JLS International BV,
PO Box 448,
1970AK Ijmuiden,
The Netherlands
+31 (0)654 396936
joepc@mac.com
joep.dejong@h-l.nl

Joep C. de Jong is CEO of Van Harte & Lingsma (H&L), an organization that develops and delivers training programs in the areas of leadership, personal development and organizational development.  Amongst others H&L focuses on Theme-Centered Interaction (TCI) as originally conceptualized by Ruth C. Cohn. Core in the approach of H&L is that it strongly believes in releasing the power that resides in us all. In that respect it has close relations to the fundamentals of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). Ever since he joined BT in 1998 he has been using AI to facilitate change and innovation in the organizations he has been responsible for and to bring out the best in people. Using AI in the day-to-day business he is particularly interested in the sustainability of AI in organizations and in the use of AI in every day processes (coaching, appraisals etc.).

Apart from his work within H&L he spends part of his time as an independent AI consultant. He is one of the founding members of AI Consulting, an international organization promoting the use of AI. On behalf of AI Consulting he has been invited to speak at international conferences (Boston 2001, Miami 2004, Soesterberg 2006, Tilburg 2008, Copenhagen 2009), and worked on a large number of assignments for multi nationals like Abbott, SmithKline Beecham (Glaxo), Viasys, Compaq (HP), Apple Computer and Chevron. He has published in Dutch in leading HR magazines like Personeelsbeleid and Avanta. He is frequently invited to speak about the possibilities of AI, especially about its use in the organizational field.

Joep is father of three wonderful children, lives on the water together with his partner, Hanne, is 53 years and holds a BSc degree in Horticulture. He taught at the Central School for Horticultural Engineering, and was involved in training activities with the International Agricultural Centre (IAC) in Wageningen (1978 ­ 1984). He later became Sales & Marketing Manager for the Education division at Apple Computer (1984 ­ 1991). From 1998 – 2009 he was Director Learning Solutions at BT, where his was responsible for state-of-the-art technology enhanced learning solutions. In 1991 he founded JLS International, an organization that provides high-end training and consultancy to organizations in various markets. It was here that he started to use AI as one of the core approaches to organizational development and organizational change. His first formal introduction to AI was by Jane Watkins and Barbara Sloan. He has received a certification in Global Change and Social Innovation from Case Western Reserve University's Global Excellence in Management program [GEM] in 1997.