Talks on Brand Humanizing, the future of work and leading with AI. Stories and practical ideas. No death by PowerPoint.
Mid-flow on stage.
“No ‘Death by PowerPoint,’ but a smooth and captivating story that got us as an IT organization thinking. Ferry is second to none at keeping his audience engaged.”
Three signature talks, each one rebuilt for your audience.
Why human edge becomes the durable advantage when AI commoditises everything else.
How to lead organisations where humans and machines work side by side without losing meaning.
A clear, practical look at where AI actually moves the needle, and where it just adds work.
Based in the Netherlands. Speaking at conferences and company events at home and abroad, in English and Dutch.
View Press KitFerry spent over a decade at the intersection of technology, marketing, and human behaviour before stepping onto stages worldwide. He coined Brand Humanizing in 2017 and has been putting it to work with organisations ever since.
His talks are built around one provocation: technology should make you more human, not less. Audiences leave with a clear idea of what to do on Monday morning.
Each talk is tailored to your audience, industry, and event goals.
AI can copy your content, your processes, even your customer service. What it cannot replicate is the distinctly human qualities that make people trust, follow, and buy from you. In this keynote Ferry unpacks the Brand Humanizing framework and shows how organisations turn their human edge into an advantage competitors can't copy.
Best suited for
Leadership teams, marketing directors and brand strategists working out how to adopt AI.
Key takeaways
The AI hype has settled. The real question now is how to lead organisations where humans and machines work side by side without losing what makes work meaningful. Ferry explores the skills, culture, and leadership choices that separate thriving organisations from ones that merely survive the transition.
Best suited for
HR directors, L&D leads, and C-suite leaders shaping the next era of work.
Key takeaways
Organisations are racing to adopt AI without first asking the most important question: what problem are we actually solving? Ferry shares real-world examples of costly missteps and offers a practical framework for making sure your AI investments solve the right problems in the right order.
Best suited for
Strategy teams, digital transformation leads, and boards overseeing AI investments.
Key takeaways
When algorithms recommend who to hire, what to prioritise, and how to allocate resources, the leader's role fundamentally changes. This talk explores what human-centred leadership looks like when machines have a seat at the table, and why the best leaders will be those who know when not to listen to the data.
Best suited for
C-suite leaders, HR directors, and anyone managing teams in an AI-augmented environment.
Key takeaways
The EU AI Act is not just a compliance exercise. It is an opportunity to build organisational AI literacy from the ground up. Ferry explains what the regulation requires in plain language and shows how the smartest organisations are using it as a catalyst for strategic advantage rather than a bureaucratic burden.
Best suited for
Compliance officers, legal teams, and leadership responsible for AI governance.
Key takeaways
Ferry regularly builds custom keynotes for a specific industry, theme or internal challenge. A board retreat, a leadership offsite, a big conference. Tell Speakers Academy what you have in mind.
Discuss a custom keynoteEverything you need to know about working with Ferry.
I speak about the human side of technology. Most often that means AI, the future of work, leadership, and how organizations design systems where technology strengthens human judgment instead of replacing it.
My core theme is Brand Humanizing. It's about staying distinctive and human in a world where tools become available to everyone.
Ferry schedules a call with your team to understand the audience, objectives, and context so the talk hits the right notes.
No copy-paste keynotes. Every talk gets examples from your industry and the right depth for your audience.
Ferry brings the energy. The slides support the story. They don't carry it.
After the event, Ferry is available for a brief debrief and happy to share key resources or frameworks with your team.
Feedback from event organisers who have worked with Ferry.
“Ferry took us on an inspiring journey, with the topic perfectly tailored to our audience. He engaged participants effectively and left more than enough room for questions.”
“From our very first meeting with Ferry, the collaboration was wonderful. He's incredibly enthusiastic, flexible, and loves thinking along about both content and practical matters. The day itself was a great experience too! Participants of the keynote and the in-depth workshop said they felt inspired and gained new insights about ChatGPT and AI. In short: we're enthusiastic about Ferry!”
“Ferry is a fantastic speaker. He adapts perfectly to the audience and showed during the workshops that he's highly flexible and alert to reactions from the room. We're very happy with the collaboration and he gave our clients plenty of inspiration they can put into practice.”
“We booked a speaker through Speakers Academy for our event, and the experience was very positive. Communication was smooth, and they actively helped find a speaker who matched our needs. The speaker made a strong contribution to the success of our event and engaged the audience brilliantly. We're very satisfied with the collaboration.”
“Energetic, positive, funny. It was a wonderful session and we received a lot of positive feedback about Ferry's talk. Communication was pleasant, and in the absence of the regular contact person it was seamlessly picked up by a colleague. The aftercare was neatly arranged too. We're happy!”
“Ferry is a knowledgeable and approachable speaker. You could tell at our event from the extensive Q&A, where many questions came from the audience about developments in AI. With his expertise on the synergy between humans and technology, Ferry was a strong keynote opening for our event.”
“Ferry was well prepared and it was great having him as our moderator. He thought along and took action where needed. The reactions from the audience were positive.”
“I recently organized a workshop where Ferry Hoes and the Brand Humanizing Institute delivered a lecture on the Ethics of AI. No 'Death by PowerPoint,' but a smooth and captivating story that got us as an IT organization thinking. Ferry is second to none at keeping his audience engaged. I received a lot of positive feedback about his contribution to our workshop and wholeheartedly recommend him.”
“Ferry has the gift of explaining complex theory in an accessible way. The AI experience among participants varied widely, from no experience at all to employees who already use it daily. Even those without any experience came out of the workshop surprised and very enthusiastic.”
Speakers Academy handles all of Ferry's bookings. Tell them your date and audience and they'll take it from there.
Book Ferry
