Clo Willaerts

What Will the Future Bring?

“Social media are exciting, but also a lot of plain hard work,” says Clo Willaerts, a Belgian digital marketing expert, blogger and author of two books (The Conversity Model and Always Naked) on the impact of social media and digital technology in professional and private life.

Somewhere in the mid-90s she became rather accidentally exposed to computers and the Internet, and fell in love.  "Internet technology finds itself every six months again, some people get nervous, but for me it remains just as fascinating."

Willaerts speaks passionately about the impact of digital technology on our society. For her, the digital and analog has long been intertwined. She is not interested in the hype and buzzwords of the day and dares to ask uncomfortable questions (and give answers) about online safety, privacy and identity. In addition, she eagerly follows the latest developments on virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing – which explains her love for the science fiction series Star Trek. Willaerts immerses herself in bitcoin derivatives, blockchain technology, and FinTech in general.

Willaerts travels at least once a year to southern Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, and Namibia) and teaches as a volunteer about digital marketing strategies to representatives of the local tourism industry. The models she develops focus on responsibility and sustainability, especially by women and young people. And of course Willaerts is very active on social media.