Joep Driessen

About Joep Driessen

What can we learn from the cow?

Cows cannot talk, but they tell us a lot… with their body language. How do farmers turn their cows into satisfied employees? CowSignals and PeopleSignals are closely related. Cow whisperer and veterinarian Joep Driessen gives you an insight into the life of the cow. Insights for a better life for both humans and animals.

After lectures in 70 countries, Joep shares ideas and examples about good observation, happiness in life, and change management. He brings education, motivation, and inspiration. From cow to human, from human to cow.

Where is the real innovation? How do you reinvent yourself? From wanting to doing. After a career as a sheep shearer, tour guide, veterinarian, and marketer in the pharmaceutical industry, Joep began his sustainable mission in 1999: ambassador of the cow.

People want to change, but people do not want to be changed.

After a 10-year study at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Utrecht, Joep works as a veterinarian. After healing many pigs, cows, and dogs, he decides to focus on disease prevention. Prevention! Better to prevent than to cure.

I was amazed as a young veterinarian in the Harmelense polder at the number of lame and sick animals. I felt sorry for the cow and the farmer! This must be better!

Together with colleague veterinarian Jan Hulsen, he developed CowSignals. A course to learn to observe the body language of cows. A book and a workshop for the barn followed. After 3 years, the lectures began. And after 10 years, train the trainer. By now, Joep has trained over 1000 trainers in more than 50 countries. Mostly stakeholders from the agricultural sector, from farmer to bank director, from sperm seller to robot seller, from feed advisor to veterinarian, and from child to king. Willem and Maxima attended a short CowSignals course in China.

Over half a million CowSignals books have now been sold in 35 languages. There are 500 active CowSignals franchisees in 50 countries, and the online training is viewed in nearly 100 countries. After 25 years of CowSignals training, it’s time for PeopleSignals training.

Observe, think, act.

Joep is an enthusiastic, passionate, interactive speaker. Through examples of “best management practice,” contrasts, and metaphors, it quickly becomes clear what needs to be done and how.

Enjoy life, it lasts only a little while!