Theatre and math – an unlikely combination. And yet I felt attracted to both. And so I studied Computer Science in Leiden and Theatre in Nijmegen, even though I had no idea how to combine the two.

For many years I was the professional computer scientist during the day, and the semiprofessional theatre or improv player at night. But after my move from central Toronto to suburban Amsterdam in 2005 and my promotion to daddy soon afterward, there just didn’t seem to be the time to do both.

So…. I joined the Dutch National Police as a strategic cybercrime advisor for the National High Tech Crime Unit. No more programming, no more theatre. Instead, a detailed insight into the underground world of cybercrime, and… loads and loads of public speaking. Cutting edge technology, interesting cooperations, sexy locations, stage time. I had found a job that combined my two passions!

And then, 10 years later, it was time for the next jump. After winning the 2009 European speech championships the number of speeches and trainings I gave I gave in my spare time slowly climbed, until it felt like I had two jobs – again. Time to go solo. So I left law enforcement, although I still speak for Interpol, Europol, and the like, and became a professional speaker.

I hope to make the world a better and safer place by helping change the way people think. I can combine subject knowledge and showmanship to give the audience an experience they are not likely to forget.

And so theatre and math have turned into keynotes and cyber. A golden combination.