Johan Hellemans

Johan began his professional journey in 1995 as an assistant professor at the University of Antwerp, specialising in organisational and consumer psychology. Transitioning from academia to the commercial research sector, he held positions as a research director at prominent commercial research agencies, managing marketing and opinion research projects.

 Johan founded his consulting firm, focusing on brand strategy and market research. He has collaborated with over fifty clients internationally, providing insights and strategic solutions across various countries and industries. He kept on combining commercial work with teaching assignments at Thomas More, and Syntra, VUB, University of Antwerp as part-time or guest lecturer. Johan holds a master's degree in Applied Economics from the University of Antwerp and an MBA from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam.

HIs research explores both the positive and negative determinants and consequences of social media use (during times of crisis). In addition to his work on social media, Johan is also active in the field of marketing research, specifically focusing on brands, brand equity, brand personality, and self-image congruence.

His forthcoming work relates to exploring (a) the relationship between Facebook addiction and activity and the mediating role of self-image congruence & Facebook commitment (b) Locus of control as an indicator of Facebook Addiction, and (c) the role of social media on generalised anxiety disorder (GAD-7) during the COVID-19 crisis in Belgium.