The Randstad, Netherlands
Eric Bartels is an entrepreneur, a researcher, and an author represented by the Netherlands’ biggest publishing house, Arbeiderspers/AW Bruna. Eric comes from a family of Dutch entrepreneurs, studied law in Amsterdam and was a composer and musician for many years. After holding various commercial posts in the private sector, Eric started the first of his own businesses in 1988. From 1988 to 2003 Eric was involved in an important series of innovative European business initiatives, including the first worldwide Internet shop, the first worldwide electronic marketplace and the renowned multi-channel communication agency MagicMinds. In 2000 Eric was the subject of a television documentary, which was broadcasted prime time in the Netherlands and released as a feature film in cinemas in 2001. At a stroke he became a ‘famous Dutchman’. Since then Eric has appeared regularly on television and radio, where he comments on political and business trends. He is also much in demand as a speaker at conferences and workshops. In 2004 he embarked on a unique research project. What makes people and companies successful? What makes Apple Apple and Steve Jobs Steve Jobs? With this in mind, he decided to put together a research team and take a scientific look at both conscious and unconscious behavior in excellent leaders and organizations. To date they have interviewed 500 leaders, turned 50 organizations inside out and studied 300 biographies. It is clear that excellent leaders and companies do in fact show unique behavioral patterns, both conscious ones and unconscious ones. Eric had written 3 Dutch books about his research and 3 English titles that are published in 2025. Eric is also Chief Executive Officer at Become Society and its companies, Become Framework and Become Alliance. Specialties: www.becomealliance.com
I am co-founder of unthink institute bv
You can run your brand or company from a makeability-mindset or a becoming-mindset: either see it as a machine that can be anything you want it to be or see it as a purpose-led, agile organism with an intrinsic potential that actualizes in unique intrinsic value for its customers. Most brands or companies operate from the makeability-mindset. Apple operates from the becoming-mindset. Which is why Apple generates more value than any other company on the planet. We offer you our proven WhyToWork-methodology, a unique network of WhyToWork-certified experts that act as one consultancy and the necessary content to help you master the Becoming-state and achieve Becoming-results.