Naud van der Ven (1955) studied history at Utrecht university (doctorate 1981). He teached history at highschool and besides took a bachelors degree in Semitic languages in Leiden (1988). From 1989 to 2001 he worked in the financial sector, at first in an accountancy firm and then as a civil servant for the Amsterdam City Council. Underwhile he followed courses in accountancy, management and IT. From 2002 until his retirement in 2019 he was assistent for quality of workprocesses at the Amsterdam Centre Council.

In october 2006 he took his PhD with his thesis The Shame of Reason. Thinking about organizational change in the light of the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas. In the extension of the book he presents workshops and lectures that always circle around the themes of thinkshame and compelling ideologies.

Naud van der Ven is married with Anita van Leeuwen. They have two children, Ruben (1994) and Tamar (1997).