Pol Hauspie began his career in accounting. But in December 1987, he and high flying sales manager Jo Lernout decide to start a totally new venture and Lernout & Hauspie (L&H) is born. Both believe in speech and language technologies as the future of computing. The problem is: they are... Read more
Pol Hauspie began his career in accounting. But in December 1987, he and high flying sales manager Jo Lernout decide to start a totally new venture and Lernout & Hauspie (L&H) is born.
Both believe in speech and language technologies as the future of computing. The problem is: they are way ahead of the market and this makes them high tech missionaries. To quote Hauspie: “Some products we developed in our early existence are really only being sold right now. The huge gap between our product development and the absorption capacity of the market is one of the key elements to understand both L&H’s rise and decline.
Soon enough the Belgian company grew into a true high tech multinational. A real milestone was the investment of AT&T – the then biggest telecom company in the world – at a valuation of 100 million USD, giving the company a nice valuation platform to go public. In December 1995 L&H got his long awaited IPO on Nasdaq. Even Bill Gates found his way to Ypres and became a substantial shareholder in September 1997. L&H was big business for Belgium and at its height had a market cap of over 8 billion USD.
Regardless of its bright future L&H’s frustrating slow revenue growth became the biggest problem. Publicly quoted companies publish their results on a quarterly base after which stock analysts predict future earnings. With Wall Street investors buying and selling based on those estimates, it pushes companies towards short-term thinking and away from long-term strategy. In the third quarter of 1998, the company’s top management begin creating false revenue. This revenue manipulation creates an ever-growing pressure to generate fake sales. The company’s use of fraudulent tactics continued and eventually snowballed out of control.
The rest is history. On August 8th 2000, the Wall Street Journal brought their revenue manipulation to light and subsequently destroyed the company. One year later L&H filed for bankruptcy. Hauspie is sent to jail for seventy days and finally at the end of 2010, the longest court case Belgium has seen comes to an end.
Few people know that many extreme situations during one lifetime. Hauspie has the courage to testify openly about his story and share his experiences, knowledge and insights, so others can learn from it.
As well as his own story, Hauspie’s speeches discuss how ethically clean our public companies are and the importance of paying more than just lip service to corporate social responsibility.
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You can book Pol Hauspie through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Pol's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Pol Hauspie's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Pol tailored to your event.
Pol Hauspie speaks on a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Pol to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Pol Hauspie for events worldwide, subject to Pol's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Pol Hauspie is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Pol can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Pol Hauspie on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Pol can offer.
Pol Hauspie delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Pol Hauspie's areas of expertise include a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. To get a clear sense of Pol's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Pol Hauspie can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in a range of business, leadership and industry subjects is relevant. Details of Pol's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Pol Hauspie is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Pol Hauspie, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Pol's current availability for your dates.