Special keynote speaker: Prof. Dr. Jan Jonker

As we celebrate 10 years of the NBM conference series, we are especially delighted to welcome back Professor Jon Janker, who hosted the inaugural NBM conference in Toulouse in 2016 and helped shape the vision that continues to inspire this growing community.

 

From Lens to Legacy: The Story of Jan Jonker

  • Started his working life as a professional photographer specialised in wine photography (in France)

  • Entered academic  life more by chance than by choice - searching for a way to support his then young family

  • While doing his PhD, he wrote a book on research methodology (to understand what he was doing) that was later translated into 17 languages.

  • Became the director of the first PhD school of the Faculty of Policy Sciences of Radboud University, a position he held for ten years.

  • Over the years, he specialised in sustainable development and the circular economy, focusing on business models and transition.

  • Created the NBM Conference in Toulouse ten years ago at the Toulouse Business School (France) with the help of Niels Faber

  • Launched simultaneously the Dutch National Platform ‘Our Common Future 2.0’ with projects and programs to enhance sustainable and circularity

  • Worked for the Dutch Government and ‘Brussels' on various research and policy assignments, besides regular business consultancy

  • Wrote over thirty books, of which five are bestsellers, and many articles, academic as well as popular

  • Retired in 2021 and is currently writing his last book (in Dutch), Transition of Meaning: Working towards a New Societal Contract.

Prof. Dr. Jan Jonker is a renowned expert in sustainable development and business models. He was a professor at the Nijmegen School of Management at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. He has also held the Chaire d’Excellence Pierre de Fermat at the Toulouse Business School in France, during which time he created the NBM Conference. He is infinitely grateful to all those people, all those bright minds, who have invested time and creativity over the years to what NBM is today: a vivid and bustling community. Born in 1954 in Amsterdam, Jonker worked early on as a professional photographer specialising in wine and food photography, later changing to academia. Early in his academic career, he focused on research methodology and quality management. His research gradually shifted to focus on sustainability and the circular economy. His first working paper on the subject appeared by accident in 1992. Over the years, he focused on sustainable and circular business models that can contribute to organisational change and transition. He is known for his innovative approach, often involving crowdthinking, which implies engaging large groups in collaborative research projects. Jonker has authored over 30 books, including the international bestseller ‘Organising for Sustainability’ (2021), written and edited with Niels Faber. Earlier this year, he launched the ‘WEconomy Transitioncanvas’, a practical approach to transition management, value creation and business models (sorry, written in Dutch), commissioned by the Dutch Government. His contributions to the field have earned him recognition as one of the Top 100 most influential 'Green' Dutch people for seven years. In 2016, he was awarded the Dutch National 'Duurzaam Lintje’ (sustainability ribbon). He later received a knighthood (in the rank of officer) from the King of the Netherlands for his efforts to popularise sustainability. Retired in 2021 and is currently writing his last book (in Dutch), Transition of Meaning: Working towards a New Societal Contract.