Geert Van Hootegem

Professor Dr. Geert Van Hootegem was once the youngest nature guide ever. He graduated as an assistant sommelier with Peter Colemont. He is a labour and organisational sociologist and obtained his PhD in 1999 with his dissertation The Bearable Slowness of Management. He became a professor at the University of Leuven in 2000. Before that, he was affiliated with Radboud University Nijmegen. Until 2022, he was general director at HIVA, the Research Institute for Work and Society at the KU Leuven.

He introduces first-year students to Society: challenges and solutions. Additionally, he teaches labour and organisational sociology, as well as change management. He has published dozens of articles in scientific journals and also writes for a broad audience. Through interviews in written and audiovisual media, he aims to provide insight and take a stance. At various points in his career, he has been honoured, including receiving the triennial Prize for Humanities and the domestic Francqui Chair.”

He was tasked by the Flemish Government with establishing and leading Flanders Synergy. He was also involved in the foundation of the Ulbo de Sitter Institute, a knowledge institute focused on New Organising in the Low Countries. These local initiatives gained international integration through the establishment of EUWIN, the European Network of Workplace Innovation.

His research focuses on trends related to organisational structures and strategies, as well as their effects. This research spans across industry, knowledge sectors, and the healthcare sector. Investigating the impact of automation is a constant theme.

Geert Van Hootegem firmly believes that the future compels us to “Organise Differently & Work Better.” He actively engages in this endeavour, supporting organisations through advice and training as an organisational whisperer. A skilled speaker, he advocates that organisational design is the key to sustainable growth—for both organisations, employees, and their leaders.