Erik Wegewijs lecture

Speaker

Erik Wegewijs

Erik Wegewijs is a former commando, leader within the Special Forces, and author of the book Met Blote Handen. He speaks about leadership, resilience, and team building, translating his years of experience in extreme conditions into insights that are directly applicable for teams and organizations. His style is accessible, direct, and inspiring. With his lectures, he creates connection, encourages people to think, and initiates movement.

Themes

Subthemes

Available for booking as

Speaker

Languages

Dutch
English

Rate indication

Price on request

About Erik Wegewijs

After 25 years operating on the front line of the Netherlands Special Forces (Korps Commandotroepen), Erik Wegewijs knows better than anyone how to lead under pressure, build trust in extreme situations, and help people grow by giving them responsibility. His view on leadership and team development has been shaped by years of experience at the highest level of both physical and mental challenge. He now translates this into powerful insights for the corporate world, education, and the public sector. Booking Erik Wegewijs as a speaker With his direct and accessible style, Erik knows how to connect with any audience. His lectures are energetic, interactive, and filled with practical insights. He creates connection, makes complex themes tangible, and inspires his audience to take action. Thanks to his experience, he speaks with equal ease to executive boards as to teams on the work floor. He prepares thoroughly and tailors his story to the challenges and goals of your organization. Through his personal approach and genuine attention, you almost get the feeling that, as an audience, you are sitting together with him at one big kitchen table. He also delivers his story in English with impact and depth. Author of Met Blote Handen (With Bare Hands) In his book Met Blote Handen, Erik shares his personal story, from his youth to his years of service in the Special Forces. He describes intense experiences, lessons on camaraderie and moral courage, and his work with well-known Dutch figures in the television world. The book shows how to develop mental strength and live a life of courage, responsibility, and… Book Erik Wegewijs at Het Sprekershuys Erik can be booked as a speaker and expert in the fields of leadership & strategy, team building, sports & motivation, and entrepreneurship. He speaks at leadership days, team development programs, safety trainings, management sessions, and events on mental strength, collaboration, and growth. On this page, under the heading “Sessions,” you can find more information about the various options.

Sessions

Erik Wegewijs translates over 25 years of experience within the Special Forces into practical lessons for leaders and teams. In his lectures, he combines insights from command life with contemporary challenges in the workplace. He shows how to lead with courage, build trust in complex situations, and remain human in your approach.

As an advisor, coach, and sparring partner, he thinks along at every level of the organization. His approach is down-to-earth and decisive: as simple as possible, but always with strategic awareness. He challenges his audience to take control themselves, to broaden rather than narrow, and to act from character rather than from position.

Erik is a speaker who:

inspires people to rise above themselves
supports leaders who feel lonely at the top
reduces complex issues to their essence
opens new perspectives on familiar themes
creates unexpected connections between people and ideas

With his unique mix of experience, reflection, and sharp observation, he not only stimulates thinking but also encourages action.

Videos

With bare hands

Erik Wegewijs - Showreel

Reviews

"The lecture that Erik gave at Basic-Fit was tailored to the audience. Erik has a good sense of what the audience needs and knows how to anticipate this on the spot. He takes you along his career path and connects elements related to leadership: self-reflection, collaboration, making conscious choices, showing courage, your own influence, etc. He provided concrete tools and tips that are easily applicable in the workplace, regardless of the industry you work in. Highly recommended!"

Basic-Fit

"The collaboration with Erik went very smoothly, both in the preparation and on the day of the session. Erik quickly understood our industry, target audience, and the theme, and was able to translate this into his presentation. The session was very engaging for our clients in the audience thanks to the theme and Erik's captivating way of storytelling. It was great that Erik took the time afterwards to personally answer some questions from visitors."

Aspect ICT

"The opening by Erik was spot on! He seamlessly connected with the topics of the day and immediately engaged everyone. Truly a top speaker! Calm, down-to-earth, but with a very clear message and food for thought. Everyone was really enthusiastic and took something away for themselves, which was also the intention!"

Coneco

"Perfect presentation by Eric, very positively received and feedback afterwards."

Van Geleuken

"We enjoyed a wonderful event! Thanks in part to Erik's contribution, it was very inspiring and we also had a lovely connecting day as colleagues! I am personally a fan of Erik's ways of thinking, and I received support from many colleagues who were very enthusiastic. 1.5 hours flew by!"

Laudame

"We look back on a positive morning with Erik Wegewijs. His story has set something in motion. Erik presented in a calm yet clear manner what leadership means to him, being a team but also personal goals. Many of his examples and insights are applicable within education. Ultimately, we continued within the teams by setting concrete and clear personal goals, which were shared within the group so that everyone can be held accountable for their goal but can also receive support from others regarding their goal. We want to thank Erik for his contribution and the pleasant collaboration."

Jacobus Fruytier school community

"The session with Erik went very well! There was a positive atmosphere during the workshop. Erik was able to nicely summarize all the findings from the groups for everyone afterwards. Now we have to get to work ourselves. After the workshop, we distributed the books, which everyone really enjoyed."

UMCG

"Pragmatic, inspiring, experienced, and incredibly valuable for truly getting to know, developing, and improving yourself! Since our first meeting in 2018, I have been working with Erik. A connector, a leader, a sparring partner, and performance coach for boardrooms, managers, teams, and for anyone who wants to take steps forward in leadership."

Joost Poolman Simons - Head of Brand-Manager Brand- ANWB

"Very pleasant speaker with charisma. The colleagues remained captivated. He knows how to tell it well, convey his vision, and you stay engaged from start to finish. Many colleagues wanted to hear much more. In short, very positive feedback. There was also a nice translation to practice: what you take away and can do starting tomorrow. You could also tell from Erik that he had prepared well and listened carefully to our wishes."

Talpa

"Erik gave a lecture for us as part of our internal vitality program. From the very first moment, Erik took the time to tailor this lecture to our audience, allowing him to connect all relevant themes in an inspiring way. Additionally, we found the communication with Erik throughout the entire preparation to be very pleasant, quick, and personal. We highly recommend Erik!"

PGGM