Dordrecht, South Holland, Netherlands
Currently serving as Vice Chair at the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), bringing four decades of expertise in diplomacy, leadership of NGOs, multiple Board memberships (including of a Dutch political party), interim ED SOS Children’s Villages Netherlands Jan-June 2026. Fostering sustainable development through impartial & independent process & practical advice on strategic integral planning, including through Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA). Active in a number of Boards and advisory roles. Demonstrated ability to guide teams and stakeholders in evaluating the quality of information they avail of to ensure sound decision-making and public discourse. Active member of the Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs, contributing insights on global development issues. With a strong foundation in leadership, strategy, and advocacy, the focus remains on building partnerships across public, private, and non-governmental sectors to drive impact. Known for advancing equality, diversity, and inclusive governance, while aligning sustainability principles with global goals. Dedicated to empowering leaders through innovative initiatives and curating solutions that promote collective programs. In executive and Board roles, I bring: * Positive energy and dynamics, and fun * Strategic perspective in complex, international environments * Independent judgment grounded in integrity and public value * A strong network and a keen sense of stakeholder dynamics * The ability to bridge public and private interests and identify opportunities - creativity * A consistent focus on governance, resilience, and long‑term value creation
In The Netherlands, we have an independent Commission, the NCEA, providing advice on the quality of (the process of) Environmental and Social Impact Assessments - https://www.commissiemer.nl. At the request of a government authority, the NCEA can prepare an independent advice on the scope and quality of the information in Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) or Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). As of January 2023, I am the Chair International - https://www.eia.nl/en. The NCEA does not prepare ESIA /SEA reports, nor does it advise on the decision to approve a project. The NCEA's role is to check if an ESIA/SEA offers a solid basis for public debate and political decision making. This can be done in the scoping, review and implementation/monitoring phases of the ESIA/SEA process. All advisory reports are published and available on the NCEA's website.
Temporarily stepping back as member of the Supervisory Board to take on the responsibility as interim Executive Director to bridge the time between the departure of the present ED and the appointment of a new one.
The Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) is an independent body which advises the Dutch government and parliament on foreign policy. The AIV produces advisory reports about international affairs both on its own initiative and on request. I’m part of the Committee for International Development (AIV/CIO)
Ref. https://www.strategy-leadership4good.com
Leadership4SDGs is about Leading4Posterity - it aims to work on systematically supporting government political leadership to become their best selves and accelerate achieving #Agenda2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (#SDGs)and the Climate Goals. Writing a book on "The Leaders we Need for the World We Want" Deputy Chairperson World Government Summit Dubai Global Council on SDG16 under the leadership of Helen Clark, former New Zealand Prime Minister and previous UNDP Administrator.