Prof. dr. André Wierdsma (emeritus)

Prof. Dr. André Wierdsma is Emeritus Professor of 'Organizing and Co-creating' at Nyenrode Business University. He lectures in the field of management and organization with a focus on organizational dynamics. He is fascinated by the influence of culture on how people collaborate and live together and the possibilities of re-evaluating patterns of thinking and acting through collective learning. Since his emeritate he has, from his interest in philosophy, focused on the added value of leadership and its moral dimension.

He was involved in and responsible for a large number of 'in-company' programs of leading companies in the Executive Management Development Center of Nyenrode. He has worked for more than 30 years at the interface of management and organizational development. He delivered workshops on learning to organize and leading change all over the world. He worked as a visiting professor in America, Brazil, Denmark and South Africa. He is, from 1986 until today, (visiting) professor at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS, Shanghai/Beijing). He is a much sought-after speaker at (international) management conferences and is known for his inspiring style.

His research and publications are in the areas of leadership, change management, organizational dynamics and the learning organization. He acquired fame as co-author of the award-winning book Op weg naar een lerende organisatie (1990). His PhD Co-creation of Change (1999) is based on his research into collective learning processes in the context of organizational and cultural change. It offers a conceptual framework and methodology for co-creative change and collective learning. His oration "Leading co-creative change, balancing social engineering and fragility" (2001) addresses the competencies for leaders who want to change co-creatively. His emeritus speech in 2014 is titled; 'Freely choosing a position, moral leadership in vital networks'. His latest book 'Learning Organizing' (2017) offers a new perspective on organizing, change and leadership based on concepts such as 'bounded self-management', 'co-creation', Place of Effort and Temporary Workable Agreements (TWO).

André studied business administration at Nyenrode and after two years at Philips he graduated cum laude as an organizational psychologist with a second specialization in clinical psychology. He has worked at Nyenrode since 1978 and is one of the founders of the Executive and Management Development Center (EMDC). He was program director of the Nyenrode Excutive MBA (Nemba, 1986-1993), director of In-company programs (1993-2001 and program director of the Advanced Management Program (AMP 2003-2009).