Vortrag – 14 Uhr (Englisch)



"Lessons from Failures"

Dr. Bert W.M. Twaalfhoven
Founder EFER and Former President of Indivers B.V.

Most entrepreneurs only talk about their successes. Having started over 54 companies in 11 countries including Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Holland, Belgium, England, U.S.A. Singapore and China, Bert Twaalfhoven is unique among European entrepreneurs. Not just for the number of companies he has started but also because of the importance he puts on learning from failures. Many of his companies were successful, however, 17 ventures failed. In his speech, he will talk about what he has learned as a serial entrepreneur as well as the importance of overcoming the stigma of failure in Europe.

Lebenslauf Dr. Bert W.M. Twaalfhoven
Dr. Twaalfhoven graduated from Fordham University in 1952 with a B.Sc. and received his MBA at Harvard Business School in 1954. In 1993 Dr. Twaalfhoven received an honorary doctorate from Fordham University for his achievements in the area of education and as an international entrepreneur. Dr. Twaalfhoven is former chairman of Harvard Business School Alumni and on June 2, 2001 he received the Annual Alumni Award from Harvard Business School for his activities stimulating entrepreneurship in Eastern and Western Europe.
Indivers started 54 companies in 11 countries including Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Holland, Belgium, England, U.S.A. Singapore and China. Most companies were successful, 17 ventures failed. The company sold its major turbine related activities in 1997 to United Technologies in the U.S.A., and in 2000 to Sulzer of Switzerland. Indivers was also co-founder of the first venture capital company in the Netherlands (Gilde) and has participations in several venture capital companies.
In addition to being an entrepreneur, Dr. Twaalfhoven is active in many capacities in international networks of universities and entrepreneurs, especially the promotion of dynamic growth entrepreneurs. He is Founder and President of the European Foundation for Entrepreneurship research (EFER), initiator of EASDAQ and co-Founder of Gilde. He is founding member and board member of Europe’s 500, an association for Europe’s fastest growing entrepreneurs. Dr. Twaalfhoven is board member of the Fordham Graduate School of Business in New York and board member of the International Advisory Board of the Netherlands business school, Nyenrode. Most recently, he is co-sponsoring a program to teach 1000 Chinese kids how to sail, in preparation for the Olympics in 2008.
Bert & Maria Twaalfhoven live in Hilversum, Holland and have 8 children (5 MBA’s, 3 engineers). They have 22 grandchildren. They ski – sail – paint and collect 17th century maps when New York was called "New Netherlands" and Cape Cod "New Holland". 5 of the Twaalfhoven 2nd generation are entrepreneur.