Stephan

I spent part of my childhood in the United States, and when I returned to the Netherlands, I brought an entrepreneurial mindset with me.

As a student, I started an advertising agency because I was bored with my communications program. The agency accidentally grew to fourteen employees, and our focus gradually shifted from advertising to brand strategy.

I found the questions behind our briefs fascinating.

Who are we, and what do we stand for?

Some of our clients’ answers felt artificial.
Others resonated immediately.

I decided to study the difference between a manufactured story and one that is genuinely lived, convinced that people’s experience is what makes the difference in organizations.

When I saw that employees often do not believe what their managers say, I decided in 2015 to shift my attention to meaning for good—from the outside of organizations to the inside.

Through Values Driven, I work to strengthen the connection between people and their work. I believe in the power of intrinsic motivation, person-centered development, and social engagement. To me, the organization is the platform where all of this can take place.

My work draws on philosophy, anthropology, communication studies, and even theology. I find the questions who are we and what do we stand for no less compelling than I did before. Quite the opposite.

Everything that inspires me ultimately serves one constant: human dignity.

I believe changing times call for a positive new view of humanity.
One grounded in trust, goodwill, and well-being.

In organizations and beyond.