Adaptive Crisis Strategy

Prof. dr. Rick Aalbers is Full Professor of Corporate Restructuring and Innovation at Radboud University, Netherlands. His work focuses on how organizations confront upheaval, resolve internal tensions, and unlock innovation under pressure. Widely published, his work appeared in leading journals including Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Research Policy, and Long Range Planning, bridging academic insight with practical relevance for executives facing crisis situations. Previously a manager at Deloitte, and currently a supervisory board member at a national healthcare provider and volunteer firefighter, he is actively involved in guiding organizations of varying scale during strategic and operational crises. Arjan Groen is a veteran of high-stakes corporate transformation. As former Head of M&A at Wolters Kluwer and later Senior Partner at EY, he has led more than 120 complex restructurings, often during critical moments of financial or strategic instability. A three-time President’s Award winner, Arjan specializes in aligning leadership, navigating fractured organizations, and executing turnaround strategies under extreme pressure. Dr. Killian McCarthy is Associate Professor of Strategy at Radboud University, Netherlands, and Full Professor of Practice at the Kyiv School of Economics, Ukraine. His research focuses on how firms create, sustain, and renew value under conditions of uncertainty, disruption, and crisis. Killian’s work has appeared in leading scientific journals as well as high-impact practitioner journals. Alongside his academic roles, Killian leads an EU-funded project developing a roadmap for Ukraine’s reconstruction, supervises executive research on innovation and reorganisation at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, serves on a variety of supervisory and advisory boards, and works through his own advisory practice, bridging academic insight with practical relevance for advisors, executives, and organizations facing strategic change.

In an age defined by constant disruption, true leadership is not about avoiding crises but about transforming them into opportunities for growth and resilience. This book serves as an essential enabler for leaders ready to embrace that challenge.- Réjean Boudreau, Senior HR and Leadership ConsultantAdaptive Crisis Strategy shows that successful leaders do things differently. One of its key lessons is that strong counter-speech isn’t just nice to have - it’s vital for resilience when the pressure is on. - Klaas Knot, President & Govenor of the Dutch Central Bank (2011-2025)An essential read before crisis strikes.- Jeroen van der Veer, former CEO of Shell and Chair of Philips and ING GroupLeadership is the art of dealing with crisis. Aalbers, McCarthy and Groen unpack the why and how of crisis management in a masterful way. If you want to be better prepared when crisis strikes, this is the book to read.- Sotirios Paroutis, Full Professor and Head of Strategy & International Business Group, University of WarwickThe authors translate crisis experience into actionable insight for executives facing complexity, pressure, and rapid change. - Prof. dr. Jaap Winter, Chair of Royal Schiphol Group and Professor of Law and GovernanceNavigate the space between doubt and conviction—the 7C Model is an essential tool for leaders in a turbulent world. - Dr. Erik van de Loo, Affiliate Professor of Organisational Behaviour, INSEAD

• Chapter 1 Commencement . Chapter 2 Contingency. Chapter 3 Clarity. Chapter 4 Coordination. Chapter 5 Compassion. Chapter 6 Confrontation. Chapter 7 Control. Chapter 8 Continuation. Chapter 9 Conclusion.