Boris van der Ham

Boris van der Ham is a versatile speaker, trained as an actor and known as a former member of parliament from 2002 to 2012, currently active as an executive in healthcare, culture, and business, as well as an author of books, actor in TV series, columnist, and musician.

Languages:

Employability:

Dagvoorzitter,Keynote spreker

About Boris van der Ham

With his very accessible and witty style, Boris can translate the breadth of his experience into in-depth analysis and practical solutions. He is able to encourage his audience to think beyond conventional paths and inspires with examples from his own experiences in areas such as disability care, as an actor, and as a writer.

As a politician, he became known as a progressive voice. He served for many years as the spokesperson for education and is also a strong advocate for the separation of church and state, as well as a proponent of strong foundations for our freedoms and democracy. He wrote a large number of historical legislative proposals and was elected twice with preferential votes.

As an actor, he graduated in 1998 from the renowned Maastricht Theatre Academy and performed until 2002 in plays such as ‘Macbeth’, ‘Antigone’, and ‘Timon of Athens’. He made his comeback on stage in 2016 in productions including ‘Ciske de Rat’, and was seen in 2023 in ‘George Orwell’s 1984’. On television, he appeared in popular series such as ‘Flikken Maastricht’ and ‘Smeris’. As a musician, he has been releasing albums since 2020, including ‘Niemand dan wij’ and ‘Lapjeskat’, in which he combines pop music with chanson and big band influences.

As an executive, he was for a long time the chairman of the Humanist Association and active with Humanists International in London. He produced two documentaries about ex-Muslims for the Human broadcasting organization. Currently, he is, among other roles, the chairman of Disability Care Netherlands (VGN), the Events Sector (VVEM), and the Dutch Franchise Association (NFV), and was a member of the SER and VNO-NCW.

Van der Ham has written several books on leadership and the dilemmas of freedom, including ‘De Koning Kun Je Niet Spelen’, ‘De Vrije Moraal’, and ‘Nieuwe Vrijdenkers’. In 2025, his latest book ‘Onzichtbaar’ will be published, focusing on the 1.1 million Dutch people with a mild intellectual disability.

Specialist Subjects

Onze vrije en democratische samenleving staat onder druk. Als we die willen verdedigen zullen er een aantal grote hervormingen doorgevoerd moeten worden: in de politiek, in het onderwijs, in het bedrijfsleven en in de alledaagse samenleving. Van der Ham neemt ons mee in een originele beschouwing van wat er nu misgaat, en ook welke lessen we kunnen trekken hoe deze op te lossen. Wat kan een vrije samenleving bij elkaar houden.

Mensen en ook hun leiders zijn de afgelopen duizenden jaren niets veranderd. Dat is de stelling van Van der Ham. De fouten die leiders nu maken, maakten ze in het oude Griekenland ook al, en ook in Shakespeares tijd. Ervaren bestuurder Boris van der Ham – afgestudeerd als acteur aan de toneelacademie Maastricht – neemt je mee naar toneelwetten waar menig leider nog wat van kan opsteken. Een geestig en inspirerend verhaal.

In Nederland gaan we ervan uit dat iedereen zelfredzaam is en met de snelle veranderingen in onze samenleving goed kan omgaan. Maar steeds grotere groep Nederlanders lukt dat niet. Boris van der Ham schreef het boek ‘Onzichtbaar’ over de 1,1 miljoen Nederlanders met een licht verstandelijke beperking. Oververtegenwoordigd in verdrietige statistieken van armoede, eenzaamheid en criminaliteit. Hoe houden we Nederland begrijpelijk en dichtbij?