Stefaan van Hooydonk

Stefaan van Hooydonk is the founder of the Global Curiosity Institute and author of "The Workplace Curiosity Manifesto." He consults global corporations, leadership teams, and individuals on building stronger curiosity muscles. His expertise is particularly focused on baselining individual and workplace curiosity, and he supports his clients by designing and implementing intentional curiosity improvement projects and learning initiatives. His keynotes emphasize empowering teams to foster curiosity, thereby enhancing innovation and organizational success.

Van Hooydonk began his career in investment consulting in China. He then moved on to establish the executive education arm of the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), which he ran for five years. Following this, he set up global learning teams and innovative corporate universities for notable multinational corporations including Nokia, Agfa Healthcare, Philips, Flipkart, Saudi Aramco, and Cognizant. Most recently, he served as Chief Learning Officer at Cognizant, where he was responsible for the learning and development of over 300,000 associates worldwide. Van Hooydonk is recognized for his ability to understand diverse corporate cultures and challenges, drawing on his extensive global experience.

Van Hooydonk holds a master's degree in Economics and in Chinese, with postgraduate degrees in Marxist Economics from China, Cross-Cultural Management from France, and an Executive MBA from Rutgers University. He is also a certified executive coach. Outside of his professional life, Van Hooydonk is married to Jeltje Peletier, a successful psycho- and yoga therapist, and they have four children. An avid marathon runner and meditation practitioner, he is passionate about personal development and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy. His workshops and talks are known for providing practical tools and strategies.