Meet Mark
Mark Tigchelaar is recognised by The Times as the world’s leading expert on focus, attention and performance.
A cognitive psychologist by training, Mark is an international keynote speaker and bestselling author whose books have been translated into 20 languages. He has delivered more than 1,600 keynotes worldwide and helped over half a million people through keynotes, programmes and workshops.
Mark works with organisations dealing with the reality of constant distraction, cognitive overload and declining focus at work. In a world where attention is fragmented, he helps leaders and teams regain control of their focus so they can think more clearly, work more productively and perform under pressure without burning out.
Organisations book Mark to solve a clear business problem: capable people who are busy but not effective, leaders struggling to prioritise in complex environments, and teams losing performance because deep focus has been replaced by constant interruption. His keynotes translate neuroscience into practical, usable tools that improve decision-making, productivity and mental resilience.
Mark has spoken for and worked with leading international organisations including PwC, Oracle, Heineken, Siemens, Accenture, BNP Paribas, Coca-Cola and Capgemini, supporting leaders and teams across the world.
Walking the talk
Mark’s work is built not only on science, but on lived experience. His fascination with focus began with a deep study of cognitive psychology, but he wanted to understand how focus holds up beyond theory, particularly under pressure.
Each year, Mark immerses himself in a real-world test of focus and performance. Highlights include training with the Dutch Navy SEALs to explore sustained focus under extreme physical and mental fatigue during a 72-hour “Hell Week,” during which he slept for just one hour.
He also climbed Mont Blanc with no prior mountaineering experience, following eight months of disciplined preparation to study long-term attention, resilience and performance under pressure.
To understand how focus operates in high-risk, high-speed environments, Mark took up skydiving. During his first solo jump, his parachute malfunctioned, offering a real-time lesson in decision-making and cognitive control under extreme conditions.
This combination of scientific expertise and firsthand experience is what sets Mark apart. Organisations leave his keynotes with more than insight. They leave with practical ways to protect attention, improve performance and build resilience where it matters most.
How it all started
Slowest kid in class
Mark: “I used to have a lot of trouble learning. Two weeks after my final exams, it became clear that I am quite dyslexic. That explained a lot, but changed little. I really wanted to study, but I couldn’t. I decided to delve into the workings of the brain. My frustration turned into fascination.
After studying several scientific studies on the brain, I understood how we can study faster, better and, above all, easier. I applied my new study method right away to my psychology study. I could now do this university study in only eight hours a week (normally it states, that you need 40 hours a week). A new world opened up to me. My fellow students also became enthusiastic about this and that’s how the first training sessions were born.”
His mission
Giving back control
We live in a world full of distraction and constant noise. Our attention is being pulled in every direction, often by forces with strong interests in keeping us distracted. This is not how it should be.
With my keynotes and books, my mission is to help people take back control of their focus. Not by working harder or relying on willpower, but by understanding how the brain truly works.
By combining neuroscience with real-life experience, I translate complex insights into practical tools people can apply immediately. So they can focus on what really matters, make better decisions, and work with more clarity and less stress — in a world that constantly tries to pull their attention away.
– Mark Tigchelaar
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Organizations that hire Mark
