Maike van den Boom is one of Germany's most prominent happiness researchers. Her mission is to make people happier. As part of this mission, she has travelled the world, researching 30 Scandinavian companies. In her keynote speeches, she highlights the success factors of countries that have long led the way in modern working practices. Maike van den Boom was born in Heidelberg in 1971. She studied art therapy in the Netherlands, where she learned that the subject you study is less important than having the right attitude. She has recruited staff, sold steel, managed communications for an emergency lighting manufacturer and much more besides. She has worked in various companies, markets and countries. After spending 15 years in the 'happy countries' of the Netherlands and Mexico, she returned to Germany, where she was amazed by the stubborn reservations about the advantages of a happy business life. Drawing on her experience of the free economy and her vision of a different way of working, she demonstrates the advantages of happiness in the everyday business lives of many companies, inspiring thousands of people in the process. Her book Wo geht's denn hier zum Glück? (Where can I find happiness?) spent 25 weeks on the Spiegel bestseller list in 2015. For her next book, 'Acht Stunden mehr Glück' ('Eight Hours More Happiness'), she visited three happy countries, 30 companies, and 300 people, as well as experts. She took her readers to Scandinavia, home to some of the happiest and most successful people in Europe. In her lectures, the Scandinavia expert charmingly, fresh and captivatingly shares her first-hand knowledge. Her clients include non-profit organisations, medium-sized companies, and large corporations, such as banks and insurance companies, as well as numerous family businesses from Germany, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.