RESONANCE OVER REACH

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

Cathelijne Noortman. Director at MSQ Sport + Entertainment Amsterdam - which is a very grand title for someone who spends most of their week arguing that the bold idea is actually the safe idea.

I sit at the intersection of strategy, creativity, communications and sponsor- and partnerships, helping brands show up in culture in a way that earns attention rather than just occupying space. At MSQ S+E, we're obsessed with work that breaks through on the biggest stages in the world: Sport + Entertainment - because there's a big difference between an idea that travels and an idea that hits.

WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL WEEK LOOK LIKE?

Organised chaos. I say that with real affection.

One hour I'm shaping a global brand strategy. Next I'm deep in a production call about logistics in the US. By Thursday I've somehow also written a job description, challenged a creative route, and talked Toan into something he was initially unconvinced by. (He usually ends up agreeing. That's the deal.)

The switching is the point. It keeps the thinking honest and the work sharp.

HOW HAS YOUR CAREER IN PR SHAPED YOU?

PR gave me a superpower I didn't know I was developing: the ability to immediately smell whether something would earn coverage - or just earn a polite nod in a client presentation.

That instinct still runs through everything I do, even though at MSQ we operate way beyond traditional PR - across strategy, creative, partnerships and experiences. The question I always come back to is: would anyone actually care if this showed up in their world?

That's the filter. It's ruthless. It's useful.

Also: timing. In PR you learn fast that the best idea at the wrong moment is just a missed moment. That lesson travels.

WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE?

The build, genuinely.

We're creating MSQ Sport + Entertainment Amsterdam from scratch - defining what we stand for, what we want to be known for, the kind of work we'd be embarrassed NOT to make. And doing that alongside Toan makes it something else entirely.

We’re a proper Yin and Yang, him and I. Different instincts, different entry points, completely complementary - but with a totally shared mindset and an energy that just works. We push each other in different directions and somehow always end up in the same place.

There’s a version of this where building an office is just hard work. Doing it with someone you actually enjoy it with - and who makes you better - is a different thing altogether. That’s the bit I wouldn’t trade.

DO YOU HAVE AN ULTIMATE CAREER GOAL?

To build something that lasts. Work people still reference. Teams people actually want to be part of. A reputation for ideas that cut through, not just ideas that got made.

Less about titles. More about: did it mean something? Did it do something?

HOW DO YOU MEASURE YOUR OWN SUCCESS?

Resonance over reach.

If something lives beyond the moment - gets shared, talked about, brought up in a meeting six months later - that's when you know it worked. Impressions are easy. Impact isn't.

And personally: if the team feels confident, challenged and proud of what we're putting out - that matters as much as any metric.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU RIGHT NOW?

Clarity.

People and brands who know exactly what they stand for and aren't trying to be everything to everyone. That kind of conviction is increasingly rare and, when you find it, immediately obvious.

Also ideas that look effortless on the surface but are incredibly well-considered underneath. The ones where you think - of course. Why didn't I think of that? Those are the ones I want to make.

IS THERE A CAREER MOMENT YOU’RE ESPECIALLY PROUD OF?

Stepping into a role where I'm not just shaping the work, but shaping the environment it comes from.

Building a team with a point of view, watching that translate into work we're genuinely proud of - that shift has been something. It's a different kind of satisfaction to deliver a great campaign. It's longer, harder, and more yours.

MSQ IS HIRING THROUGH US - ANY TIPS FOR APPLICANTS?

Bring a point of view. A real one, not a polished one.

We're building a team of people who are plugged into culture, think beyond their lane, and aren't scared to push things further. We want people who notice things - in a brief, in a room, in the world.

Don't just show us what you've done. Show us how you think.

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

The best piece of advice I ever received came from someone on my own team.

"Just because you don’t mind working evenings, weekends and holidays, doesn’t mean you should. You’re setting the bar - and now the client expects it. And they expect it from all of us.”

Honestly? Ouch. But also: completely right. When you set an informal standard - even unintentionally - it becomes everyone's standard. The client doesn't see one person's enthusiasm. They see a service level. And then they expect that service level from the whole team.

The best leadership lessons often come from below, not above. Turns out "I love what I do" is not a sustainable SLA.