Every action matters. Make it total.
Peter Vervest, emeritus professor of information management and networks
Rotterdam School of Management Erasmus University
Dr. Vervest studied law at Utrecht and management sciences at Delft before joining Philips Telecommunications and Defence Systems in the late 1970s. These were the early days of connecting computers to telecommunication networks. Peter specialised in open information systems (“Open Systems Interconnection”), served on international standards and policy committees, and directed sales and implementation projects for heavy-duty, new telecom systems with public telecom operators.
In 1985, he published “Electronic Mail and Message Handling,” which is said to be a guiding mark for the later development of open communications networks such as the Internet. He graduated summa cum laude in 1986 from the Technical University Delft. From then on, Peter combined academic and business life. He was elected professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1992.
He was appointed divisional director of Philips Electronics, UK, in 1987, when personal computing transformed the world of consumer electronics. In 1991, Peter co-founded Multimedia Skills, a high-tech software and project firm in London, and has undertaken many consultancy and implementation programs for large firms across Europe. He also served as (interim) director at TNO, an independent public research organisation, and KPN, the Dutch national telecom operator.
In 2000, Dr. Vervest became a partner at D-Age, a group of high-tech counsellors and investment managers in digital age companies, managing early-stage investment funds both in Europe and Silicon Valley. He has served on the boards of numerous companies in both executive and non- executive roles.
Peter published many articles and books on developing and using complex networks and how organisations should deal with new challenges. His 2000 book “How to win customers in the digital world, Total Action or Fatal Inaction ” is still one of his favourites. Since 2004, he has directed his research toward “smart business networks,” resulting in several key publications (e. g., Smart Business Networks, 2004, The Network Experience, 2008).
He has been the chairman of the complexity study programs of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) (2011 – 2018), and currently progresses research of smart, complex networks and systems as member of the Board of the Netherlands Platform for Complex Systems (2016 – now) and as the steering committee of the Dutch Chapter of Network Science NetSci Nl. He was a member of the EU Scientific Council of the Shift-2-Rail Horizon program. He aims to develop tools and methods for new self-organising, resilient, and smart cooperation networks in business and society.
