The Founders

VJM Visual Intelligence was founded by Thomas Loudon and Arend Jan van den Beld in 2011. The basic principle is that independent journalistic information is needed for much more than just to fill TV news programs. We use visual forms of journalism because we believe in the strength of images and because we are convinced that information needs to be accessible in order to be effective.

Thomas was the first Dutch correspondent based in Iran since the 1979 revolution. He was also the first Dutch correspondent to work as a video journalist. He saw the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York on TV in his Tehran office and immediately realised that the world and the region he worked in were in for some stormy weather. After three years in Iran Thomas moved to Egypt and later to Jordan. He worked as a video journalist for the Dutch public news NOS, but he also contributed to CNN, BBC, Canal 13 in Chile, Asia TV in Singapore and many more. Thomas covered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and spent much time on the West Bank and in Gaza. He travelled the Arabic speaking region extensively during the eight years that he spent as a Middle East correspondent.

Arend Jan has the skill and the perseverance to turn thoughts and plans into concepts and execute them. At Philips International, Consumer Electronics and Corporate IT, Arend built up extensive experience in the field of information management. Here he developed his ability to turn his ideas about knowledge and information management into online platforms. Under his guidance Philips became one of the world's front-runners in the development and use of online platforms worldwide, in call centers. As an independent consultant, he was hired by large organizations like Achmea Insurances, The Central Dutch Government, The Chambers of Commerce and again Philips.

Together they founded the VJ Movement and the Cartoon Movement. In doing that, they created two very strong networks of excellent journalists, who cover more than one hundred countries. In the process they discovered that there is a demand for the skills of these journalists coming from very different institutes and organizations. VJM Visual Intelligence is happy to offer services to these customers as long as the product VJM Visual Intelligence is asked to deliver is independent journalism.