Valentijn studied physical chemistry and thermodynamics at Utrecht State University and completed a doctorate in applied thermodynamics applied to enhanced oil recovery at Delft Technical University, in the Netherlands.

At AspenTech in the Netherlands and Belgium, chemical thermodynamics was useful for client support and technical development. Later Valentijn grew into business consulting, where he co-developed business case and value-based performance management methodologies for engineering and complex manufacturing solutions. This made him familiar with business process analysis and improvement, as well as leading international teams. At STS Associates in France, Valentijn rolled out a best practice approach to project management in a major in animal pharmaceuticals and started teaching leadership development topics for Learning Tree International in Paris.

Valentijn worked part-time for ARC Advisory Group in the technology strategy consultancy group, dedicated to end users among which the chemical and oil and gas majors, while continuing to teach. At ARC, he worked on creating a broad view on the implications of Industrial IoT and smart manufacturing, and wrote on the definitions and applications of digital twins in the process and discrete industries. Valentijn also covered asset management, operations management, social sustainability – with a focus on the impact of technology and digitalisation on individuals and organisations.

Valentijn teaches leadership and management skills development and coaches individuals in the workplace. He specialises in redirecting unproductive behaviour, preventative well-being approaches, and team performance improvement. Valentijn works with partners including Learning Tree International and kps knowledge solutions providing teaching and consulting in international organisations. Valentijn's contributions always target individual, group or corporate effectiveness and performance, while maximising well-being and respecting social and environmental sustainability. Valentijn’s approach to digital transformation focuses on implementing principles of positive change for both individuals and organisations, driving sustainable transformation that yields tangible bottom-line results.

Plenary presentation

The Human Aspects of Digital Transformation – How To Get It Right.

Despite the benefits promised by digital transformation, only about a third of initiatives deliver their intended outcomes. What separates successful transformations from the majority that fail is not technology or process – it’s people. In this keynote session, Valentijn will explore the critical but often overlooked human dimensions of digital transformation: including leadership, habits, beliefs, team norms, and culture.

Drawing from current science and real-world project experience, Valentijn will provide practical tools and guidelines to help organisations navigate their transformation journeys more effectively. He will review the science of change – from the moment-to-moment physiological responses of individuals to long-term organisational shifts – to understand why some efforts succeed while others falter, and why they are indirectly related to poor worker health, lack of engagement and productivity. 

Valentijn will propose a series of interventions addressing how to create the conditions for transformation by promoting health, productivity, and psychological safety.

In the session, he will also introduce a science-based methodology, the Intentional Change Process and Human-centred Design – that is enabled by leadership development and coaching at individual and team levels – to get transformation right the first time. Should challenges happen, Valentijn will also delve into how to recover from setbacks. Topics include:

• Understanding the roots of resistance
• Repairing relationships and organisational trust
• Influencing strategies and constructive conflict resolution
• Avoiding cognitive biases and eliminating toxic behaviours
• Leveraging social identity groups to build alignment and commitment
• Maintaining momentum through peer and team coaching

The presentation will include characteristics of each component and actionable guidance. Attendees will receive a handout with references and resources to support their transformation efforts.