kind that comes from having walked the terrain.
Work with me