Keynote: Leave a Mark by René Kops

Expert, Experience expert

1 hour

NL

Leadership,
Change management,
Behavior change,
Personal development

Connect,
Inspire,
Dealing with adversity

Do you want a story that employees will remember tomorrow and beyond? And one they can put into practice right away? The personal and interactive keynote “Leave a Mark,” inspired by the extraordinary story of the well-known Jade Kops, touches everyone! But above all....it inspires and makes an impact! Especially because of the way René relates her story to the workplace.

Have you ever experienced that? You hear a story, and the next day you realize it’s still on your mind. It’s had an effect on you—and a positive one at that! (Which isn’t exactly unimportant, right?)

That’s exactly what René Kops (54) does. In an inspiring and interactive session, he takes his audience on a journey through a story that made an impact throughout the Netherlands. In “Leave a Mark,” he translates this personal story into everyday situations in the workplace: Various aspects of personal leadership are explored here—communication, work pressure, collaboration, and finding meaning. Why do we do the things we do every day? Could we do things differently?

René elevates people to a higher level of personal leadership, encourages them to take an honest look at themselves, and literally helps them see things through a different lens. Experiencing a different perspective can open up surprising possibilities, because for him, one message is clear:
By seeing things differently, you can start acting differently. And by acting differently, you gain the opportunity to make an impact!

As far as René is concerned, the question isn’t whether we make an impact, but what kind of impact we (want to) make!

From what perspective do you view situations? What is possible, even in situations where things aren’t going your way? How do you ensure you connect with your colleagues? And how do you actually want to be remembered later on? These are questions we rarely (if ever) ask ourselves—or others.
During this keynote, we’ll embark on a journey to find answers to these crucial questions. So the session will be interactive! Oh, and…and not unimportantly, René’s energetic performance is sure to make people laugh!

René’s goal is clear: “I want to touch people. Not just during my keynote, but for the rest of their lives!”

Inspiration:
Finding the driving force behind his story isn’t hard: his daughter JADE!
He draws much of his inspiration from the legacy of Jade Kops (Jade was 19 years old when she passed away in April 2026).
Jade, the youngest Dutch person ever to receive a royal honor, has had a tremendous impact on the Netherlands in recent years—as the bestselling author of the book *Forever Young*, as the 2025 Instagrammer of the Year, and as an advocate for her peers facing similar challenges. Nearly half a million people followed her daily battle against childhood cancer through her Instagram account, mijnlevenmetkanker_. With her smile and her outlook on life, she made the Netherlands—right up to Queen Máxima—love her. René wants to continue spreading her legacy.
Now, tomorrow, and beyond!
So René is on a mission, and he’s doing it in his own familiar way:
“I don’t speak from head to head, but from heart to heart.”

Who is this man?
In addition to being a father, René is a passionate professional who draws energy from reaching people with his story. He lives with his family in ‘s-Gravenzande, in the Westland region. René has, “as they say,” been through a lot. He lost his beloved daughter Jade and, earlier in 2012, suffered a stroke himself, after which he had to relearn how to walk, among other things. So he can certainly call himself an expert by experience in real life.

René has years of experience as the principal of various elementary schools. As an educational consultant, he guided major change initiatives and coached professionals in various management roles.

In recent years, René has appeared regularly on national television networks. He has also been a guest on various talk shows, making a strong impression on programs such as *Pauw en de Wit*, *Carrie op Vrijdag*, and *WOS TV*.

A speaker who is guaranteed to make an impression and have an impact with a keynote * that everyone should have the chance to see.

* The Keynote package includes an intake meeting via Teams, preparation, tailoring the Keynote to the organization/audience, travel expenses, a 60-minute interactive Keynote, and a 15-minute Q&A session.

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