The Hague, South Holland, Netherlands
General Manager | Museum Escher in The Palace | Cultural Leadership & Storytelling Innovator As General Manager of Escher in The Palace, I lead a passionate and compact team (9.5 FTE) at one of the most imaginative museums in the Netherlands. Located in the former royal winter palace in The Hague, we amaze and intrigue over 176,000 national and international visitors annually with the mind-bending art of M.C. Escher. When I joined in 2010, we welcomed 74,000 visitors per year, a number that has more than doubled under our watch, alongside a consistently strong visitor satisfaction rate of 8.2. I have a Dutch-Moluccan background and a career rooted in cultural entrepreneurship, operational leadership, and creative programming. Prior to my current role, I served as General Manager at several prominent attractions: a five-star-rated hostel, the iconic Euromast in Rotterdam, and SEA LIFE Scheveningen (part of Merlin Entertainments plc). Across all roles, I’ve sought opportunities to break traditional formats by combining in-house resources with external innovation. From launching high-impact campaigns like Shark Weeks at SEA LIFE to introducing immersive technologies such as 3D mapping at Escher in The Palace, I thrive at the intersection of content, experience design, and audience engagement. I’m driven by the international scope of my work and inspired by integrating technologies or concepts from outside the cultural sector to enrich storytelling and visitor connection. As a team leader, I believe strongly in shared ownership. Empowering individuals and fostering responsibility not only strengthens the team, but also leads to the most meaningful results, for both the organization and the people within it.
As General Manager of Escher in The Palace, together with a dedicated team, I help shape the strategic, operational, and creative direction of one of the Netherlands’ most iconic museums. During my time as General Manager, we’ve grown steadily from 74,000 to 187,000 annual visitors, 58% of whom come from abroad, while maintaining consistently high visitor satisfaction and a strong reputation for quality and relevance. I bring a hands-on, entrepreneurial leadership style, combining cultural vision with operational excellence. I have a proven ability to build and guide agile teams, manage complex heritage buildings, and develop innovative programming that extends reach and impact. Whether co-producing a theatrical education experience with the National Theatre, implementing inclusive exhibition strategies, or leading through crises such as the pandemic, I focus on turning limitations into opportunities. With a Dutch–Moluccan background, I value diversity and inclusion as integral to leadership, not as objectives to be checked off, but as foundational principles embedded in the way we work, engage, and tell stories. I'm particularly drawn to roles that sit at the intersection of cultural strategy, international public engagement, and innovation, where storytelling meets technology, and content meets community.
Stichting Museumkwartier Den Haag is a strategic collective of leading cultural institutions in The Hague’s historic city center, including: the Mauritshuis & Prince William V Gallery, Escher in The Palace, The Hague Historical Museum, Museum de Gevangenpoort, Kunstforum, Museum Bredius, Pulchri, the Kloosterkerk, Het Nationale Theater, Diligentia & Pepijn, and Anna Vastgoed & Cultuur. Together with the Municipality of The Hague, we collaborate to highlight, connect, and promote the cultural and historical richness of the city’s Museum Quarter, both as a local treasure and an international destination.
In 2004, I joined Stayokay Den Haag as the organisation’s first General Manager with a commercial background, with the aim of professionalising operations and assisting a major rebranding initiative. I quickly became involved in broader strategic efforts, joining multiple internal advisory groups that supported the national board of the hostel chain. Under my management, the location achieved strong and steady growth, from 42,000 to 54,000 overnight stays annually, supported by a team of 25 employees. This growth was maintained until the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008.
Head-hunted to reorganise en revitalise this Rotterdam attraction.