Peter de Kock

About Peter de Kock

Peter de Kock: Filmmaker, Storyteller, Head of Clandestine Operations, and Chief Imagination Officer. As a speaker, he gives lectures on innovation, change management, Artificial Intelligence, safety, and creativity.

As a student at the film academy, Prof. Dr. Peter de Kock lived in squatted buildings in Amsterdam. Here, he learned the value of anarchy. As a filmmaker, he traveled the world, finding himself in wars and international conflicts. This gave him stories about humanity, resistance, and resilience.

With this experience, he applied to the police, where he learned the value of hierarchy. He became the head of various secret departments and introduced the use of creative scenarios to predict criminal behavior. His attempts to make a traditional organization more innovative were sometimes successful but often not. In all cases, it provided valuable insights that he is happy to share with you.

When he could combine hierarchy and anarchy, the results were so compelling that he was invited to pursue a Ph.D. at Tilburg University. Here, he researched how historical scenarios—combined with AI and data science—can be used to predict future scenarios. This method proved valuable not only in predicting criminal behavior but also in showing that human behavior, in general, is to some extent predictable.

Embracing the future isn’t just about algorithms and data. De Kock shows you that it’s also about imagination, humor, and inspiring minds along the way.

Peter is also the founder of Bureau Dupin, a collective of citizens that helps the police solve cold cases. This initiative led to both a podcast and a television series. Furthermore, he is the founder of Pandora Intelligence, a company that provides decision-support software, where he serves as the Chief Imagination Officer. In 2019, he was appointed Professor of Practice in the field of Artificial Intelligence in Crime & Safety. Reflecting on his career, Peter can only smile: “It all sounds very grand, but I come from vocational school. Make sure to mention that.”

Whether it’s about innovation, change management, Artificial Intelligence, safety, or creativity, Peter tailors his presentation to the situation and the audience. With a combination of factual stories and personal experiences, he takes you on a journey you won’t soon forget.