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Innovation enthusiast.

A globally recognized pioneer in business model innovation, design thinking and strategic transformation, passionate about helping organisations, leaders and teams design and transform better business.

Patrick van der Pijl portrait

Two decades of
business design

1997

The foundation

Patrick starts his career in consulting at Arthur Andersen after studying Economics in Amsterdam, later earning his MSc in Business, Management and Leadership at Nyenrode Business University.

2009

Business Model Generation

Patrick produces the global bestseller Business Model Generation, crowdsourced by 470 co-creators from 45 countries, over 2 million copies sold, and home of the Business Model Canvas.

2009

Business Models Inc.

He founds Business Models Inc., the global strategy and innovation agency that drives growth through innovation, working with leaders and teams at IKEA, ING, Mars, Medtronic, Heineken and many more.

2016 – 2022

Author in his own right

Design a Better Business (2016) and Business Model Shifts (2022) establish Patrick's own voice: practical tools, visual thinking and strategies that help teams innovate, grow and transform.

2026

Augmented Collaboration

Co-created with 250+ experts worldwide: a new operating system for innovation in which humans and AI work as one. Final edition arrives September 2026.

Nyenrode Business UniversityMSc Business, Management & Leadership
Amsterdam University of Applied SciencesBSc Economics
"The biggest competitor of a successful company is often not a new player, it's the success of its current business model."

Four principles

01

Customer first, always

Real innovation starts with defining the right customer problem, not generating ideas. If your team can't write the problem in one sentence, you're not aligned yet.

02

Strategy should be seen

Slide decks fragment thinking. Visual collaboration turns strategy into a living, shared system, enabling faster alignment, better decisions and real execution.

03

Portfolio over silver bullets

One business model is a risk; a portfolio is a strategy. Design, test, scale and shut down business models intentionally, before markets force your hand.

04

Humans and AI, as one

AI isn't just a tool, it's a teammate. Diverse people and AI agents tackling the same customer problem, at the same time, in one shared space.

Business
Models Inc.

The global innovation agency Patrick founded in 2009. BMI helps leaders and teams systematically grow the core business, unlock new opportunities and build innovation capabilities, with offices across Europe, the US, Australia and Asia.

Visit businessmodelsinc.com
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Patrick van der Pijl keynote

Let's design your future business

Keynotes, training or consulting, happy to help.

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