Igor is a public speaker, publicist, television host, trendwatcher, serial entrepreneur and angel investor. He’s known for his bold vision on emerging trends and technologies, and on their effect on business, media, and society. Igor helped global brands like Amazon, L’Oreal, Nike, and Unilever undergo digital transformations.

1. A Fresh and Bold Player in
the Arena of Traditionalists
Igor Beuker
Meeting Igor Beuker
Igor Beuker coolbrandspeople.com The Power to Inspire Change

2. Igor Beuker coolbrandspeople.com The Power to Inspire Change

3. A Fresh and Bold Player in
the Arena of Traditionalists
Igor Beuker
During my travels around the world, I have met many people with a vision and
created their stories. Spending a few days in Amsterdam, a business
acquaintance suggested me to meet Igor Beuker, if I was at least interested in a
good story…so before meeting with him, I did some background research.
What I found was quite impressive. Igor is a public speaker, publicist, television
host, trendwatcher, serial entrepreneur and angel investor. He’s known for his
bold vision on emerging trends and technologies, and on their effect on business,
media, and society.
Igor helped global brands like Amazon, L’Oreal, Nike, and Unilever undergo
digital transformations.
Some say that a man’s future is shaped by his past. Not Igor Beuker. It’s how
he’s dealt with his past that has shaped his vision of the future. He makes no
concessions, no excuses.
I was determined to find out more about him, about the path he has cleared –
not so much navigated – that has brought him to where he is today.
Igor Beuker coolbrandspeople.com The Power to Inspire Change

4. So here we are, in a bar in Amsterdam, where he’s getting ready for his next
presentation.
“I never do the same presentation twice, that keeps me sharp and interested,”
Igor takes off.
Igor appears to be a remarkable man: he exudes a rare combination of calm
and enthusiasm – he doesn’t mince words, is candid and genuine. He voices his
opinions without hesitation, yet remains respectful and interested in hearing
what the other has to say.
“So tell me, how did you end up being an inspiration to so many people?” I ask.
“Well, let’s go back some years…As a child, I displayed a talent for soccer, which
did not go unnoticed by professional clubs. Growing up in rather difficult
circumstances, soccer seemed like a gift, one that could offer me a bright future
despite my rough start in life.
“I was recruited by AZ, where I joined the ranks of the best soccer players in a
nation where success in this sport is a fervent dream for nearly every young boy.
Nevertheless, while maintaining my love for the game, I became increasingly
dissatisfied with all that surrounds it. End of that story…”
“What happened?” I ask.
“I missed a certain depth, insightfulness. I didn’t feel as though I was developing
as a person and knew there had to be more out there for me, also on an
intellectual level. And in the end, that meant that I just wasn’t cut out to be a
professional soccer player. There was something else out there for me. It was up
to me to find my purpose and make it happen.”
So what does a young man whose expectations for the future have evaporated
do? Sulk? Settle for a mundane desk job or join the endless ranks of former
hopeful players turned trainers? These simply weren’t options for Igor.“So what
did you do?” I ask.
Igor Beuker coolbrandspeople.com The Power to Inspire Change

5. “I started to think about what it was that I enjoyed, where I could put my other
talents to use. And I chose to become proficient in the areas of internet and
marketing.
“During the dawn of the internet age, I quickly came to the understanding that
data, the internet, and particularly the opportunities that technology offers were
the way of the future.”
“I read about that,” I say. “This insight proved indeed revolutionary and
invaluable. In the years that followed, you became a genuine leader in the field,
taking perspectives that no-one else dared to offer or even conceived.”
“Thinking back at those days,” he continues, “I became what audiences called
in their speaking reviews a ‘Math Man in a world of Mad Men’, convinced that
advertising may win quarters, innovation wins decades.”
A fresh and bold player in an arena full of traditionalists, his approach and
authenticity earned him both success and respect.
It isn’t so much that Igor has overcome the many curve balls that life has thrown
at him, he has mastered the bat and found a way to make them work for him.
And subsequently turn these challenges into a fresh, inspiring life view that has
proven inspirational and beneficial for others.
“I read that your public speaking engagements are met with unequivocal
enthusiasm, your spirit and unique insights prove invaluable to both individuals
and multinationals alike,” I say.
“I guess that overcoming adversity is not about waiting for the dust to settle, it’s
about rolling up your sleeves and seeking out opportunity, challenging your
preconceptions and pushing forward,” Igor concludes.
Igor Beuker coolbrandspeople.com The Power to Inspire Change