We are pleased to announce the first speaker for the afternoon program of the Geo Promotion Conference 2026: Simon van Teutem.

Simon van Teutem (1997) studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at the University of Oxford. He is currently pursuing a PhD at Oxford, focusing on support for radical-right parties in Western Europe. He writes about politics for De Correspondent and previously produced a podcast for NRC alongside Bas Heijne.

Simon will deliver a keynote based on his book, The Bermuda Triangle of Talent: How Bright Minds Disappear into Meaningless Jobs.

When Simon van Teutem’s hair began falling onto his keyboard at the end of a long workday as an intern at Morgan Stanley, he asked himself: What am I doing here?

Like many other ambitious students, he wants to change the world. And yet, he finds himself toiling away for a bank until the early hours of the morning.

No world peace, cultured meat, or climate breakthroughs, just Excel sheets, conference calls, and business-class flights. How did he end up here?

Through conversations with dozens of fellow students, bankers, lawyers, and consultants, Simon van Teutem reconstructs how idealistic young people are lured into the trap of big capital.

The result is a look into the world of high finance, a mirror for anyone seeking meaning in their work, and an urgent call to the educational sector, NGOs, and the government to combat this waste of talent.