The Torqx team

We are a team of highly experienced and skilled professionals with a down-to-earth approach. Known for our sharp analyses, valuable insights, no-nonsense decision making and deep expertise in markets, business processes and execution.
To support our companies, we bring a network of world-class experts and strategic partners. Our mutual drive to build successful businesses has led to a track-record that is among the best in the investment industry.

Joris van Aken

Investment Manager

Previous experience
Torqx Capital Partners

Joris is Investment Manager at Torqx. He enjoys working with management teams and entrepreneurs to identify their strategic advantage and use this to achieve positive, long-lasting value. Joris is an enthusiastic problem-solver with a friendly and open-minded attitude.

Mountains
Joris started as Analyst directly after completing an internship at Torqx. Before joining Torqx, he gained experience as a researcher at the Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht and through an internship at a biotech scale-up in Sweden. Besides that, he was the manager of a start-up specialised in the repair and sales of Apple products. He holds an M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering (cum laude) from Delft University of Technology. Joris loves to spend time in the mountains skiing or mountaineering. Every summer and winter he can be found in the Alps doing so. He has a passion for cooking and currently lives in Amsterdam.

Laurent Blumberg

Investment Director

Previous experience
Peak Rock Capital, AEA Investors, Nomura

Laurent is Investment Director at Torqx. He has over 9 years of private equity and M&A experience during which he has closed several investments across Western Europe and North America. Laurent’s experience spans across a broad variety of industries including metal steel processing, industrial flow-control, automation, water treatment, paper mills, software services, food production and consumer packaging amongst others. He dealt with businesses facing all shapes or forms of complexity ranging from bankruptcy situations or complicated carve-outs to handling simultaneous execution of initiatives in fast growing companies. He uses a collaborative approach, and a down-to-earth can-do mentality to support great management teams in achieving extraordinary results.

Curiosity drives learning
Prior to joining Torqx, Laurent worked for US-based private equity funds, first at AEA Investors and later at Peak Rock Capital. Laurent started his career at Nomura (former Lehman Brothers) and graduated from Erasmus University in the Netherlands where he earned an M.Sc. degree in Financial Economics with additional studies at Harvard University and a M.Sc. degree in Economics (magna cum laude) at Antwerp University. If you catch him outside of work and he is not updating his mental (and sometimes random) statistics databook, he is probably reading a highly didactical book in a café or playing tennis or football. Laurent is happily married to a Spanish woman and is of course therefore continuously trying to improve his Spanish to add to his language repertoire.

Adriaan Bol

Investment Director

Previous experience
H2 Equity Partners

Adriaan is Investment Director at Torqx. He has been involved in a range of growth, buy-and-build and performance improvement investments and has developed extensive experience in the automotive and manufacturing sectors. Adriaan is results focused and has a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude.

Outdoor Sports
Prior to Torqx, Adriaan was an Associate at H2 Equity Partners. He previously gained experience through internships at Rothschild and PwC. He holds an M.Sc. in Financial Economics (cum laude) from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Adriaan lives in Amsterdam. He is an enthusiastic horse rider, likes to be outside and enjoys playing football.

Larissa Davidsz

Analyst

Previous experience
Nomura (Intern) & ING M&A (Intern)

Larissa is Analyst at Torqx. She is pro-active as well as quick to adapt to new situations and does not shy away from a challenge. As a real people person, Larissa likes to work in a team. She enjoys to partner up with management, identify new growth opportunities and develop a long-term value-creation plan.

Salsa
Prior to joining Torqx, Larissa gained experience through internships at Nomura Global Markets and ING Corporate Finance M&A. In addition, she worked as a private equity intelligence analyst at Gain.pro next to her studies. She holds an M.Sc. in Financial Economics from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. Larissa loves to spend her time in the mountains, either hiking or skiing. During her university’s exchange semester, she lived in South Korea and visited its neighbouring countries. Larissa also travelled through Central and South America where her passion for salsa dancing started.

Katherine de Kruiff

Analyst

Previous experience
Roland Berger (Intern)

Katherine is an Analyst at Torqx. She is eager to find new and challenging opportunities and enjoys working together with management teams to identify and implement key initiatives realizing the strategic potential of the company. Katherine is a pragmatic problem-solver with an energetic and positive mindset.

Kitesurfing
Katherine started as Analyst directly after completing an internship at Torqx. Before joining Torqx, she gained experience in consulting through internships at Roland Berger in Amsterdam and in The Middle East. She holds a M.Sc. in Business Analytics and Quantitative Marketing (cum laude) from the Erasmus School of Economics in Rotterdam. Katherine loves kitesurfing and recently spent a month kitesurfing in Aruba and Schiermonnikoog. She also likes running and ran her first marathon in Rotterdam in 2021.

Saskia de Rijk - Feenstra

Head of Finance

Previous experience
Orange Capital Partners, Deloitte

Saskia is Head of Finance at Torqx. She is a persistent problem solver, thrives on challenges and gets the job done.
Prior to Torqx Saskia worked as Director Finance at Orange Capital Partners and before that as an auditor at Deloitte where she obtained her qualification as a Dutch Chartered Accountant (RA). Saskia holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a master's degree in Accountancy from Tilburg University, as well as a post-master's degree in Auditing from Nyenrode Business University.

Explorer
Saskia lives in Naarden with her husband and two kids. She is always on the move, cooking new recipes, going on city trips, and spending time outdoors.

Harmen Geerts

Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer

Previous experience
H2 Equity Partners, Bain & Company, MeesPierson

Harmen is Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer at Torqx. He has realized a broad range of successful investments. From a buy-and-build in ironmongery distribution to a transformation in the paper industry. From a step-change performance improvement in automotive products to growth investments in highly innovative businesses. Harmen is a strategist and likes working with management teams and entrepreneurs to help build strong market leaders in their space. Harmen is no-nonsense, pragmatic and action oriented. He has an eye for business opportunities and knows how to build organizational momentum to capture these.

Sail the world
Prior to Torqx, Harmen was Partner at H2 Equity Partners and Bain & Company. He started his career at MeesPierson in corporate finance and capital markets. He holds an M.Sc. degree in Econometrics from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. He is married, has three kids and lives in Hilversum. Harmen has a passion for watersports and aircooled cars. His dream is to sail the world together with his wife and friends.

Ilse Gulpen-Spek

Office manager

Previous experience
Bain & Company, PVH, McKinsey, EQT Partners and Credit Suisse

Ilse has a broad experience as an Executive Assistant at various companies that are active in, among other things, business and financial services. Ilse has always had a preference for a professional and challenging environment. Her passion lies in supporting the business and its team, and making an active contribution to achieve the maximum result cooperatively.

Bodypump
Ilse obtained a Bachelor in Business Administration from the Hotel School The Hague, where she learned to think in a service-oriented and entrepreneurial way. Ilse lives in Bussum, together with her husband and son. She is very sportive and likes to make others enthusiastic about sports, that's why she gives group fitness classes in her spare time as a (Bodypump) instructor. She also has a passion for cooking and a nice glass of wine. Italy is therefore her favorite holiday country.

Willem van der Graaf

Investment Manager

Previous experience
Torqx Capital Partners (Intern)

Willem is Investment Manager at Torqx. He enjoys gaining a deep strategic understanding of businesses and identifying their future potential. He likes to work with entrepreneurs and management teams to achieve sustainable, long-lasting value. Willem has a positive and open-minded attitude.

Boxing
Previously, Willem did an internship at Torqx. And he was active in the R&D and business development of two separate start-ups. He holds an M.Sc. in Applied Physics from the Technological University Delft. Willem lives in Amsterdam and loves to spend time in the outdoors. He has done mountaineering treks in Patagonia and Scotland, and sea-kayak trips in Norway. Also, Willem is an enthusiastic kick boxer. He recently spent a month at a Muay Thai gym in Thailand to train.

David van Hasselt

Partner

Previous experience
EVBox, Gilde Equity Management

David is Partner at Torqx. He has been involved in a variety of investments, from buy-and-builds in staffing to high growth tech companies. As a former executive in a fast-growing scale-up, he knows first-hand what it’s like to run a business in a high-pressure environment. He thoroughly enjoys teamwork and loves coming together to tackle complex problems with creative solutions.

Fired up, ready to go
Before joining Torqx, David was CFO at EVBox, global leader in EV charging solutions. He started his career at Gilde where he gained experience with investments in the Benelux midmarket. He holds an M.Sc. in Quantitative Finance from Erasmus University Rotterdam.

David lives with his wife and two children in Amsterdam where in weekends he can be found on a hockey pitch, running alongside the Amstel or trying to beat-up a boxing bag at the local gym. He has a keen interest in history, technology, storytelling and slow-cooked food from the grill.

Rik Leunissen

Partner

Previous experience
Black Bear Carbon, Bain & Company

Rik is Partner at Torqx and is involved in different growth-, buy-and-build and performance improvement investments. Rik is very entrepreneurial and pragmatic. He enjoys working closely with management teams to make strategic plans a reality. He brings energy and a hands-on mentality.

Passionate traveller
Rik started his career at Bain & Company where he worked for ca. 5 years for its offices in Amsterdam and San Francisco, where he gained significant experience in due diligence-, commercial excellence- and cost improvement projects. After this he worked for several years at Black Bear Carbon, a Clean Tech Top 100 start-up from Dutch origin. Rik holds an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (cum laude) from Delft University of Technology, next to which he founded several still successful companies.

He is a passionate traveller and nature lover; a.o. he conducted a half year 4x4 road trip with his wife through Southern- & Eastern Africa. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Amsterdam and can be found playing soccer in the Vondelpark every Sunday morning.

Lorin Roobrouck

Associate

Previous experience
Goldman Sachs

Lorin is an Associate at Torqx. She is energetic and eager to learn and works critically, always with a smile. Her passion is looking for and building practical solutions together with management teams to realize the strategic potential of their company.

Adrenaline
Prior to joining Torqx, Lorin worked as an Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs in London, where she was involved in complex transactions in renewable energy, telecom and transportation. Lorin previously gained experience as an intern in private equity at Gimv and in M&A at EY in Brussels. She holds a specialised M.Sc. in Corporate Finance from ESCP Europe and an M.Sc. in Business Engineering (magna cum laude) from KU Leuven.

Lorin likes speed and a certain dose of adrenaline, such as motorcycling and sailing, but also learned to paraglide. She likes to get to know other cultures and she traveled with a backpack through various countries in South-East Asia, South America and Europe.

Lennert Spek

Managing Partner

Previous experience
Bain & Company

Lennert is Managing Partner at Torqx. He has broad experience in leading successful business transformations and has a passion to actively work together with management teams in driving real change and help companies to fundamentally improve their performance. Over the past years, Lennert has been involved in many investments and performance improvement programs, particularly in the industrials and business services sectors. Lennert brings deep expertise in strategy, commercial and operational excellence, M&A and change management.

Sports fan
Prior to Torqx, Lennert was Partner at Bain & Company where he was a leader in the Private Equity Practice. Lennert holds an MBA from INSEAD and MSc Electrical Engineering (with honors) at Delft University of Technology. Lennert lives in Rotterdam with his wife and two children. He is an avid sports fan and likes to travel.

Yasmin Vergouw

Office Manager

Previous experience
Boyden, De Hoge Dennen

Yasmin is Office Manager at Torqx. Prior to joining Torqx she worked at Boyden and De Hoge Dennen as assistant to the COO and private equity team.

New Zealand
Yasmin holds an HBO Office Management degree at Schoevers Institute. She lives in Baarn with her 2 children. Previously she worked and lived in New Zealand for 3 years. She enjoys taking Pilates classes and spending time outdoors.