International bestselling author and the world’s leading expert on focus. Mark uses new insights from neuroscience to unlock peak performance.
5.00 of 5
Top rated!5 of 5
From briefing to delivery, Mark was one of the most professional speakers we've worked with. Reliable, flexible and delivering outstanding value on stage.
Roeland Reinders
Founder, Connecting Works
On his first solo skydive, Mark Tigchelaar's parachute became completely tangled. That moment started a two-decade fascination with how attention works under pressure. Recognised by The Times as the world's leading expert on focus, Mark is a cognitive psychologist and the international bestselling author of six books, translated into more than 20 languages. He has delivered over 1,600 keynotes and masterclasses around the world. He doesn't just present theories. He equips audiences with immediately actionable tools, drawn from the latest neuroscience and from testing focus on himself every year, from Navy SEAL Hell Week to climbing Mont Blanc with no prior mountaineering experience.
Mark Tigchelaar is one of the most prominent global voices in focus and productivity. With a background in cognitive psychology, he has spent over 21 years exploring how the brain works and how we can use this knowledge to reach peak performance. His six bestselling books, including Focus ON/OFF, have been translated into 15 languages, and his expertise has inspired audiences across the world. Mark’s work is built on one clear principle: understanding the brain is the key to working smarter, not harder.
As an international keynote speaker, Mark delivers over 100 keynotes each year for organizations across every industry. Known for his engaging, science-based approach, he makes complex neuroscience easy to grasp and instantly applicable. His sessions blend inspiration with practical tools, leaving audiences with concrete strategies to improve focus, productivity, and mental clarity.
David Allen, the inventor of Getting Things Done, describes him as “probably the world’s best educator about focus”, a statement reflected in Mark’s impact and reputation.
Mark’s professional track record is remarkable:
He has worked with global organizations and top-performing teams, advising leaders and professionals on how to optimize focus through neuroscience. LinkedIn has named him a Top Voice for his insights on productivity and mental health, recognition that reflects both his expertise and his ability to make science practical.
Mark’s content is always customized for each event, ensuring every session feels relevant and actionable. His talks connect directly with four core themes:
Distraction is one of today’s greatest productivity challenges. Mark explains how focus operates in the brain and how small, evidence-based changes can dramatically improve output. Through neuroscience-backed methods, he shows teams how to get more done in less time, with greater flow and less stress. His tools create a foundation for long-term high performance, not short bursts of efficiency.
The way we handle stimuli affects not just performance, but mental health. Mark demonstrates how managing our attention directly influences stress levels and recovery capacity. His practical, science-driven strategies help organizations build healthier workplaces where well-being and productivity go hand in hand.
Focus is the foundation of effective leadership. Mark shows leaders and HR professionals how to shape environments that support attention and energy, resulting in more cohesive teams and better results. His sessions provide leaders with neuroscience-based insights that strengthen collaboration and engagement across the organization.
Modern professionals don’t lack time, they lack focus. Mark helps audiences recognize how constant distractions erode performance and mental energy. His keynotes offer concrete, science-based strategies to regain control of attention, boost efficiency, and reduce stress.
Mark Tigchelaar’s greatest strength lies in his ability to make science actionable. He bridges theory and practice, helping people understand not just why focus matters but how to strengthen it in daily life. His dynamic speaking style, relatable examples, and evidence-based insights leave lasting impact on audiences worldwide.
Whether you’re organizing a leadership summit, productivity workshop, or corporate offsite, Mark’s sessions deliver immediate value and long-term transformation. His message is clear: mastering focus is the key to thriving in today’s demanding world.
“Mark is the Dutch Andrew Huberman.” - Eric van Noort, CEO Taartenwinkel
Book Mark Tigchelaar for your next event and give your audience the tools to focus better, perform smarter, and live with more energy and clarity.
5 of 5
From briefing to delivery, Mark was one of the most professional speakers we've worked with. Reliable, flexible and delivering outstanding value on stage.
Roeland Reinders Founder, Connecting Works
5 of 5
Out of all speakers at our event, Mark received the highest audience ratings. His combination of science, humor and practical tools really stood out.
Loes Grooten Manager, Rabobank
5 of 5
Mark is awesome: he shares his vast knowledge about the brain in such an enthusiastic and smooth manner that you stay enthralled. And I love that it’s very practical.
Charlotte van’t Wout Entrepreneur and business influencer
5 of 5
Mark’s keynote was a game-changer — science-based, practical, and immediately useful. It helped our department work with more focus and less stress.
Ming Chen Senior Consultant at Huawei
5 of 5
I’ve attended many talks on Mental Health, but Mark’s truly stands out. No fluff, no clichés — just neuroscience-based insights and clear steps that helped us improve focus and performance across our department.
Wouter de Jong Best-selling author
5 of 5
Mark’s keynote was a wake-up call for our leadership team. He showed us that mental health isn’t just about resilience — it’s about managing attention and recovery. Since then, our managers have built more mindful rhythms into their day, and stress levels have dropped noticeably.
Taco Oosterkamp Best-selling author and business coach
5 of 5
Mark's keynote was one of the most impactful sessions we've had in years. Our team left with practical tools they could apply immediately, and the energy in the room lasted throughout the entire event.
Ric Roggeveen Commissioning Engineer Sr, RH Marine
5 of 5
This keynote didn't just inspire my team, it changed how we operate. I'm seeing more focus, more follow-through, and a clear increase in productivity. People seem lighter, less overwhelmed, and more in control of their workload. The difference in our organization is remarkable.
Klaas Kroezen CEO, WUA
Keynote by Mark Tigchelaar:
We're interrupted hundreds of times a day, often without noticing. The cost shows up in slower decisions, lower productivity, rising stress, and teams that are busy but not effective.
In this keynote, Mark Tigchelaar explains why distraction has become one of the biggest performance drains in modern organisations, and what leaders and teams can do about it. Drawing on cognitive psychology, neuroscience and more than 20 years of real-world application, he shows how attention actually works under pressure, and why most common productivity advice fails.
What sets this keynote apart is Mark's combination of science and lived experience. He has tested focus in extreme conditions himself, including training with the Dutch Navy SEALs, climbing Mont Blanc with no prior mountaineering experience, and making high-stakes decisions during a skydiving malfunction. These experiences inform strategies that work in demanding, high-pressure environments, not just in theory.
Audiences leave with:
Keynote by Mark Tigchelaar:
Most performance problems aren't caused by a lack of effort. They're caused by working in ways the brain was never designed to sustain.
In this keynote, Mark Tigchelaar breaks down what neuroscience tells us about how the brain manages energy, motivation, decision-making and performance over time. After two decades of work with high-performing organisations, he explains why common performance strategies often lead to fatigue, inconsistency and diminishing returns.
This goes beyond productivity tips. Mark shows how high performers structure their work, thinking and recovery to deliver consistently without burning out, combining scientific insight with principles tested in real-world conditions, including extreme physical and cognitive challenges where focus and decision quality are non-negotiable.
Audiences gain a clear framework for:
The outcome isn't short-term intensity, but repeatable performance: clearer thinking, better decisions and teams that perform at a high level over time.
Keynote by Mark Tigchelaar:
Leaders don't just manage workloads. They manage attention. In complex organisations, poor prioritisation at the top quickly becomes noise, overload and inefficiency across teams.
In this keynote, Mark Tigchelaar focuses on how leaders think, decide and prioritise when demands compete for attention. After years of work with senior leadership teams, he explains how the brain processes urgency, why leaders get pulled into reactive mode, and how this undermines judgement and strategic focus.
Rather than generic time-management advice, Mark shows leaders how to design their decision-making environment so attention is spent where it has the greatest impact, combining scientific insight with focus and leadership tested under pressure in extreme conditions.
Leaders leave with practical ways to:
The outcome is stronger leadership signal, better decisions and teams that operate with more clarity and effectiveness.
Watch Mark Tigchelaar in action!
Watch Mark Tigchelaar in action!
Watch Mark Tigchelaar in action!
Watch Mark Tigchelaar in action!
Watch Mark Tigchelaar in action!
Meet Mark Tigchelaar: The Brain Expert Behind the Idea Mark Tigchelaar is a psychologist specialising in cognitive neuropsychology and the author of six books published in five languages. As one of Europe’s leading keynote speakers on focus, productivity and learning, he helps organisation
