Norian Wasch: Shifting culture through openness

Norian Wasch, Group Director Procurement & ESG at Eurofiber and the runner-up in the 2025 RightBrains Awards Digital Leadership & Diversity category, learned early in his life what it means to be different. He shares his leadership philosophy and why he believes that openness can shift cultures for the better.

Norian was initially on a completely different career track than the one he works in today. When he graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management, he landed a position with an international hotel chain. The hotel sector was complex across countries and cultures, and Norian learned to engage with a wide range of stakeholders to get things done.

He credits his time in this environment as a precursor to his procurement career, because he carried the responsibility of demonstrating and selling value to franchisees. In many cases, the franchisees were owners who had inherited the businesses from previous generations and held strong loyalties. Rather than imposing change, Norian had to demonstrate value – showing what participation would bring and earning their commitment to new ways of working. An approach that continues to shape his work in procurement and leadership after more than two decades in the field.

The roots of connectivity

When he joined Eurofiber in 2014, Norian had the opportunity to move from an expert role with an executional focus to leadership, which culminated in his current role. Procurement, in its essence, is about building relationships between companies, capabilities, and cultures. It’s what initially drew him in, and what still energises Norian today. “In the procurement profession, we try to bring all these things together to create shared success,” he says.

He refers to the VUCA framework (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) as a lens for understanding why this work matters now more than ever. “In a climate of geopolitical unrest and fragile global supply chains, the ability to collaborate isn’t a soft skill; it’s a strategic non-negotiable.” Norian notes an interesting tension between the two worlds he has worked in to date: where the hotel industry has very visible, tangible commodities, fibre is hidden and invisible, but crucial for connectivity. “Fibre is a foundational infrastructure and essential to keep up with the modern demands that AI brings about. We ask questions like ‘how can current networks support data expansion?’” It’s a considerable task, and Norian is proud to be part of a larger team that has seen Eurofiber’s fibre networks expand from 30,000 to 80,000 kilometres across Benelux, France, and Germany since his first years at the company.

“Diversity challenges us, it expands our thinking, and drives quality."

Balancing impact with integrity 

In addition to being proud of Eurofiber’s crucial role in overall fibre connectivity, Norian is also very dedicated to his ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) portfolio. “There’s a natural resting place for ESG in procurement because a lot of the work we do lies in the supply chain,” he explains. In his role as Group Director Procurement & ESG, Norian leads within this sphere by consciously choosing a different leadership style, one that’s more about enabling people to contribute in their own way, rather than forcing outcomes. To him, leadership is about creating space for others to speak, to lead, to grow and to make them feel safe to show up as themselves – whether in his own team, during negotiations, or when liaising with companies with diverse DNAs. It was in this role that he eventually had the chance to live his philosophy of being ‘soft on relationships, and firm on substance.’ This philosophy is clear in his soft-spoken nature, and a testament to his resolve to be a different type of leader than he envisioned as the norm. “I grew up in a small Frisian village and was one of a very few children with mixed heritage. I learned early what it means to be different,” Norian shares. “When I later came out as a gay man in the professional space, I learned how assumptions shape expectations, and how people overlook what they don’t expect. I was told that to succeed, I needed to be the kind of leader who slammed his fist on the table. I vowed to simply be myself.”

Where diversity starts

When Norian was nominated for the RightBrains Digital Leadership & Diversity Award by one of his team members in 2025, he felt very honoured. “I support how awards like these provide passionate people with a platform and visibility to talk about diversity,” he shares in his typical modest manner when asked about what the nomination meant to him personally. One of the reasons he was nominated was the fact that he is vocal about the advantages of diverse teams and believes that diversity can really only take root when leaders and managers prioritise building diverse teams. “It starts with the people we choose to bring in. Diversity challenges us, it expands our thinking, and drives quality. At Eurofiber, we set various internal goals supporting our ESG ambitions, and the same applies to gender diversity. I wish we didn’t need those targets in the wider industry, but they help to drive real change – and it’s a change we still need.”

Norian is conscious of not speaking on behalf of specific groups, but is empathetic towards anyone yearning for belonging. It’s this empathy that motivates him to volunteer as a language coach, where he takes time to help improve the conversational Dutch of non-native speakers. He hopes to help empower them to speak for themselves in everyday settings like a grocery store, bank or municipality. It’s the thread that runs through his career journey and why he wants to keep sharing his story. “I’m dedicated to leading with softness, strength and substance in relationships, and I hope others start to see what people can bring beyond first impressions. That’s how openness can shift cultures.”

This article was originally published in the RightBrains DIGIDIVA Magazine. Check out this year's issue for more inspiration or to get involved!