About Project Peace

At 27, Raf was ticking every box: an expat career across China and Hong Kong, with titles, bonuses and momentum. But one quiet question kept surfacing: Is this it?

The financial crisis of 2008 was a turning point. Living in China, Raf realised he had built a life that looked right from the outside but felt empty on the inside. He left behind what no longer served him and followed a more aligned path.

Since starting his own business in 2010, Raf has facilitated one-to-one and group programs for leaders at international companies across Asia, Europe and Australia, with more than 5,000 coaching hours. He is ICA certified (an ICF-accredited program). The Life Journey community sessions he facilitates are rated 4.7 out of 5 from 226 ratings. His work has been featured in Forbes India, The Economist Intelligence Unit and Korea Times. He is a TEDx speaker and author of The Suited Monk book series, published in English, Spanish and Chinese.

His entrepreneurial leadership emerged early when as a student at RUCA, Dirk was elected President for Europe of AIESEC, the world’s largest student-run organisation. Shortly after, he established the Centre for Management Consultancy in Brussels, delivering leadership effectiveness programs to major Belgian clients.

Dirk was named a Laureate of the Prince Albert Foundation (PAF), during which he was tasked with setting up the offices for TransUrb Consult Belgium in Sydney. This shaped his Belgian-Australian connection.

Over the following decades, Dirk held senior roles across Asia, the Middle East, and Australia while repeatedly stepping into entrepreneurial challenges. At JPMorgan Asia Pacific, he led a major merger change program, earning the Best Change Management Award. As CHRO at Dubai Holding, he drove leadership development across iconic projects including Universal Studios Dubai, Dubai Healthcare City and Dubai Bank.

After getting an MBA from Deakin University, Dirk set up his next entrepreneurial venture in Sydney called ‘Be Real’; a change management consulting company that has delivered transformative solutions for organisations including Telstra, NSW Healthcare, and Sydney Airports.

Another strong entrepreneurial chapter came at Arowana International — an entrepreneurial investment group dedicated to growing companies. Dirk served as Managing Director for HRM Asia in Singapore, which he transformed into a regional HR media and events company, achieving record revenues and profits with a 100% IRR, culminating in a successful trade sale.

Today, Dirk’s focus is Project Peace — an Australia-based initiative he co-founded with Raf Adams, dedicated to helping people live an integrated life. Project Peace brings The Suited Monk’s framework into community, education, and workplace settings, giving individuals and organisations practical tools to align ambition with wellbeing, leadership with humanity, and action with meaning. Through workshops, volunteer programs, and a growing global network of facilitators, Project Peace is building a movement for a more conscious, connected way of living and working.

He served as President of Rotary Club Sabadell in 2013–14, where he launched a volunteer food-distribution project, and received Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellow award. He advises the Sabadell Chamber of Commerce on internationalisation and translated The Suited Monk into Spanish. He holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. For over 14 years he has coached and mentored leaders, and he facilitates Suited Monk workshops. He is a co-founder of Project Peace Ltd.