Hi, I’m Willem. I started Ice Cream for Everyone in 2007 as my personal blog, and since then it has evolved into an audio podcast, email newsletter, and playful strategy consultancy.
I moved back to my home town Paris, France, in 2019. While I’m developing professional contacts in Paris, I still travel on a regular basis, sometimes for client work, and occasionally to satisfy my wanderlust.
I worked as a brand strategy director or consultant with a number of creative agencies and direct clients in America, Asia and Europe. Most recently I worked with FCB Chicago on Discover Financial, Kimberley Clarke; with The Escape Pod, and with Energy BBDO on global brand strategy for SC Johnson household brands. I also worked as APAC Head of Strategy & Planning for WPP’s digital agency Possible in Singapore, Senior Strategic Planner for Saatchi & Saatchi, where we won marketing strategy and effectiveness awards for projects done with Subway in Singapore, and P&G Eukanuba in Australia.
I lived and worked in a number of countries, including the United States, France, UK, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand.
Before brand strategy, I used to work in personal coaching programmes with Landmark Worldwide, one of the global leaders in personal coaching and innovative educational programmes.
And even before that, I originally began my career in Paris, as an interactive designer with a small events marketing agency.
I have always had a passion for play and games, particularly imaginative play, storytelling, tabletop roleplaying and board games. I study play in psychology, education, game design, and more – looking for ways and methods to develop innovative business ideas as a strategy consultant.
If you would like to find out more about my career path as well as some thoughts about the creative industry, I wrote a piece for GapJumpers a few years ago, you can read it here.
I also enjoy speaking at events, conferences, and lectures, as I have with Middlesex University in the UK and the Singapore Management University.
I’m always up for meeting new and interesting people, please send an email or a tweet if you want to get in touch. Any reason is a good reason. I also like to keep in touch with fellow planners and strategists, which is one of the reasons why I helped Heather LeFevre with the Planner Survey in the past, and why I enjoy talking with strategists on my podcast.
Outside of work I love travelling, eating, skiing, writing, scuba diving, playing tabletop role-playing and board games, among other things.
I love spending time with friends and family, as well as helping them in their personal or business projects where I can.