Thimon de Jong

SPEAKER PROFILE

Topics

Future-Proof Leadership
The Future of Work
The Human Side of Technology
Navigating the Polycrisis
Generation Z: Collaborative Action
The Future of the Planet
Mental Surplus

More topics by Thimon

Future Digitalisation: The Human Response
The Future of Ethics – on Chief Morality Officers, AI Ethics & The Quantified Good
The Trust Transition
The Future of Partnerships – Man & or vs. Machine

Biography

Future human behaviour, leadership & business strategy

What can leaders & organisations do today to prepare for the future? Thimon de Jong helps you understand what’s happening in the world, and what people will do next.

Thimon de Jong is a behavioural expert and Whetston/strategic foresight founder. He has helped clients like Ikea, Morgan Stanley, Google, and Novartis to future-proof their leaders and business strategies. He lectures at Utrecht University (social psychology) and published the book Future Human Behavior – Understanding What People Are Going To Do Next in 2023.

Thimon is a sought-after global keynote speaker and leadership trainer and has been ranked ‘highest-rated speaker’ at more than 100 business conferences & leadership programs. Audiences praise his entertaining, interactive sessions, full of practical takeaways that are rooted in research.

Keeping up with innovation, Thimon offers more and more duo presentations with his Gen Z colleagues. This format is for clients asking for something fresh & new!

Bio Thimon:
Thimon de Jong (1977) founded WHETSTON, a strategic foresight think tank based in Amsterdam. WHETSTON explores the future of human behaviour, societal trends and generational change. These insights are then applied to leadership and business strategy. Thimon is an experienced (virtual) keynote speaker and leadership trainer and has worked for clients like Morgan Stanley, Vodafone, IKEA, Novartis, Nike, Microsoft, Warner, Tetra Pak and L'Oréal. Thimon also lectures at the social psychology department of Utrecht University. He is a former insights & strategy director at TrendsActive, a researcher at FreedomLab Future Studies and editor-in-chief of RELOAD Magazine. His first book, Future Human Behavior – Understanding What People Are Going To Do Next was published in 2023 by Routledge.

Thimon de Jong's Speaking Topics:

Future Proof Leadership
What can leaders practically do today to be ready for the future? On how to navigate the poly-crisis, ride the next wave of digitalisation, embrace new ways of working, increase trust and take care of the planet and themselves?
The Future of Work
What are the practical implications of the future of work? How much flexible WFH/remote/hybrid/Metaverse work are we going to do? And how to attract the next generation of workers: what does the talent of the future want? How to attract and keep them?
The Human Side of Technology
How will people respond to future technologies? How can leaders get themselves and their people to rationally and emotionally embrace new technology? And what is the perfect balance between the virtual and the physical?
Navigating the Polycrisis
It is time to envision how human behaviour will change in the coming years now that society is hit by a so-called “polycrisis”: where several crises in a row (COVID-19, Ukraine, inflation, recession & the climate crisis) shake up society and rattle our mental wellbeing. How does this affect our behaviour? Decision-making? And leadership?
Generation Z: Collaborative Action
Gen Z is making quite an impact! How do they differ from older generations? And how to create a thriving collaborative multi-generational workplace where their entrepreneurialism and their action mindset can thrive?
The Future of the Planet
The 2010s were mostly about raising awareness, and the 2020s are all about Action with a capital A. So what can organisations practically DO right now to make a real impact (without being cancelled)? How should leaders approach this topic? How can an organisational purpose be aligned with the personal purposes of its employees, stakeholders, and clients?
Mental Surplus
The topic of mental health is rapidly becoming as ‘normal' as physical health. Employees are actively looking for mental health resources at work and see their manager as one of these resources. Any future-proof leader should start working on a mental surplus today with a focus on empathy skills and emotional intelligence.