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“If life is but a journey, let us at least sow flowers along the way.” (Michel de Montaigne, French humanist philosopher and writer)

Fred in 60 sec

Presentation

Fred Colantonio is the Rock’n’Roll Criminologist. 🧬🎸 He activates people he works with to live work and life as progress, not process.

His clients, friends and peers consistently recognise 3 markers:

  1. Reliable: Fred honours his commitments, stands by what he promises and refuses short‑lived “wow effects” with no lasting impact.
  2. Honest: he tells things as they are so people can decide and move forward – in business and in life.
  3. Fun: Fred uses (Belgian) humour, rock and pop culture to make demanding topics (responsibility, failure, fear…) accessible and to spark long‑term shifts.

 He is guided by a simple yet effective compass:

  1. Respect the DNA of people and group cultures
  2. Refuse the spectator mindset (act rather than endure)
  3. Rock situations where you need to decide and move (don’t wait and comment).

Directions for use

Fully bilingual (🇫🇷🇬🇧) and of Belgian 🇧🇪 and Italian 🇮🇹 background, Fred may contain traces of (keep distance if allergic):

  • music (rock)
  • pop culture (geek)
  • improv (humour)

Dosage

Repeated use may lead to unexpected outcomes (keep close at hand in case of relapse):

  • Leadership (motivation, optimism)
  • Energy (boldness and accountability)
  • Creativity (new angles and perspectives)
PROVE IT WORKS / SEE RESULTS

Facts & Figures

“The world cannot be understood without numbers. But the world cannot be understood with numbers alone.” (Hans Rosling, Factfulness – Swedish physician and statistician)

1100+ live talks

Audiences from 50 to 1,000 people, in companies (internal and external events), convention centres, theatres and cinemas, hotels and venues, auditoriums, seminar and training rooms…

20+ Countries

A Global Footprint: South Africa, Algeria, Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Canada, Spain, United States, France, Guadeloupe, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Morocco, Martinique, Portugal, Switzerland, Taiwan…

Sectors served

CAC 40 companies, large accounts, mid‑caps, SMEs and micro‑businesses, solo entrepreneurs, public administrations, non‑profit and association sector, training organisations…

Proven Impact

Transformation completed, challenges met, team cohesion strengthened, boldness boosted, permission granted, projects launched, careers accelerated, businesses started, promotions earned – and counting…

Pro & Perso Journey

Fred Colantonio: A PROFESSIONAL AND PASSIONATE TRAJECTORY

Professional Journey & International Recognition

Trained as a criminologist, Fred worked in the Belgian public administration from 2001 to 2006, where he led a crime prevention department before leaving this predictable path focused on managing risk behaviours (deviance and delinquency).

He turned the script around and put his skills at the service of promoting desirable behaviours instead: leadership, resilience, innovation and standing out skills.

His approach is based on decoding and analysing team behaviour to identify and fully leverage their DNA (Differentiating Natural Asset): where they create maximum impact with minimum obstacles.

He has supported 240+ organisations – from solo entrepreneurs to major groups in all sectors – to position themselves, transform and stand out in their markets.

He has published 10 books in 12 years, including 4 bestsellers, with 3 titles released both in Europe and in Quebec.

In 2025, with 1,100+ keynotes in 20+ countries, Fred became the first Belgian and only the fifth speaker in France to earn the CSP® (Certified Speaking Professional), the speaking industry’s international benchmark designation, held by fewer than 800 speakers worldwide since its creation. See NSA (National Speakers Association’s) press release.

He is also TEDx speaker,  a board member of the  French Association AFCP (les Conférenciers Professionnels) and accredited by the Walloon Region (Belgium) under its “Chèques entreprises” support program.

Passion Journey

A blues, rock and heavy metal fan, Fred has been playing guitar since he was 15.

He built a life philosophy from the many lessons of his guitar teacher, Roger Driesmans – starting with what Roger told him in his very first class:

“If you just want to strum a few chords to impress people around a campfire, you’ll be gone from here in six months. But if you really want to learn to play guitar, you’re in for years – maybe a lifetime.”

Fred has developed an organic relationship with music: he doesn’t just listen to it, he makes it – guitar in hand – in blues, rock, hard rock and heavy metal.

As a guitarist and songwriter, he has written and registered around twenty tracks with SABAM, the Belgian authors’ society (the equivalent of SACEM in France and SOCAN in Canada), turning his need to channel emotions and tension into music instead of keeping them to himself.

For more than 10 years, he fronted a band, Tears Of Blood, which confronted him early on with the reality of leading a creative collective over time. The band released two four‑track demos: Blood Revenge (2004) et Blood (R)evolution (2006). Check the Playlist on YouTube.

A Metallica fan – he has seen them 18 times live – and a lover of heavy metal and rock (AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Manowar, Motörhead, Rainbow, Volbeat, Yngwie Malmsteen…) and blues (Gary Moore, the guitarist who made him want to play, Chris Rea, Eagles, Calvin Russell, Jean‑Jacques Goldman…), he claims the right to enjoy raw power just as much as refined arrangements.

He has brought music into his talks and uses the journeys of iconic bands to create unexpected links between music and management.

Fred Colantonio – PERSONAL JOURNEY

Family

Fred Colantonio was born into a loving working‑class family. After the Second World War, his grandparents emigrated from Italy to Belgium to work in the coal mines.

His parents both worked as factory workers and were widely recognised for their commitment, thoroughness and kindness – values that still guide Fred today.

He has an older sister, Domi, a god‑daughter, Roma, and a son, Livio.

He now lives with Audrey and her two children, Eve and Gabriel. His “heart god‑daughter” is Cassandra.

Education and Academic Path

At 18, when it was time to choose his university studies, Fred couldn’t see himself in no usual “suit and tie” careers: not as a firefighter, doctor or salesman. He fell in love with the criminology programme – psychology, law, sociology, statistics, war crimes, IT and more.
 
It was both a huge source of hope for his family – Fred was the first child in his family to go to university – and a major source of stress (what if he failed?) He didn’t know the academic codes and massively failed his first year, but he understood what it would take to succeed.
 
With his family’s support, his full commitment to his studies and a student job in a supermarket chain to co‑finance them, he earned a second chance.
 
Fred holds two degrees (University of Liège), both at master’s level:
  • A degree in Criminology (academic year 2000–2001), awarded with Highest Honours and a rare 19/20 mark for his thesis
  • A specialised diploma (D.E.S.) in Organisational Crime, awarded with High Honours.
He completed the D.E.S. shortly after landing his first job, having been recruited as a criminologist in the prevention department of a Belgian local authority (the municipality of Fléron, in the Liège region). 

Sports

Fred has always been into sports. As a teenager, he practised three sports, six days a week (football, swimming, judo and then karate). Today, he runs.

He is a marathon finisher in Lyon, 🇫🇷 (2019), and has completed three half‑marathons in Nivelles, 🇧🇪 (2024, 2019, 2018).