Nicky Dries

Academic Director - Future of Work Lab, KU Leuven

Business, Strategy & Entrepreneurship | Future of Work, Technology, Society & reform

Nicky Dries

Biography

Nicky Dries is Full Professor of Organizational Behavior at KU Leuven (Belgium) and BI Norwegian Business School (Norway). She leads the Future of Work Lab at KU Leuven’s Faculty of Economics, exploring how social imaginaries, media, speculative design, and emerging technologies shape the future of work. A Fulbright Scholar and internationally published researcher, Nicky has authored over 60 peer-reviewed articles, 2 books, and 20 book chapters. Her research challenges dominant narratives on technology and labor, advocating for democratic debate and worker agency. Nicky is active in public science communication, contributing to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and public media like the VRT documentary series The Digital Dilemma. In 2021, she was selected for Belgium’s inaugural ‘40 under 40’ cohort for her societal impact. She currently serves as Associate Editor at Journal of Management, and consults on issues such as leadership, technological disruption, and the re-politicization of work.