About me
I built my career around clarity, turning complex work into something people can actually use.
Today I am working on a sensual noir thriller series. These are stories about desire, pressure and the quiet moment when someone realizes they have already gone too far.
I do not rely on violence to create tension. Suspense grows through people, pressure and consequences.
The story off
Leo van der Aalst
My career moved through technology, training and executive leadership. I delivered more than a thousand sessions and spoke internationally.
In boardrooms decisions carried weight. Failure showed up in real systems, real teams and real reputations. That world taught me how power protects itself and how quickly certainty cracks under pressure.
Before turning to fiction, I wrote and co-authored eight professional books about software quality, testing, DevOps and organizational performance.
Those books shaped my writing discipline: clarity, structure and respect for the reader. The same approach now guides my fiction.
I am building a thriller series about a man who sells discretion and quietly handles problems for powerful people.
Storyline
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1977-1981
Bachelor Studies at Utrecht University: Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Mathematics.
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1981-1982
Master Study at Utrecht University: Physical Organic Chemistry.
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1982-1983
Master Study at the University of Amsterdam: Chemical Technology.
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1986
I entered IT and learned the craft the hard way: deadlines, responsibility and the calm focus you need when things go wrong.
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1994
I moved into leadership roles in quality and testing. I learned what pressure does to people and how quickly a small compromise turns into a habit.
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1998
I led large testing efforts where mistakes hit real systems. No theory, no slide decks, no excuses. Just consequences and the discipline to prevent them.
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2004
I shifted toward innovation and improvement. I learned to ask better questions, especially when everyone prefers an easy answer.
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2009
Writing became serious craft: structure, rhythm and clarity. I wrote for professionals who had no patience for vague claims and that discipline never left me.
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2011
As an associate professor in software quality and testing, I worked with students and industry partners. Teaching forced me to explain complexity without hiding behind jargon.
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2016
DevOps and high-performing teams taught me about speed and risk. Move fast, yes, but don’t lose control. And if you do lose it, admit it early.
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2020
I stepped into C-level roles, including CTO and CEO. Strategy became personal, because choices mattered and the margin for error got smaller.
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Today
I focus on sensual noir thrillers. I share progress publicly, but I keep the plot private. I’m building a series where charm opens doors that would otherwise stay closed and where the price of entry is often higher than expected.
© 2026 Leo van der Aalst