Who is Dr. Els van der Helm?
Dr. Els van der Helm is a sleep neuroscientist dedicated to transforming the way organizations think about performance. Her work centers on one powerful insight: sleep is a strategic advantage. By improving how leaders and teams sleep, she helps companies unlock sharper thinking, better decision-making, and stronger leadership.
Her clients include McKinsey, PwC, Swiss Re, Meta, and AWS. Across these organizations, her work has led to measurable impact: sleep quality improved by up to 50%, performance increased by 21%, and stress levels dropped by 30%. These outcomes position sleep as a core driver of sustainable high performance.
From Neuroscience to the Boardroom
Dr. van der Helm began her career in neuroscience, exploring how sleep shapes the brain and behavior. At the Netherlands Institute of Neurosciences, she studied the impact of sleep on cognitive performance. At Harvard Medical School, she researched how sleep influences emotional processing, deepening her understanding of how rest affects resilience, judgment, and interpersonal effectiveness.
She earned her PhD in Psychology at UC Berkeley, further strengthening her scientific foundation. Her academic path equipped her with rigorous research expertise and a deep understanding of how sleep influences attention, memory, emotional regulation, and leadership capacity.
After completing her PhD, she joined McKinsey, where she experienced firsthand the demands placed on leaders and teams in high-performance environments. This experience sharpened her ability to translate complex science into practical strategies that work in real-world business settings. She also served as Adjunct Professor at IE University in Madrid, where she taught and engaged with global executives.
Sleep Intelligence: A High-Performance Blueprint
Dr. van der Helm’s work culminates in her upcoming book, Sleep Intelligence: The High-Performance Blueprint for Sharper Thinking and Leadership, to be published globally in January 2027 by Penguin Random House. The book outlines a clear framework for using sleep as a lever for cognitive excellence, emotional balance, and leadership impact.
Her concept of Sleep Intelligence reframes sleep from a personal wellness issue to a leadership capability. When leaders sleep better, they think more clearly, regulate emotions more effectively, and make stronger decisions. When teams sleep better, collaboration improves, stress decreases, and performance rises.
This approach resonates strongly with organizations seeking sustainable results. Rather than pushing for longer hours, Dr. van der Helm shows how smarter recovery drives sharper execution.
Trusted by Global Organizations
Dr. van der Helm has worked with leading organizations including:
McKinsey
PwC
Swiss Re
Meta
AWS
These companies turn to her to address burnout, decision fatigue, and performance pressure at the highest levels. Her sessions combine scientific depth with practical tools, giving leaders actionable strategies they can implement immediately.
Her insights and research have been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, Huffington Post, Inc. Magazine, and McKinsey Quarterly, among others. This visibility reflects both the credibility of her science and the relevance of her message.
Book Dr. Els van der Helm for Your Event
Booking Dr. Els van der Helm means bringing cutting-edge neuroscience directly to your audience. She delivers compelling keynotes and executive sessions that challenge conventional thinking about productivity and leadership.
Audiences leave with a new understanding of how sleep influences cognitive performance, emotional intelligence, stress resilience, and strategic clarity. More importantly, they gain concrete tools to improve sleep in realistic, demanding environments.
Dr. van der Helm speaks to senior leaders, high-performing teams, and organizations ready to elevate results without sacrificing wellbeing. Her combination of scientific authority, consulting experience, and measurable impact makes her a powerful voice on modern performance.
If you are looking to inspire lasting change, reduce stress, and unlock sharper thinking across your organization, book Dr. Els van der Helm for your event and introduce your audience to the science of Sleep Intelligence.