TRUST THE SIGNAL,
NOT THE NOISE.
Wim Vermeulen
Award-winning author and speaker
How Responsible Businesses navigate a world of politicized transitions, cultural backlash, and ecological urgency.
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
How Responsible Businesses navigate the thin line between politicized transitions, cultural backlash, and ecological urgency.
In an era where climate action is politicized, cultural divisions shape perception, and the planet’s boundaries are under threat, brands face a dangerous paradox: speak up and risk backlash, or stay silent and lose relevance. This keynote explores how brands can cut through the noise by focusing on truth, credibility, and value creation that resonates across a divided landscape. Using real-world examples and signal-vs-noise thinking, we’ll unpack how to build desire without distortion, how to lead without polarizing, and how to become the brand that people trust in a time of transition.
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NEW KEYNOTE PROGRAM
Credibility is the new currency
How credible brands unlock short and long-term value.
Credibility is no longer a soft metric. In a world flooded with misinformation and competing truths, it is becoming a measurable asset and the defining currency of business success. Based on four years of scientific research, this keynote reveals the key drivers of credibility, the common traps that erode it, and how to invest in communication capital that pays off. You’ll leave with the tools to assess your brand’s credibility and the insight to build trust that compounds over time.
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NEW KEYNOTE PROGRAM
The power of a responsible reputation
Why your reputation is your most valuable asset in today’s volatile world.
With rising expectations around climate, justice and transparency, a responsible reputation has become a strategic advantage. This keynote is grounded in original scientific research into how corporate communication shapes your reputation as a responsible business. It unpacks how consumers define responsibility, why greenhushing undermines credibility, and what the key perception and value drivers are. Through practical frameworks and real-world cases, you will learn how to build, protect and grow a reputation that earns loyalty, attracts talent and drives sustainable growth.​
NEW KEYNOTE PROGRAM
Rallying the Troops on Responsibility
How to engage teams, stakeholders and consumers in a shared responsible transition
No business can lead on responsibility without its people behind it. This keynote explores how to activate internal and external audiences around your sustainability mission in ways that are meaningful, credible and energising. Drawing on research into organisational behaviour and communication effectiveness, we examine what makes people care, commit and contribute to change. Whether you’re building internal momentum or creating consumer belief, this session helps you turn responsibility into a rallying cry, not a compliance checklist.​
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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, and in 2025, Wim and Bubka launched the Responsible Business Index.
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​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.
Wim understands how brands are built and uses that insight to guide ecopreneurs toward credible, sustainable growth.
His keynotes inspire purposeful communication that earns trust and drives impact.
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.
DOCU & PODCASTS
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.
PODCASTS
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.
CONTACT & BOOKING
If you are interested in the keynotes or workshops or just have a question, please use this form.
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