Introducing myself ...

On this website, I'm introducing myself, Philippe Vandenbroeck.

Over the years, I have given shape to a consultancy practice that moves between disciplines, blending analytical rigor with an exploratory mindset. My work engages with questions of organisational strategy and societal transition, always guided by a curiosity about how systems shape our world and future and how we, in turn, shape them.

As a kid I felt drawn to studying the past rather than the future. I was fascinated by archaeology and the intricacies of Latin. Yet, for some reason, I ended up studying engineering. There I discovered the power of cutting through complexity—going back to first principles, translating ideas into physical designs, and testing whether they could withstand the demands of the real world.

Soon after, I pursued a degree in philosophy, followed later by one in human settlements. Unconsciously, I had been preparing myself for my vocation as a systems practitioner. I spent time in large organisations, though not for long, and by the mid-1990s, I had founded a boutique consultancy.

Thirty years later, shiftN remains my professional home—a venture that has been both demanding and rewarding, not just as a business but as an experiment in place-seeking and self-organisation. I am grateful to the many clients, partners, and colleagues who have shaped this journey.

This website reflects the different roles that I inhabit and the experimental niches that I engage with across the inseparable realms of work and life.