ADC Consulting appoints Emilie Colker as CEO, strengthening its position as a European AI leader

Amsterdam, January 5, 2026 – ADC Consulting today announces the appointment of Emilie Colker as its new Chief Executive Officer. She succeeds founder Rik van der Woerdt, who announced last year that he would step down after nine years. With this appointment, ADC enters a new phase focused on accelerated international growth and leadership in AI transformation.

“I look forward to working with the ADC team to scale this distinctive approach across Europe and beyond,” said Colker.

For ADC, Colker’s appointment reflects a broader conviction: successful AI transformation requires leadership that combines deep technical expertise with human-centered design —an increasingly rare combination in today’s market. “ADC’s approach is different,” Colker added. “We don’t just build AI solutions—we start with the data foundations and analytical rigour needed for continuous learning. We partner with clients to develop AI strategies that evolve with real insights, giving teams agency to shape how AI augments their work rather than feeling displaced by it.”

Under Colker’s leadership, ADC will focus on three strategic pillars:

1. Expanding access to top AI talent across Europe
   By opening new offices in key European talent hubs and serving a growing global client base, ADC provides clients with deeper expertise and broader perspectives.
2. Driving AI readiness and end-to-end transformation
   Supporting leadership teams to prepare their organisations for AI and deliver responsible, scalable AI initiatives; from strategy and design through to implementation and value realisation.
3. Creating AI-centred products at scale
   By combining the award-winning design and development capabilities of CLEVER°FRANKE with ADC’s AI expertise, the firm helps clients build innovative, human-centered products designed for widespread adoption.

Colker’s appointment comes at a critical moment for European organisations. Global investment in AI has surged dramatically: between 2013 and 2024, approximately EUR 1.4 trillion was invested, with an additional EUR 318 billion in 2025 alone.

As companies accelerate their AI ambitions to remain competitive, demand is growing for partners that combine deep analytical thinking, technical expertise, and a design-led approach to organisational change. These are precisely the capabilities ADC has built in recent years through its work in AI strategy, transformation, and the design and delivery of bespoke AI and decision science solutions.

Emilie Colker is an internationally recognised leader in design-driven innovation and transformation. She has previously worked with Silicon Valley technology companies, multinationals, and global consulting firms. As Managing Director of IDEO in Europe, she repositioned the firm from project-based design work to board-level strategic transformation advisory. Most recently, Colker served as Chief Design Officer at Avanade, the joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture, where she built early innovation capabilities for enterprise clients navigating AI adoption.

“Most organisations I’ve worked with have already invested in AI but struggle to move from pilots to sustainable impact,” Colker said. “Research we conducted at Avanade showed that fewer than half of executives feel confident to manage the organisational side of AI implementation.”

As part of this new chapter, ADC is also introducing a renewed brand identity that reflects its evolution into an international partner for AI transformation. The identity was created as a human-AI collaboration and designed by CLEVER°FRANKE, ADC’s award-winning data visualisation and product design studio.

“ADC has grown from a small collective into an international partner supporting organisations through their most complex AI challenges,” said founder Rik van der Woerdt. “Emilie brings exactly the experience needed to lead the next phase of growth and further strengthen the bridge between AI, design, and value creation. Our new brand reflects who we have become and where we are headed.”

Van der Woerdt will work closely with Colker in the coming period to ensure a smooth transition before stepping back to determine his next chapter.