I was born in Amsterdam in 1962, and lived in New York. I am now in Taiwan. Why? Short answer: I never want to be bored. Life is all about exploring. I now live and work with my team on the slope of a semi-dormant volcano overlooking the city of Taipei, surrounded by jungle, far away from the windmills and canals of my childhood. I love it.
I graduated film school, worked in film and TV and moved to branding and marketing, which is not that different. Both are about the art of telling stories that connect to their audiences. This is what defines me, this is what I am at heart: a creator and storyteller.
my resumeI am an entrepreneur who likes building things and leading motivated teams. I am intensely curious and always looking for a reason to deep dive into a topic. Twelve years ago, I founded Look Right, a branding and marketing agency with a unique portfolio of large and small international clients.
Take Off creates storytelling strategies and content for businesses on social media. Every business has a story to tell, and there are no boring stories - only boring storytellers.
An international branding and marketing agency in Taiwan with clients in a wide variety of sectors and industries, from creative local startups to global industrial corporations.
Learn MoreTake Off creates complete social media story feeds for its clients. Social media is often the first time people look at a business online. We make sure it is not the last.
Learn MoreWe help Taiwanese cultural organizations, designers and creative startups look professional and international, so that Taiwanese design can reach the global audience it deserves.
Learn MoreMy passion for creative communication has its roots in my previous career as a TV producer and screenwriter in Europe, where I wrote and produced over 200 hours of shows, movies, drama series, comedies and soap operas.
I still write to this day: formats, TV concepts, story universes, screenplays. My book on screenwriting and storytelling, The Sideways Hourglass is scheduled for release in fall 2023, but the first accompanying screenwriting workshop series will be held in Taipei, Taiwan from April to June 2023.
I love teaching, sharing knowledge and motivating creative entrepreneurs. Many of my topics are about building bridges between brands, creators and artists and their audiences.
I love this unusual, kind, controversial, wonderful, infuriating, heartwarming country. I am always the outsider, yet never feel excluded. I am always welcome. There is no better place to be than Taiwan.
Taiwan deserves more recognition for its unique cultural identity. I think the new generation of designers would be the best ambassadors for Taiwan.
I have been promoting Taiwanese design for over a decade through books, speeches, writing and as a jury member of design awards. My mission is to get Taiwanese design off the island and into the world.
What happens if your director-friend visits from Holland with a camera? You end up on YouTube, that's what. My life in Taipei, exposed by Martijn Hullegie's incisive questioning during our friendly banter, shows my friends and family back in Holland what daily life on this remarkable island is like.
go to page
POV Taiwan is not a blog. It is not a rant or a manifesto. It is just a collection of stories about marketing, branding and the meaning of life. A stranger's perspective on an even stranger world.
go to page