Together, we are nextco
We are nextco, a partnership of pragmatic idealists with the passion and ambition to increase the impact of innovation on shaping our future. Our mission is to build and implement new initiatives in which businesses, academia, governments and NGOs collaborate to develop innovations that contribute to the wellbeing and welfare of this generation and the generations to come.
We are optimistic about the future of our world, and realistic about what is needed to secure it for generations to come. We believe that innovation – technological, organisational, financial and social – is needed to meet the demands of this generation, as well as the next generations, for health, security, education, employment, and mobility. We believe that innovation is about building new connections of people, resources and knowledge across sectors, disciplines and regions around a shared purpose and vision.
Together with businesses, academia, governments and NGOs, we strive to build such new connections and optimise the use of resources, talent and time in developing and implementing solutions to societal challenges. As ambition architects we make such innovative ventures stronger and more effective, by offering support in shaping and implementing joint ambitions, strategy, organisations and operations to optimise impact. We believe this is how we can use our talents, capabilities and network best.
Meet the nextco team!
Jan-Hendrik Schretlen
View Jan-Hendrik’s profileJan-Hendrik is a solution-oriented connector of people, ideas and resources. He acts a catalyst to turn ideas into results and is known for his collaborative way of working in teams, where he seeks and challenges everyone to contribute their original skills and ideas. He is a pragmatic strategist that sets and meets clear targets through his hands-on approach. With a background in Tax and Business Economics Jan-Hendrik combines knowledge of finance and governance with a passion for innovation, technology and creative processes. With over 30 years of professional experience in business and government he has developed a strong background in public-private partnerships, mostly in the areas of One Health, mobility, security and energy. Jan-Hendrik fulfils the role of strategist, business coach, project and portfolio manager, interim manager/CEO and investor.
Frank Deege
Frank is a creative strategist with an eye for detail. He specialises in strategy formulation, organisation design, and funding application development. Having worked in academic environments as well as in commercial settings, he is comfortable in operating at the intersections of science and business, mostly in the areas of global one health, infectious diseases and food safety. During his 18 year career, he has had the privilege of working with many inspiring international thought leaders, who all describe him as a true asset to the team, with strong analytical and social skills, and the capacity to manage the complex technical, political and cultural dynamics involved in multidisciplinary, international consortia.
Marc Sandelowsky
Marc is the “rebel with a cause” within the Nextco team. Idealist and visionary, but always pragmatic and full of energy to deliver results on time, within budget and meeting or sometimes even surpassing client expectations. With over 25 years of experience in consulting and management, his main domain is creating and executing innovation based strategies for larger and medium sized companies and partnerships within technology driven industries. He coaches several young entrepreneurs and managers and has initiated several startups and new ventures for existing companies. In the field of innovation strategy, he supports larger technology corporations in building a Create the Future portfolio.
Innovation should contribute to solving societal challenges. We work with clients who innovate to confront today’s challenges in areas such as health and wellbeing, food safety and security, education and employment, climate and biodiversity, energy and mobility, peace and justice. We seek to accelerate the conception and effectuation of the collaborative effort of our clients combining policy, scientific and educational approaches with business sense.
Innovation is about making the right connections between people, knowledge, skills, infrastructures and financial mechanisms. We believe that innovation needs organisations and people to leave their traditional silos and connect, rather than compete for scarce talent, resources and time. We aim to connect with our clients, working with them, rather than for them.
Innovation takes courage. We work with clients that are not afraid to step outside of the conventional way of thinking or acting. We are keen to work with pioneers that cover uncharted territory and break down traditional barriers to innovation. We do not just do as requested by our clients. We are part of the team, challenge ideas and approaches and pro-actively bring our opinions and ideas to the table. Together with our clients, we push the boundaries to achieve results.
Innovation takes commitment. We work with clients that are committed by having a genuine passion for what they do and for what they want to achieve. We are committed to these clients and to the services we offer them. We invest in establishing long term professional relationships and are committed to the joint results achieved.
We are pragmatic. We like to keep things simple. If there is a more efficient route, we’ll take it. We think in solutions, not in problems or processes. We would like this value to have started with the letters “co” as well. Common sense was considered. We rest our case.