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Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Willie Smits

Willie Smits

Keynote Speaker: Trained Forester, Microbiologist, Conservationist, Animal Rights Activist, Wilderness Engineer & Social Entrepreneur

Willie Smits Biography

Dr. Willie Smits is a forestry engineer, microbiologist, conservationist, animal activist and social entrepreneur. He lives in Tomohon (North Sulawesi) and is an Indonesian citizen. For over thirty years Smits has been working for the conservation of endangered primate species such as the orangutan. During this time he has expanded into related areas including sustainable agriculture, reforestation and forest monitoring.

Smits is also involved in a number of other environmental organizations. In 1985 he started working at the Wanariset Research Station in the tropical rainforest near Balikpapan in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province. In the early ’90s, he was team leader of the Tropenbos Kalimantan Project, an international partnership between the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and the Tropenbos Foundation. In 1991 Smits founded the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS), the world’s largest organization for the protection of endangered orangutans living in Borneo. Next to his work for the orangutans in Wanariset (later better know under the name of Sambodja Lestari), he is also the chairman of the Gibbon Foundation and advisor to the Indonesian orangutan Survival Program.

Smits is the founder and chairman of the Masarang Foundation in Indonesia which protects and restores nature together with the local people. At Masarang International Willie is honorary board member and founding father. Needless to say is that all the efforts of Masarang International are to support Willie and his pioneering work on reforestation and sustainability. In his forestry work Willie has seen how logging and palm oil plantations destroy the rainforest. Rainforest which is indispensable for the survival of many valuable plants and animals and very important to support (human) life. This has motivated him to fight for the rainforest and work on solutions that expand the forest and benefit human beings.

Smits received his doctorate in tropical forestry and soil science from the Agricultural University of Wageningen (Netherlands). He became a senior adviser to the Ministry of Forests in Indonesia and did the study for his dissertation and subsequent research in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. Smits was knighted in the Netherlands and in 2010 he was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship, an international organization of leading social entrepreneurs. In addition, Smits has received eight awards for his work, making him the first Indonesian with foreign roots to become ”Hero for the development of Indonesia”, a price handed out to him by the president in 1994.

In recent years Smits has been and is working on a project that can change the world. On east Kalimantan as Chief Science Officer for Arsari Enviro Industri Willie is working on the reforestation of more than 500000 hectares of degraded forest. Smits already has proven that restoring a rain forest is possible, even under the worst conditions. At Sambodja Lestari in ca 8 years Willie has transformed the area into a thriving tropical forest, coming from 2000 hectares of alang alang grassland desert.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Willie Smits and other top speakers and celebrities.

Willie Smits Videos

Willie Smits - Scaling Wildlife Protection | Odyssey Tech Deep Dive 2019
How to restore a rainforest - Willie Smits

How do I book Willie Smits to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Willie Smits for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Willie Smits, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Willie Smits or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Willie Smits for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Willie Smits, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Willie Smits are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Willie Smits, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Willie Smits speak about?

Willie Smits is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Environment, Inspirational, Disruptive Thinking, Innovation, Creativity, Animals & Wildlife, Conservation, Environmental Science and Environmental Activism.

Where does Willie Smits travel from?

Willie Smits generally travels from Indonesia and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Willie Smits?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Willie Smits for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Willie Smits for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Willie Smits or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Willie Smits is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Environment, Inspirational and Disruptive Thinking. The estimated speaking fee range to book Willie Smits for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. Willie Smits generally travels from Indonesia and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Sylvia Earle, Dyan deNapoli and Jason Clay. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Willie Smits for an upcoming event.

Willie Smits Videos

Willie Smits - Scaling Wildlife Protection | Odyssey Tech Deep Dive 2019
How to restore a rainforest - Willie Smits
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