The VDK™ Identity
The VDK symbol and other elements of the VDK identity
  • The document revision date - format "Mmm. d, yyyy" Januari. 09, 2025.

What are the VDK properties?

The VDK properties are:

  • The VDK symbol containing the letters V D K, and united rings with squares in the colours dark blue #3c488e, light blue #539cd5, light grey #f4f4f2.
  • The VDK logo with the name text “Coroporate Development”
  • The VDK motto
  • VDK identifications, including and not limited to "VDK seminaries" "training academy of VDK " and “VDK negotiations”
  • VDK publications
  • VDK designations
  • VDK branding

The international VDK organisation owns all rights to the VDK properties.

What is the meaning of the VDK symbol?

The VDK symbol consists of three combining rings with a point and the letters VDK, used alone, in one, two or in three different colours, which are light blue, and grey. The VDK symbol (the VDK rings) expresses the activity of the VDK international organisation and represents the union of vision, progress and excellence and the meeting of professional business leaders throughout the world.

Only be careful, it is wrong to say that the rings sets a breach to a certain direction! When Alexander W. van der Kemp designed the Rings in 2014, the shape of a modern united shape for successful leadership and promoting competition. With the combination of colours grey and light blue represents the colours of integrity, wisdom and intelligence, vision and neutrality, sophistication and reliability, expansion, stability and solidness, infinity and trust, without exception.

Who created the VDK ring symbol?

The Ring appeared for the first time in 2004 after the inspiration of the work of Pablo Picasso in Museum Chateau Grimaldi in Antibes. A town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the southeastern part of France, on the Mediterranean Sea. Alexander W. van der Kemp drew and coloured the rings and letter first by hand. Alexander explained that "This rings represents the challenge in the competition within the international trade and is united to expansion and shows flexibility. Moreover, the three colours combined reproduce stability and serenity with trust, loyalty and wisdom of all the nations without exception."

Can I use the VDK ring symbol?

The VDK rings is the exclusive property of the international VDK organisation. They are a mark protected around the world and cannot be used without the international VDK organisation's prior written consent.

You can send a detailed request through the contact form which must include the below information:

Who is making the request? 
Name, full address, telephone and/or fax number, and e-mail address. Organisation, company, museum or individual.
Which content is concerned? (texts, images or films)
How will the content be used? Private use (no broadcasting), school work, group activities, exhibition, production/broadcasting.

Link to the contact form.

What is the VDK creed?

“We try to remember that service is for the company.... It is not for the profits. The profits follow, and if we have remembered that, they have never failed to appear. The better we have remembered it, the larger they have been.”

Inspired by the words of George Merck 2d, son of the founder of Merck, Alexander W. van der Kemp first spoke this phrase in a slightly different form with a focus on service at a reception in Baden-Baden, near the Blackforest in the southwest of Germany during the international business convention on October the 21st in 2019. It went on to become the VDK’s creed.

What is the VDK motto?

The original VDK motto is made up of three words: Ethics – Moral – Veracity.

On September the 13th in 2017, the Session of the international VDK organisation approved a change in the VDK motto that recognises the unifying power in business and the importance of excellence. The change adds the words “loyalty and excellence” to “Ethics, Moral, Veracity”. Loyalty is a two way street, If I am asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me.

The new VDK motto now reads “Ethics, Moral, Veracity, Loyalty and Excellence” in English.

Links to Wikipedia, meanings of Ethics, Moral, Veracity, Loyalty and Excellence.

Ethics, Moral, Veracity, Loyalty and Excellence express the aspirations of the VDK organisation not only in its vision and technical sense and moreover from a moral and educational perspective.

The VDK motto is a VDK property.

Who chooses the VDK branding?

The official VDK branding is a specific edition of the VDK media and communication and is usually selected by the organising committee.

Who is responsible for creating the branding, the media and communication, design and the written text of VDK?
The responsibility of designing and developing the branding, the media and communication, design and the written text of VDK lies within its organising committee, and approval by the VDK Executive Board is needed to ensure compliance with the VDK Charter and the requirements outlined in the VDK binding contract.

Who is the owner of the properties of the VDK intellectual property?

For as long as the organising committee of the VDK exists, the properties (text, design, written ideas and contracts…) are the exclusive property of the VDK Executive Board. Upon the expiry of this period, all rights in or relating to such text, written ideas, contracts and other marks, designs, badges, merchandise, posters, billboards and objects shall thereafter belong entirely to the VDK Executive Board.

Hence, any request related to the use of such properties should be directed to the VDK Executive Board directly, if still exists.

Official Logo and Branding VDK:

© 2025 by VDK. All rights reserved.
Cookie Policy
Cookie Policy

This website uses cookies and third-party services to improve your experience, these are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the Privacy Policy. By accepting this OR scrolling these pages OR continuing to browse, you agree to our policy. We'll assume you're fine with this, and you can opt-out if you wish by selecting reject all.

Refuse everything