Tessa den Besten, Author at Amsterdam Business Forum

Storyline Amsterdam Business Forum 2024

Storyline Amsterdam Business Forum 2024 How are the speakers connected to the overall theme of ‘Courageous Leadership’ and to each other? Below is an overview of the seminar’s storyline and the connections between the talks. The event is divided into three subthemes: Courage to Grow: How can we improve the way we grow? Courage to Focus: How […]

3 Smart Ideas from Brené Brown’s Work

3 smart ideas from Brené Brown’s work. From the moment we heard that Brene Brown is coming tot The Netherlands for Amsterdam Business Forum, we’ve been diving into het work. Reading, listening, and watching everything there is to learn about Brené and her work. And it has been a blast! Brené has sharp observations and […]

5 Great Ideas from ‘Hidden Potential’ by Adam Grant

5 Great Ideas from ‘Hidden Potential’ by Adam Grant. Adam Grant has a new book out: ‘Hidden Potential’. A book about better ways to get better. In this blog, you will read 5 ideas from Adam Grant’s brand new book ‘Hidden Potential’: one of the best leadership thinkers of our time. With fresh tips like: […]

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Neil Pasricha

About Neil Pasricha

“It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think yourself into a new way of acting.”

Global bestselling author of The Happiness Equation and Two-Minute Mornings with over 2 million copies sold
Former Director of Leadership Development at Walmart
One of the 10 Most Inspiring TED Speakers of all time

Neil Pasricha is a top-rated leadership keynote speaker, bestselling author, and positive psychology researcher focused on the relationship between happiness and leadership in business. Neil is one of the most popular TED speakers. His first TED Talk The 3 A’s of Awesome ranked as one of the ten most inspiring of all time. His second TED Talk How will you maximize your tiny, short life? was the world’s first ever TED Listen, composed entirely of questions. Neil gave the most attended feature keynote at SXSW 2019 called Building trust in distrustful times. Neil has written five global bestsellers including: The Book of Awesome, Awesome Is Everywhere and The Happiness Equation. His books have been on bestseller lists for over 200 weeks and sold millions of copies. Before leading The Institute for Global Happiness and keynote speaking, Neil spent a decade running Leadership Development and working directly for two CEOs at Walmart, the world’s largest company. He was responsible for CEO onboarding, executive development, and talent management across all levels of the organization. Audience testimonials “Neil is a rock star! He visited the Googleplex and you could hear a pin drop while he was speaking. Many people commented that he was the best speaker we have had!” Rachel O’Meara, Google “Neil Pasricha was the highlight of the day. From my perspective, the highlight of the year at Microsoft! What a genuine, authentic, inspiring person. He connected with the audience and made our themes come to life in the best possible way.” ~ Rekha Rao-Mayya, Microsoft “It is rare to find a speaker that can ignite such passion and unify the audience on a common theme that transcends generation and function. Please keep writing books. Yours changed my life.” ~ Britta Lesaux, 3M “We all LOVED Neil’s keynote and received amazing feedback from our clients. His presentation earned a 4.9/5!!” ~ Sonia Bell, Indeed “Neil joined the Audi Executive Team his lessons were the highlight of the show, engaging and invigorating the audience. He is always on point, thought-provoking, and receives near-perfect ratings. Listen to him!” ~ Peter Donnellan, Audi “Before Neil came to Uber we had seen his TED Talk, Google Talk, and some had read his books so our expectations were already pretty high. But he exceeded them! A life-changing talk. Thank you, Neil!” ~ Kristy Bates, Uber

Simon Sinek

About Simon Sinek

“The primary ingredient for progress is optimism. The unwavering belief that something can be better drives the human race forward.”

TED Talk Start with Why (60+ million views) and interview on millennials (100+ million views)
Author Start with Why, Leaders Eat Last & The Infinite Game
Podcast A Bit of Optimism

Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect”, Simon Sinek is an unshakable optimist who believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. He envisions a world where the vast majority of people wake up every single morning feeling inspired, safe, and fulfilled by the work they do.

A trained ethnographer, Sinek is fascinated by the people and organizations that make the greatest and longest lasting impact. Over the years, he has discovered some remarkable patterns about how they think, act, and communicate, and also the environments in which people operate at their best.

Sinek may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of “WHY”, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace — which reached 80 million views in its first week and has gone on to be seen hundreds of millions of times.

Sinek’s unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention, and he has met with a broad array of leaders and organizations in nearly every industry. He frequently works with different branches of the US Armed Forces and agencies of the US government, and is an adjunct staff member with the RAND Corporation — one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world.

Sinek is the author of several bestselling books, including the global bestseller Start with Why and New York Times bestsellers, Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game. In partnership with Penguin Random House, Sinek publishes works by other inspiring thinkers and doers through his imprint, Optimism Press. He is also the host of the podcast, A Bit of Optimism, and the founder of The Optimism Company, a leadership learning and development agency.

In addition, Sinek is active in the arts and with not-for-profit work, or what he likes to call the for-impact sector. In 2021, he founded The Curve, a diverse group of forward-thinking chiefs and sheriffs committed to reforming modern policing from the inside-out. Their purpose is to build a profession dedicated to protecting the vulnerable from harm while advancing a vision of a world in which all people feel justice is administered with dignity, equity, and fairness.

Simon Sinek in quotes:
“Good leaders share the credit when things go well and take responsibility when things go badly.”

“Vision is the ability to talk about the future with such clarity, it is as if we are talking about the past.”

“Don’t show up to prove. Show up to improve.”

“If no one ever broke the rules, then we’d never advance.”

Kim van Wilgen

About Kim van Wilgen

Kim is a seasoned leader in software and cloud technology, currently serving as the Chief Technology Officer at Schuberg Philis, a premier IT-outsourcing company renowned for its mission-critical solutions that are designed never to fail.

With a deep passion for technology, Kim’s expertise extends to cutting-edge domains such as edge computing and streaming data platforms. However, her interests go beyond just technology; she is equally committed to the human aspect of tech, advocating for continuous learning, addressing social debt, and offering coaching to help tech teams thrive and grow.

Kim is particularly skilled at optimizing tech processes, with a strong focus on DevSecOps, agile methodologies, and fostering self-organizing teams. She firmly believes that success in technology is driven by a critical balance between technology, culture, organization, and people. This holistic approach ensures that businesses not only adopt the latest technologies but also achieve real, tangible value from them.

With over a decade of experience in bridging the gap between business and IT, Kim brings a unique perspective and invaluable expertise to her role. Her leadership continues to inspire and drive innovation within the tech community.

Talk Show: “Authentic Leadership in Transformations”

The courage to use your personal values as a compass to lead organizational change.

In this inspiring and insightful talk show, we explore the powerful stories of remarkable women who have successfully led transformational changes within large organizations. While these leaders have navigated the complexities of change, it raises the question of how their values played a role during those times. Did they always follow their values, or were there moments of compromise? This session offers an opportunity to hear their stories, not just about successes but also the complexities they faced.

Expect to hear genuine, vulnerable stories and examples that highlight the importance of authentic leadership. Panellists will share how personal values have influenced their journeys, with space to explore moments where those values may have been challenged. The discussion will be balanced, with each participant having the opportunity to share their experiences and engage in meaningful dialogue, sparking reflection on what it truly means to lead with authenticity.