TRUST THE SIGNAL,
NOT THE NOISE.
Wim Vermeulen
Award-winning author and speaker
How Responsible Businesses navigate a VUCA-intensified world.
FEATURED IN
KEYNOTES
My keynote program, Trust the Signal, Not the Noise, explores how to become—or strengthen your reputation as—a Responsible Business in a world that is increasingly out of balance. While the noise on our timelines may suggest that taking responsibility is less relevant, the signal—rooted in the undeniable reality of geopolitical, economic, social, and environmental crises—only grows stronger every day. This program addresses the essential question: How can your business grow stronger by taking responsibility? It examines this question from every angle, providing practical and strategic insights for leaders committed to thriving in an increasingly VUCA world.
The program features four keynotes, each available in two formats: a concise 20–60 minute keynote or a more in-depth 90-minute workshop.
NEW KEYNOTE PROGRAM
Trust the signal, not the noise
The climate crisis is accelerating. Biodiversity is collapsing. This isn’t about being a force for good—it’s risk management at scale.
Forget the headlines. While ESG gets politicized, responsible companies are moving forward. Quietly. Strategically. And they’re thriving.
In this session, Wim shares how they do it—real strategies from businesses that are turning responsibility into resilience.
NEW KEYNOTE PROGRAM
Credibility is the new currency
Sustainable advertising isn’t selling because it lacks credibility. Only 9.7% of these campaigns are seen as credible, leading consumers to tune out. Dramatizing the benefit—a common tactic in traditional advertising—doesn’t work in sustainability. In this keynote, Wim introduces the Net Credibility Score (NCS) model, which helps brands measure and strengthen the credibility of their messaging to drive real, bottom-line impact.
NEW KEYNOTE PROGRAM
The power of a responsible reputation
In a world shaken by the climate crisis and global instability, being a responsible business isn’t a moral choice, it’s a strategic one. Backed by new scientific research and real-world examples, Wim shows how companies can move beyond green-hushing, lead with clarity and conviction and thrive because of it.​
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NEW KEYNOTE PROGRAM
Rallying the Troops on Responsibility
Companies set bold sustainability goals, but there’s often a gap between these ambitions and actual progress. This gap creates confusion and disengagement, making it hard for teams to stay aligned and motivated. In this keynote, Wim explores how to identify these gaps, build clear action plans, and rally everyone around a credible mission that drives real change and impact.
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ABOUT ME
Wim Vermeulen is an award-winning strategist, author, and partner at Bubka.
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A recognized authority on embedding credible sustainability into core business strategies, Wim believes that as the sustainable transition accelerates, credibility itself becomes a strategic asset. His research with Ghent University shows that corporate credibility directly shapes a company’s reputation, narrative relevance, communication effectiveness, and stakeholder engagement.
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To help companies seize this competitive edge, Wim developed data-driven frameworks like the Net Credibility Score (NCS) and the Responsible Business Index (RBI)—essential tools for measuring, benchmarking, and strengthening credibility in responsible growth.
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As a sought-after keynote speaker at global events like the Sustainable Brands Summit, Wim delivers clear, actionable strategies for leaders navigating the intersection of sustainability, brand value, and stakeholder trust.
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His work has earned widespread recognition: the Silver Marketing Leadership Award (2023), the PIM Literature Award for Speak Up Now, and AMMA’s research award for Bubka’s NCS framework. In 2024, Bubka was named Agency of the Year in the Positive Impact category,
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and in 2025, Wim and Bubka launched the Responsible Business Index.
With master’s degrees in Political and Communication Science and executive studies at Cambridge, Oxford, and the London Business School, Wim has held leadership roles in London, New York, Moscow, and Brussels before joining Bubka.
Wim Vermeulen is the greatest authority on the business case for sustainability. His strategic thinking is massively insightful, inspiring, and 100% necessary. If you want to understand how to develop competitive advantage in the age of sustainability, just listen.
Wim Vermeulen is a captivating speaker who instantly engages any audience. He reads the room with precision, delivers with warmth and confidence, and pairs striking visuals with deep expertise in sustainability, leaving listeners inspired, compelled, and energized.
Wim delivers inspiring keynotes to our executive audiences. Whether addressing students or seasoned sustainability professionals, he captivates with a compelling narrative, shared with enthusiasm and conviction, illustrated by real-world examples and grounded in solid research and data.
BOOKS
Wim Vermeulen’s books collectively paint a compelling vision for marketing in a world undergoing a profound transition.
They reveal how credibility, data, and responsibility are key to driving growth and earning trust in a time of climate and social challenges.
De Duurzame Belg examines how Belgians see sustainability and what they expect from brands, while Net Credibility Score offers a practical, data-driven framework for building credibility in responsible communication.
Speak Up Now! challenges marketers to lead with integrity in the climate crisis, and Marketing for the Mad (Wo)Men of Tomorrow underscores the power of brands to drive positive change.
Together, these works empower leaders to integrate purpose into business strategy, turning responsibility into a strategic asset for long-term competitive advantage.
DOCUMENTARY & SHORTS
The Decade of Action
The Decade of Action is a documentary on why businesses need to put sustainability at the top of the corporate agenda, featuring Paul Polman (ex-CEO Unilever), Frans Timmermans, Pia Heidenmark Cook (Ikea), Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström, Ilham Kadri (CEO Solvay), Ryan Gellert (CEO Patagonia) and others. Enjoy watching!
We, The Hopeful
The project We, The Hopeful created two short films to help scientists get their transition messages across. Using climate science, WTH brings to life the story of Louise, a young woman living in 2050. Her journey shows how the choices we make today will shape the world for future generations.
ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Wim Vermeulen’s collaboration with Ghent University has led to the development of a suite of scientifically validated strategic frameworks that enable companies to embed responsibility into the core of their business strategy. These include the Net Credibility Score (NCS), which quantifies and enhances the credibility of responsible communication, and the Responsible Business Index (RBI), which assesses corporate reputation in the context of responsible business practices.
Transition Tracker is a powerful tool designed to bring your sustainability efforts to life.
It identifies gaps between your ambitions and actual progress, and helps create actionable plans. The Responsible Growth Model (RGM) focuses on the power of sustainable narratives, identifying which messages are most relevant, credible, and capable of driving buying intent. In partnership with Prof. Dr. Gino Verleye, Wim has shared these insights through a series of free webinars at BUBKA, translating scientific research into actionable strategies that help businesses turn responsibility into a measurable driver of growth and stakeholder trust. Watch them for free on www.bubka.be.
PODCASTS
CONTACT & BOOKING
If you are interested in the keynotes or workshops or just want to have a chat, please use this form.
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