Business improver

Erik van den Akker

Success starts with thinking from the other person's point of view.

Success starts with thinking from the other person's point of view.
That's my belief and my approach. I help people and teams achieve their goals faster by encouraging behavioral change and ownership. My style? Practical, energetic, and always people-focused. No theoretical classroom, but concrete tools that work immediately in practice.

My strength lies in inspiring people to reach their full potential. By combining authenticity with effective communication, meaningful relationships are created—within teams and with clients.

International clients appreciate my enthusiasm, commitment and the fact that participants really get moving after a training.

Expertise

Before joining Kenneth Smit in 2015, I worked at IBM for almost 25 years, 10 of which at international management level. I held various positions in sales, operations, strategy and business consulting. I now coach boards and management teams at home and abroad. My specialization lies in behavioral change and developing skills in sales, leadership, collaboration and productivity. Clients such as Capgemini, Akkodis, myBrand, Easytrip and Gaming Laboratories International rely on my practical and results-oriented approach. My profit promise? Rapid growth in satisfaction and turnover — and often a better personal life as well.
Communication Consultancy Industry IT Management Personal development Sales Business services

My planned open training sessions

Check out my open training courses below and register immediately.

TrainingFirst DateCityPrice per day
Next Generation Sales - English30 sep 2026Nieuwegein€3.476Sign up
Communication with Impact29 October 2026Nieuwegein€1.749Sign up
Harvard Negotiation English (2 days)November 24 2026Nieuwegein€1.749Sign up

Latest publications

In our publications we share insights, trends and experiences that help leaders and professionals achieve success.

Stakeholder management is the systematic identification, analysis, and involvement of all stakeholders in a project...
Stakeholder management: influence and engage your stakeholders
Coaching leadership is a leadership style in which you encourage employees to find solutions themselves and...
Coaching leadership: how to develop a coaching style
Effective communication is the ability to convey your message clearly and at the same time well...
Communicating effectively: techniques for better communication
Personal effectiveness is about working smarter by making conscious choices about what you do...
Personal effectiveness: increase your impact at work
Change management is the structured guidance of organizational changes so that they actually succeed. Learn the key models...
Change Management: The Complete Guide to Successful Change
Personal leadership is the ability to give direction to your own career through self-insight,...
Personal leadership: what it is and how you develop it
The invisible layer in a conversation is everything that plays a role in the background without...
The invisible layer in every conversation
Ownership in the workplace means taking responsibility for your actions, choices, and results. Discover why...
Ownership: how to make it visible in behavior
Behavioral change in organizations only succeeds if insight is translated into concrete actions. Discover what works...
Changing behavior in organizations: why it doesn't happen automatically

Our approach

Do you want to know which process suits your organization?

 

Collaboratively developing solutions that work directly in your practice. Not a one-size-fits-all solution, but a customized approach that inspires action.

A new course,
a new career

Ready to make a difference in your careers? This informative partner brochure tells you everything you need to know about partnering with Kenneth Smit.

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