About

Lasting change happens when policy meets practice and people are meaningfully engaged

I am Denise Lapoutre, known for delivering impact at scale, combining strategic vision with operational leadership to guide organisations and alliances through complexity, change, and growth.

My career began in 1997 in Nicaragua, where—seconded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs—I supported the establishment of URACCAN University, working with government institutions, private actors, scientists, and local communities to address socio-economic and environmental challenges through education and inclusive development.

From the outset, my work has focused on how institutional maturity levels, gender, age, and social class shape the risks and benefits of development interventions. This has shown me that sustainable solutions require not only technical expertise, but also inclusive approaches and meaningful multi-stakeholder engagement.

International development expert with nearly 30 years of experience supporting governments and international partners across Latin America, Africa, and Europe. I contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of inclusive, results-oriented programmes, combining policy expertise, stakeholder coordination, and a strong focus on impact and sustainability.

Today, I work as a senior consultant on short- and long-term assignments, supporting institutions and organisations in navigating complex geopolitical, economic, socio-cultural, and ecological transitions, with a strong focus on delivery, learning, and measurable impact.



What to expect

Proven track-record

25+ years of senior executive and program management, documented impact and references.

Directional Collaboration

Working closely with boards and teams to shape direction, not just deliver output.

Organisationally embedded

Engaged external consultant, embedded for as long as you need.

Natively Global

Available for short and long-term projects. Ready to hit the ground running, anywhere.

Selection of past experiences

Selection of past experiences

2020

🇳🇬 Nigeria
Localization of pharmaceutical supply chains in humanitarian contexts

Change Management Workshop with senior leadership from the Nigerian Federal and Borno State Ministries of Health to lead the transition process related to Supply Chain Management (SCM) for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child Health, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAHN) commodities in humanitarian settings, within the broader framework of SCM of health products.

2017

🇳🇬 Nigeria
Supporting collaboration between government, donors and technical partners to strengthen health supply chains.

Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health officially launched the Nigeria Supply Chain Integration Program (NSCIP) with funding support from the Global Fund to more effectively and efficiently address the challenge of supply chain coordination. The picture shows a snap-shot of NSCIP staff, Donors (The Global Fund, USAID, UNICEF a.o.), Partners and CBS providers (Mc. Kinsey, HSCL and i+ consortium)

2015

🇺🇬 Uganda
Advising public and private financial institutions on expanding services to smallholder farmers.

Ugandan Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Vincent Ssempijja launches the book on access to finance for small farmers at the Dissemination Workshop on Agricultural Financing Models in Uganda, 2015, organized by Rikolto East Africa.

2015

🇺🇬 Uganda
Facilitating engagement with women farmers to strengthen inclusive value chain development.

Workshop with the women of the Doho Farmers Cooperative Society (DIFACOS) of the Doho Rice Scheme in Uganda, to identify and address needs by household composition (with or without spouse, additional income from employment, etc.) and land size.

2012

🇸🇩 Sudan
🇵🇪 Peru
🇳🇱Netherlands
Supporting government, private sector and farmer organizations in developing export banana value chains.

Delegation from Sudan consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, the DAL group, farmers and industry associations, visiting the Netherlands and Peru - exchange visit prior to the start of the development of the first bananas for export (with technical support from TASTE, in cooperation with Agrofair Europe ltd, and financing of the Dutch PSI co-investment program) Below are three alternative styles, each keeping the captions short and uniform but emphasizing a different professional angle.

About

Lasting change happens when policy meets practice and when the people it affects have a real seat at the table

I am Denise Lapoutre, known for an unceasing drive to facilitate creation of sustainable impact and for my ability to inspire audiences, leaders, teams, and individuals, thanks in part to a well-developed sense of humor.

My career began in 1997 in Nicaragua, where—seconded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs—I supported the establishment of URACCAN University, working with government institutions, private actors, scientists, and local communities to address socio-economic and environmental challenges through education and inclusive development.

From the outset, my work has focused on how institutional maturity levels, gender, age, and social class shape the risks and benefits of development interventions. This has shown me that sustainable solutions require not only technical expertise, but also inclusive approaches and meaningful multi-stakeholder engagement.


Get in touch

Denise Lapoutre
Change Management Expert and (Interim) Manager
Based in the Netherlands

Linkedin
Download CV

Get in touch

Denise Lapoutre
Change Management Expert and (Interim) Manager
Based in the Netherlands

Linkedin
Download CV

Get in touch

Denise Lapoutre
Change Management Expert and (Interim) Manager
Based in the Netherlands

Linkedin
Download CV