About the authors

Nick is a humanist at heart, firmly placing his faith in the inherent goodness and boundless potential of individuals. His unwavering belief in the innate qualities and talents that people possess inspires his work and interactions, fostering a positive and empowering environment for those around him. His guiding mantra, which aligns with his personal purpose, is: “Elevating YOU! Measure success by the ways you touch the lives of people!”.

He is an internationally recognized thought leader, advisor, executive coach, researcher, facilitator, and best-selling (co-) author of more than 27 books on Corporate Learning, Talent Management, Organizational Behavior and Leadership Development. Dr. van Dam has written numerous articles for various publications and has been quoted by Bloomberg Businessweek, The Financial Times, Fortune Magazine, Harvard Business Review, Times of India, Information Week, CLO Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.

Nick has over 25+ years of business experience as a former Partner, Global Chief Learning Officer, HR-Executive, and Client Advisor at McKinsey as well as at Deloitte. He has provided services to more than 100 clients globally. Since 2019, he holds the position of senior advisor and faculty member at McKinsey & Company.

Dr. van Dam (PhD, MA, EMC) serves as a full professor at Nyenrode Business University, IE Business School, and the University of Pennsylvania, where he works with candidates in the executive doctoral program for human capital leaders/chief learning officers. Nick is a visiting professor and thought leader at Harvard Business Publishing, Corporate Learning. He is also a core faculty member of Le Centre Européen d’Education Permanente (CEDEP) and director of the IE Center for Corporate Learning and Talent Management. IE Center for Corporate Learning and Talent Management. In addition, he serves as the academic director of the Nyenrode University/IE Business School/Global L&D Leadership Program and Global HR Leadership Program. Nick has served as a dissertation committee member and/or dissertation chair for more than 15 candidates.

HR Leadership Program’. Nick has served as a dissertation supervisor and/or dissertation chair for more than 15 candidates.

Nick is the co-founder of the E-Learning for Kids Foundation, which has provided free digital lessons for more than 30 million underprivileged elementary school children.

His lifelong learning journey included studies in Economics & Business Economics (B.Ed., Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam), Organizational Sociology (MA/Drs, Universiteit van Amsterdam), Human Capital Development (PhD, Nyenrode Business University), and Psychodynamics Psychology (EMC, INSEAD). Moreover, he successfully finished executive education programs at Harvard Business School (Boston), The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), and IMD (Lausanne).

Judith Grimbergen has a passion for making life more beautiful. She is a trendwatcher, forecaster, designer, highly rated lecturer, writer, and coach. She is teaching classes and conducts workshops for business professionals and students on: visual drawing, visual thinking, design thinking, trend watching and photography. Judith as adjunct professor at IE University in Madrid. She studied the Arts (completed three bachelor studies: Painting & Drawing, Textile Design and Interior Design), has a master’s degree in Art History and took classes in Positive Psychology and Design Thinking. She is born in the Netherlands and has lived and worked in the USA for 12 years and currently resides in Madrid. She is co-author of the Dutch book: Ga doen wat je écht belangrijk vindt! (Ask: What Matters in Life!). She is the co-founder of the E-Learning for Kids foundation which has provided over 30 million children with free digital learning globally. In 2022, she published her latest book: ‘De Kunst Van Jezelf Presenteren’ (The Art of Presenting Yourself)

Barbara is founder and director of BFC Compassionate Care & Mindful Medicine. Her educational background, her professional experience as well as her dedicated contemplative practice all make her an expert in the integration of leadership, teamwork, science, mindfulness, compassion and spirituality in day to day life. She coaches executives and professionals, facilitates teams, stewards’ mindfulness and compassionate leadership training and guides retreats. She does this with lighthearted humor, kindness, groundedness and sharp clarity. Though the roots of her practice and daily life are Dutch, her work includes international collaborations with other experts and contemporaries in the field – integrating compassion in teamwork and leadership to foster compassionate working cultures. She lives in the Netherlands, together with her husband Wytze and their two sons Eef and Ramses.

Dr. Grandolini is an organizational psychologist passionate about fostering healthy and regenerative cultures. She thrives in combining academic rigor with practical insights from 15+ years of experience across leadership, learning, management consulting and clinical psychology. Currently, Lucrecia is the Global Head of Learning at Investec. Prior to that she worked as management consultant within the Human Capital practice at Deloitte in London, United Kingdom. Lucrecia holds a doctorate degree in Learning and Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, an MSc. in Social Psychology from London School of Economics, and a MA and BA in Clinical Psychology from Universidad Catolica Argentina. Lucrecia lives in London with her loving husband and daughter.

Jan is an Adjunct Professor at IE University and Nyenrode Business School, and an internationally recognized thought-leader, consultant, author, and speaker on corporate Learning, Leadership Development and Personal Growth & Wellbeing. Jan is co-founder of the Nyenrode University/IE Business School, Global Learning & Development Leadership Program and facilitates this GLDP, in parallel to the Global HR Leadership Program. Jan is a former Chief Learning Officer in 5 corporate organizations: KPMG / Daimler / ABN-AMRO / SHV / Wiley. He supports the learning profession via supervisory board roles and mentoring young talents. Jan is an inspiring and certified city-guide in Arnhem (Netherlands)

Jan has shared his great failures and best practices in articles, books, podcasts on LinkedIn and at multiple international conferences.

Jacqueline Brassey (PhD, MA, MAfN) is a co-leader at the McKinsey Health Institute. Furthermore, she is a research fellow at VU Amsterdam, an Adjunct Professor at IE University in Spain and serves as Advisory Council Member of the World Wellbeing Movement, as Advisory Board Member of Wellbeing at Work and as a Steerco Member at the WEF Healthy Workforces Initiative.

Jacqui has more than twenty years of experience in business and academia and spent most of her career before joining McKinsey & Company at Unilever. Jacqui holds degrees in both organisation and business sciences, as well as in medical sciences. She has a bachelor’s in international business and languages from Avans University of Applied Sciences, a cum laude bachelor’s and master’s in policy and organisation sciences from Tilburg University, a PhD in economics and business from Groningen University and a joint master’s in affective neuroscience from Maastricht University and the University of Florence. She has (co-)authored and presented more than a hundred articles, books, book chapters, podcasts and scientific papers.

She has worked and lived in five different countries, loves running, hiking and a good glass of wine, and currently lives with her South African/Dutch family in Luxembourg.

Ursula Fear is a passionate South African skills development activist. She has been focused on growing critical and scarce skills in South Africa for over 23 years.

She has a broad range of expertise:

Establishment of qualifications on the National Qualification Framework (NQF) which involved the development of the only ERP qualifications in the world at the time;

She was a Partner at Deloitte where her business unit was responsible for the design, development and deployment of mission critical skills for customers. She worked with the development of over 40 specializations, from SAP skills, internal auditing and demand planning engineers to name but a few.

She has also been instrumental in business case development of different skills initiatives, design and implementation of global programs;

She was the first woman to sit on the Deloitte Consulting Leadco where she was responsible for talent and culture.

She was part of the setup and strategy design of non-profit Teach South Africa.

Executive at Adcorp where she was the Managing Director of all the training businesses in the group. This included artisan colleges, private universities, ICT and disability training providers.

Ursula is currently a Senior Talent Program Manager at Salesforce where she is responsible for growing skills in the South African Salesforce ecosystem. Ursula works with both partners, customers, and tertiary institutions in the ecosystem. She is also part of a national initiative called The Collective X. This private sector intermediary is aimed at navigating government and the regulatory training environments. The initiative aims at ensuring that South Africa is set up to navigate and build sustainable demand led digital skills for the country.

Carla Szemzo is a global citizen with five nationalities and boasts an impressive educational background that has equipped her with a diverse skill set. She has more than15 years of international professional experience mainly in the Education sector, having worked in United States, Europe and Latin America. Today she is Vice Dean and honorary professor at IE Business School. She is also a columnist for Forbes Magazine, after launching a new section that integrate the latest Education trends with Entrepreneurship and Business.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a major in Strategic Marketing from Universidad Católica in Venezuela. Her thirst for knowledge and commitment to professional growth led her to pursue a Master’s in International Management from IE Business School in Madrid, enhancing her global perspective and management acumen. Furthermore, Carla's dedication to staying at the forefront of her industry is evident in her completion of various executive education programs. These include the Nyenrode/IE University's Global Diploma Program in L&D Leadership, the Yale School of Management's program on Women on Boards and the Harvard Graduate School of Education's course on Developing Strategies for Online Teaching and Learning.

Emily Ricci has been a People and Talent leader for more than 18 years and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Learning & Development at IE University. Previously, Emily led Learning and Development for Americas Operations at Apple and Learning, Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness at Robinhood. In the organizations she serves, Emily is responsible for setting and driving learning and leadership strategy, building foundational learning and leadership programs and systems, and creating critical knowledge and development architecture. Emily has been a resident of Austin, Texas since 2015, where she is Chair of the Austin Public Broadcast System (PBS) Community Advisory Board and Chapter Lead for Ignite ATX, a community public speaking forum. for In her free time, Emily enjoys spending time with her son, traveling widely, staying active, and consuming as much music (and as many tacos) as possible

Dr. Nandram is a full professor in Business and Spirituality at Nyenrode Business Universiteit. She is also a full professor at the Faculty of Religion and Theology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam working on Hindu Spirituality and Society. In addition to these roles, Sharda is co-founder and consultant at Praan Group and member of the steering committee of The European Spirituality in Economics and Society (SPES), an executive member of the Management, Spirituality and Religion Division of the Academy of Management and she serves as adjunct professor at Banasthali University in Jaipur, India.

With 35 years of experience in the field of Management especially in Work & Organizational Psychology, Entrepreneurship and Organizational Innovation, she has developed a keen interest in the intersection of Management, Spirituality, Entrepreneurship and Organizational Innovation.

Her research has focused on new forms of organizational architectures like self-management, entrepreneurial behavior, and various research methodologies. She has published several papers in prominent academic and professional journals.

Sharda holds bachelors and masters in the disciplines of psychology and economics. She received her PhD within the department of social psychology. She has studied different spiritual traditions and embodied several spiritual practices by learning them in authentic ways.

Lisa Bevill is the academic director of the Center for Health & Well-being at IE University. The Center was founded in 2019 with the mission to develop the human skills for flourishing and to support the core IE values in creating a community dedicated to making a positive impact.

She is a champion of positive leadership, personal development, and a holistic approach to well-being and has extensive experience supporting each area throughout her career.

Lisa has been a professor of skills development, leadership, and well-being at IE Business School since 2008. She studied at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University, with minors in International Business and Spanish, before moving to Europe in 2002 where she completed her International MBA at IE Business School. In 2019, Lisa completed her Executive Master in Positive Leadership, Strategy and Transformation and holds the PCC coaching certification by ICF.

She is a native of California, positive by nature and deeply curious. Lisa has lived and worked in Europe for the whole of her 25-year career in human development, working in global environments and developing individuals from over 140 nationalities. Lisa has a great appreciation for diversity and connection and utilizes both in her work to allow for personal and collective flourishing.

Patricia Garcia Rodriguez practiced International Law in both Spain and with the United Nations in New York City. Patricia worked as Legal Policy Analyst at the UN. She advised and negotiated with Governments and international groups of companies in complying with all aspects of the Business and Human Rights Agenda, and in implementing international labor& environmental standards in the workplace. Patricia also worked in development issues with a focus in social justice and gender equality in LATAM. Patricia worked at A Better Balance, an association that is dedicated to fighting for the advancement of worker’s rights with a focus on discrimination representing clients before the NYCCHR. In addition, Patricia Garcia Rodriguez held the role of Manager of Probono partnerships running the Latina Justice Programme and working very closely with Goldman Sachs, Jones Day LLC, Outten and Golden LLC and others in those partnerships. Patricia assisted to international summits and conferences worldwide, being participant at the third Global Sustainability Summit in Madrid and the Colloquium on Policy, Law, Contracts, and Sustainable Investments, Institute for Human Rights and Business in New York. She is head of the Legal Department of WeTravel Hub, a disruptive technology company. She also teaches at IE Business and Law School& Northwestern University Law School. She is lead facilitator on executive education programs. Patricia is an executive coach and has clients over Europe and the US. As a lifelong learner, she is currently pursuing a degree in Psychology.

Katie Coates PhD has over 30 years of experience in learning and development, primarily in financial and professional services. She is currently Director of Learning at McKinsey & Company where she is responsible for the leadership and technical skills development of over 20,000 support professionals.

Prior to joining McKinsey, Katie worked for Deloitte for 20 years where she held several leadership positions, including Deloitte Audit Deputy Chief Learning Officer; Learning and Development Operations Leader based in Hyderabad, India; Learning Design Center of Excellence Leader; and Deloitte Consulting Strategy & Operations Learning Leader. She was also the Director of Learning Design at Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong.

Katie holds a master’s degree in Instructional Systems Design from Penn State University, and a master’s degree and PhD in Human Development from Fielding Graduate University.

Katie lives in Cochranville, Pennsylvania with her husband Marshall and her daughter Lilly.

Bahia El Oddi is the founder of Human Sustainability Inside Out, a non-profit providing resources, programs, and activities to support communities’ well-being and foster human connections. During the COVID crisis, she created CoCaSha (Connect, Care & Share), a social start-up empowering minority food entrepreneurs with digital skills to help them move their businesses online and weather the impact of the pandemic.

Bahia is also the co-founder of Dar El Oddi, a Cultural Center aiming to promote awareness about the richness and complexity of Morocco’s history and its interconnectedness with foreign cultures, populations and traditions.

Originally from Morocco, where she lived the first 17 years of her life, she moved to Boston to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School, where she graduated with Honors. She then joined MIT Open Learning to found TRUE Africa University, an online university aiming to empower African talent to accelerate the continent’s development.

Prior to her MBA, Bahia worked at Google, where she focused on enabling technologies preserving arts and culture after working as a consultant at Bain & Company. She is currently Executive Director at IE University and based in Spain, working on executive programs for business leaders and companies across the world.

Dr. Kottari is a Principal Consultant in Green Economy and Innovation at Technopolis Group in the Netherlands (Amsterdam). She is an experienced energy transition, climate change, and sustainability expert with a solid network in subjects related to the EU and international politics and governance, energy and climate policies, sustainability, social and technological innovation, and socio-economic challenges. Throughout her career in the public sector (European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, academia (European University Institute, University of Amsterdam), and consultancy (founder of The Energy Matrix), she has managed and been involved in various initiatives related to the policy and socio-economic aspects of the energy transition and climate change mitigation and adaptation, in particular the just transition principles, sustainable finance, circular economy, gender equality and citizen-driven innovation. She is a native speaker of Greek, has a fluent command of English and French, and has an intermediate level of Dutch. She can also communicate in German and Arabic at different levels. She holds a Ph.D. in International, European, and Regional Studies focusing on energy and climate politics from the Panteion University of Athens.

Bo Vialle-Derksen is an entrepreneur, author, and business advisor. She is co-founder of Cape People and Cognitive Technologies and Senior Advisor and Lead for EMEA at the Josh Bersin Company. She is an all-round Human Capital professional with extensive experience in optimizing and enhancing the HR function to achieve people-driven business performance. What energizes Bo is providing insights to allow for bold moves. As a Human Capital management consultant at Deloitte Consulting, Bo worked with board level leaders of Fortune 500 companies. She supported large scale talent transformations to achieve desired business results. As part of the HR Leadership Team of a top-tier European FinTech, she was the Product Owner for Agile Ways of Working and headed their Future Skills initiative. Bo is a frequent keynote speaker, advisor and supports business development for Josh Bersin Company in EMEA. Originally from the Netherlands, Bo has lived and worked in Amsterdam, New York, Cape Town and Copenhagen, and currently resides in The Hague, the Netherlands. Bo holds a master’s degree in Educational Sciences from the University of Leiden, the Netherlands and is a certified SAFe® Agilist. She teaches the Global HR Leadership Diploma Program in collaboration with IE Business University, Madrid and Nyenrode University, the Netherlands.

Dr. Els van der Helm is a neuroscientist, and adjunct professor at IE Business School. She has been named one of the top 5 sleep experts in the world and now advises corporations about sleep, performance, and wellbeing. She supports CEOs and decision-makers worldwide to help them get the best out of themselves, their team members, and their organization.

Els hosts keynotes, workshops, webinars, and Sleep & Wellbeing Months, in combination with science-based assessments.

Els began her career in sleep during her Masters in Neurosciences (VU Amsterdam) studying the effect of sleep on cognitive performance at the Netherlands Institute of Neurosciences and Harvard Medical School. She also holds a summa cum laude Masters in Clinical Neuropsychology (University of Amsterdam).

Els then studied the effect of sleep on the brain and performance as a Fulbright scholar during her Ph.D. in Psychology at UC Berkeley before working at McKinsey as a management consultant.

Her work has been featured in HBR, the McKinsey Quarterly, the WSJ, TIME, the Atlantic, Forbes, and the BBC. She regularly appears in the media and hosted a Max Masterclass on prime-time TV and online videos for the Huffington Post with millions of viewers.

Hebe Boonzaaijer is an organizational psychologist and wellbeing advocate, on a mission to create human centered organizational cultures where people can be their best, both professionally and personally. She currently serves as a Global Wellbeing Director at Equinix, the world’s digital infrastructure company, located in more than thirty countries. Here, she drives the well-being strategy, empowering people to prioritize their wellbeing. Hebe brings 20 years of experience in the realm of wellbeing and human performance. Before Equinix, she served a wide range of international organizations on their wellbeing and human capital strategies at Deloitte Consulting. As a firm believer in the power of community and science, she was a founder of the Wellbeing Community in 2019 with Deloitte, Zilveren Kruis and TNO. In this community, 20 organizations unite to research and innovate workplace practices to eliminate burn-out and help workers thrive. Hebe holds a Masters degree in Organizational Psychology (University of Amsterdam, and University of New South Wales in Sydney) and a PostDoc degree in Mindfulness (Medical Department of Radboud University), and is accredited teacher in MBSR Mindfulness and breath work. She lives in nature, close to Amsterdam, with her 2 daughters and husband, Marc.

Marcella Sarno is a renowned professional with a diverse background, a passion for holistic well-being, and a commitment to helping others live healthier lives through better lifestyle and nutrition choices. As Dottoressa in Lingue e Letterature Straniere and a certified Integrative Nutrition Specialist, Marcella has established herself as a leading authority in the field of holistic health and wellness. She is the Founder and CEO of "The Marcella Method," a platform dedicated to transforming the lives of busy professionals by empowering them with the knowledge and tools to achieve optimal health.

Marcella's journey to becoming a trusted health coach and nutrition expert is a testament to her unwavering dedication and wealth of experience. She hails from a distinguished corporate background, where she excelled as a Leadership and Management Development Lead for more than 8 years. With over 12 years of expertise in the health and wellness sector, she transitioned seamlessly into the world of integrative nutrition, recognizing the profound impact it can have on individuals' and professionals overall well-being.

At "The Marcella Method," Marcella leverages her extensive knowledge and experience to guide individuals on a holistic path towards improved health, performance, and balance. She understands the unique challenges faced by busy professionals and she customizes her coaching to fit their lifestyles and goals and supports them with empathy and personalization. In addition to her role as a health coach, Marcella Sarno is a respected nutrition lecturer and public speaker. She shares her insights and expertise with audiences far and wide, inspiring others to take charge of their health and embrace a holistic approach to wellness. Her engaging and informative presentations are a testament to her passion for empowering individuals with the knowledge they need to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Marcella Sarno knows that well-being is not only a personal goal, but also a key factor for achieving high performance and career success. That’s why she is dedicated to helping everyone, especially busy professionals, to embrace holistic health and nutrition. Through "The Marcella Method," she continues to touch lives, helping individuals unlock their full potential and achieve optimal well-being through the power of lifestyle and nutrition choices. With Marcella as their guide, many are discovering that they can indeed lead healthier, happier lives, no matter how busy their schedules may be."

Dr. Sanae Tabnaoui is an innovator, advisor, and dedicated "Passeur de Savoir" at the forefront of pioneering 'Leadership Chemistry' - an optimal range of human functioning that promotes healthy performance and well-being in leaders and their teams, with a genuine interest in health promotion and integrative medicine.

She founded The Flourishing Incubator and created the VITAL model, the Health Innovators Community, and the Healthy Performance Zone framework to develop conscious and compassionate leaders in life sciences. Her expertise extends to her role as an affiliate of Limitless Leadership, an HCM award-winning leadership development consultancy. Sanae co-founded 'The Flourishing Lab Community' with Natasha Salles-Bitter at Novartis, exploring practical methods to cultivate mental, physical, and social well-being.

With a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the Institut Curie, specializing in Micro Total Analysis Systems for which she holds a patent, her pivotal role in contributing to the development of therapies like Cosentyx and Kymriah, as well as COVID-19 vaccine efforts merges scientific rigor with impactful results.

An Executive Master further enriches her lifelong learning journey in Positive Leadership and Transformation, Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP, CPPC) certifications, and a Polyvagal-Informed Performance Coach Certification."

In her chapter "Physical Movement," Sanae shares her personal story and unique dance of life beyond providing scientific insights.

Wouter is the first neuro-economist of the Netherlands. He holds a master’s degree in Business Economics and in Neuroscience (both cum laude). During his PhD and Postdoc, he has been actively bridging the fields of behavioral economics, marketing, sales, neuroscience, endocrinology and (molecular) psychiatry in his research projects.

His work is a combination of fundamental and translational research. He has studied the development of social status hierarchies in mice, discovering a key difference between male and female social strategies. In the field, he has used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain and genetic screening to get to the biology of sales and leadership behaviors. His work has been awarded the Sheth Foundation Best Paper Award.

After his academic career, Wouter founded BrainCompass. BrainCompass builds assessment tooling by leveraging the latest neuroscientific insights on how nature and nurture influence professional development. BrainCompass assessments are used for talent and leadership development by a growing number of clients around the globe.

Wouter is Adjunct Professor at IE University, TEDx speaker and is regularly invited to give keynotes at universities, governmental and for-profit organizations.