About Us
Our background and motivation
At GON, we possess broad expertise across a variety of fields, with a central focus on stochasticity and didactics. Over the past 10 years, we have developed substantial experience in the following areas:
(Financial, Quantitative and Health) Risk Management and Actuarial science;
(General) Decision-making;
Didactics, specifically with focus on providing company trainings, team-building and coaching;
Investments, on a wide variety of asset classes.
We enjoy exploring topics beyond our core expertise and take an interdisciplinary approach, combining ideas from different fields to uncover new insights and creative solutions. Our philosophy is grounded in evidence-based knowledge wherever possible, complemented by a strong commitment to structured decision-making, drawing from both established market practices and our own frameworks and mental models.
Below, we outline our experience, future outlook, and the services we offer. While the majority of our work has historically been with corporate clients, GON was founded with the intention of making our expertise accessible to a broader audience—particularly individuals. This shift was inspired by frequent requests from members of our inner network, who had long sought our advice on a wide range of topics.
Risk Management and Actuarial Science
Real-world events are inherently uncertain—far more so than we often care to admit. This is both an intriguing and, at times, unsettling thought. In fact, every time we engage in something meaningful, there is potential for adverse outcomes. This is commonly referred to as risk. Often, such risks are relatively harmless or limited, but there are also instances where misfortune can strike on a much larger scale.
Risks are not simply abstract notions, they relate to the uncertain nature of reality and as a result need to be carefully managed at both the corporate and personal level. Over recent decades, companies have increasingly recognized the critical importance of risk management. Driven in part by disruptive events like the 2008 global financial crisis, many organizations have established entire departments dedicated to managing various forms of risk, from financial to operational.
We have extensive experience in actuarial science and risk management, with a particular focus on financial risks and model risk management. At the same time, we are proud to be the only company we know of actively working in the field of health risk management. As pioneers in this area, we have developed a range of original concepts and approaches.
We believe health risk is distinct from other types of risk due to its profound impact on company culture, practices, and productivity. This is to such an extent that we can say, “Focus on health, and the rest will follow.” This makes it crucial for companies to recognize the importance of health risk management and understand how addressing it can bring significant benefits at various levels. We consider this a core principle—so much so that it plays a central role in the team-building sessions and corporate trainings we deliver.
Decision Making
We intentionally focus on decision-making rather than decision theory, which is a branch of probability theory, economics, and analytical philosophy. Our goal is to address the general practice of decision-making and how to optimize this process. Decision-making and risk management go hand in hand, as both aim to consider relevant factors to make better, more informed decisions.
We all make countless decisions every day, and the way we make these decisions ultimately shapes our future. In decision-making contexts, however, the question isn’t always just about identifying the best choice. Often, we may not be aware of situational factors that necessitate a decision, or we may be confronted with unforeseen situations that, in hindsight, seem entirely predictable. Due to the unpredictable nature of real-world events, good decisions may still lead to undesired outcomes, which means decisions can’t simply be measured by their results. Decision-making is, therefore, both a highly practical and, at times, an abstract and even mystical area. Optimizing decision-making should thus become more of a habit than an occasional act. It also requires training various skills and developing one’s intuition.
It is surprising that decision-making remains an underdeveloped explicit consideration, even in professional environments. In fact, we can assert that many managers are not effective decision-makers, despite decision-making being arguably the most important skill a manager or leader should possess. Decisions are frequently evaluated—especially when they lead to negative outcomes—but rarely within a structured framework.
We have extensively studied this topic and are well-versed in various decision-making frameworks. Additionally, we have developed our own ideas and frameworks in this area. We frequently give talks and training sessions on the subject and emphasize and promote dedicating sufficient attention to this field.
Didactics, Team-building and Coaching
In its earliest form, GON was a company solely focused on teaching and didactics, which we believe provides a unique foundation in the fields we operate. This focus continues to shape our approach: we aim to make abstract concepts with significant real-life implications concrete and to communicate or even popularize them. Over time, we’ve expanded our scope significantly, but we remain highly dedicated to communicating our message and findings. In fact, this dedication has become even more relevant due to our research and unique perspectives.
We’ve found that more extensive team-building, training sessions and workshops are often necessary to fully convey the depth of our points. At the corporate level, we have specialized in delivering unique and impactful team-building sessions and trainings, while at the individual level, we offer coaching. What sets our sessions apart is our ability to combine creativity with practicality, paired with refined didactic skills, ensuring that clients not only understand but truly appreciate our message.
As previously emphasized, health risk management concepts play a central role in our sessions. We view them as fundamental and principle-based organizational tools capable of autonomously improving situations when properly implemented.
Investing
Investing can actually be viewed as a practical application of decision making and risk management within the context of finance, as the broad question is to what asset classes and products one has to allocate resources to achieve certain intended return, while simultaneously staying aligned with one’s individual risk tolerance.
While it’s nearly impossible to predict the market with certainty, factors such as regulatory changes or fluctuations in interest rates can have a significant impact on investment outcomes. In such environments, the expertise of an advisor becomes especially valuable. A skilled advisor can help assess current market conditions, identify potential risks, and adjust investment strategies accordingly—helping investors avoid costly mistakes and make more informed, confident decisions. This guidance is particularly important before making large or long-term investments.
We both provide advisory services as well as active solutions in the area of wealth management and investing. We have an extensive background in investing in a wide variety of asset classes, like stocks, derivatives, bonds, cryptocurrencies and commodities. Particularly in the area of real estate investing, we have set the underlying investment infrastructure for our clients in such a way that we can completely unburden investors and manage corresponding risks.
Reaching us
We are located in Amsterdam and Warsaw and operate internationally. Please feel free to reach out to us using one of the means provided on our website.