My Story

I was born in the idyllic medieval Belgian town of Bruges, the epitome of quaint European charm (the town, not me).

At age 11 my parents gifted me a ZX Spectrum mini-computer, one of the early darlings of the personal computing era and as I quickly understood, a precursor to revolutionary things to come in technology and innovation.

The legendary ZX Spectrum by Sinclair – 1987

Wanderlust led me to pack up my life in Belgium and book a one-way ticket to Hong Kong, and from there by slow train into the bucolic countryside of Southern China. What was meant to be an intense but brief adventure into a new culture turned into a nearly 13-year journey of cultural discovery, self-actualization and entrepreneurship.

Ever a technologist and innovator at heart, I returned to the West where I co-founded a self-funded innovation lab. We imagined, designed and built experimental technologies and interfaces we would want to use in the future, including chatbots with natural language processing, a state-of-the-art community engagement platform and range of other tools.

Having witnessed the incredible ambition and scope of innovation in China, I am now deeply involved in the Middle East, where an equally ambitious and exciting wave of innovation is sweeping the region.

When not travelling around the GCC region and the world,
Marc resides primarily in the UAE.

Years young

Coaching Hours

Professionals Trained

Clients served

ETHOS & PRINCIPLES

I believe life is meaningless unless guided by a strong and righteous set of principles and ethics. I fail and falter in upholding these principles as any mortal would, but I always return to these as they define me, my work and my world view.

KINDNESS

Success is pyrrhic and futile unless achieved in kindness and fairness to our peers. Kindness is its own success and an indispensable ingredient in the layer cake of an accomplished life.

INTEGRITY

Easy to sacrifice, almost impossible to regain. The one virtue we must most want others to assign to us, I believe.

CURIOSITY

The root of creativity, personal growth and fulfilment. We are explorers at heart, both externally and within, driven by our curiosity and desire to understand our world.

“The most educated person in the world now has to admit– I shall not say confess– that he or she knows less and less but at least knows less and less about more and more.”

Christoper Hitchens

Journalist & polemicist

“Every now and then a man’s mind is stretched by a new idea or sensation, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Polymath, poet & physician

Speaking

I’ve delivered keynotes on four continents for both small and large events, as well as a growing number of virtual talks. Choose from existing keynotes like ‘The Art of a Thousand Mistakes’ and ‘Something out of Nothing’ or book a custom keynote tailored to your audience.

More about my speaking work

Writing

I’m a frequent contributor to online and print publications reaching hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. My writing is engaging and very accessible to non-technical audiences. Contact me for commissioned writing of op-ed articles, blog posts, and reports.

More about my writing

Training

I provide group-based and individual coaching, training and workshops both virtually and onsite. Book one of my Digital Skills, Innovation Management or Design Thinking courses, or contact me for a custom curriculum or ad hoc training session.

More about my training work

GET IN TOUCH

Every relationship starts with a conversation. I’d love to hear from you to discuss how I can add value and significance to your project, audience or customers.

Please fill out the form or you can connect with me on Linkedin where I’m active on a daily basis, I welcome all new connections.