Richard Kooloos

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In his current position as head of sustainable banking Richard develops sustainability strategies for ABN AMRO. He is involved in the sustainability of policies and the management of shareholders.

Professional background
As a banker Richard has worked for different banks. He has gained much experience in the field of export and project financing, energy and recycling, and sustainable banking.

Personal motto
“The energy and daring is to resist the noes, until the final yes has been achieved.”

Tjerk Wagenaar

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In his current position as director of the foundation Natuur & Milieu, Tjerk Wagenaar aims to accelerate sustainability in policy making as well as in consumer choices.

Professional background
As consultant, project manager, financial manager and director Tjerk Wagenaar has supported and lead many organisations, such as McKinsey & Co, NS Reiziger, SNV and Eneco.

Personal motto
Omnia clarescunt in luce

 

Teresa Fogelberg

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Teresa Fogelberg is Deputy Chief Executive of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). She is also board member at Cordaid, WWF Netherlands and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

Professional background
Teresa Fogelberg is an expert on the subject of women and development. She is former Chief Reviewer of the Gender and Diversity Programme of the CGIAR at the World Bank, and Associate Professor in Anthropology at Leiden University. She also held the position of executive assistant to the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002. She has also held the role of Chair of the OECD Expert Group on Women and Development. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs she was head of the Research department, head of the Women and Development department, and thematic specialist on women and development at the Dutch embassy in Dakar, Senegal.

Personal motto
Be touched by compassion: indifference is dangerous.

Tineke Lambooy

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Tineke Lambooy is researcher at the Centre for Sustainability at Nyenrode Business University, specializing in Corporate Social Responsibility and globalization. She is also lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Law of the University of Utrecht. She is the  initiator and lecturer of the courses Mergers & Acquisitions; Legal Aspects of Globalization and International Economic Public Law in the international masters programme International Business Law and Globalization at Utrecht University.

Professional background
Tineke Lambooy is editor of the European Company Law review journal and has worked as PhD researcher on the legal aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility at the University of Leiden. She was also initiator of the Foundation Golden Child Preparatory School, with fundraising for a secondary school in Ghana as goal. Tineke Lambooy has worked as a corporate lawyer specialized in, for instance, international transactions and privatizations. She was moreover initiator of the CSR programme Loyens & Loeff.

Her personal motto
May Summertime always be with you: let the fish keep jumpin’ and the cotton grow high!

Awraham Soetendorp

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Awraham Soetendorp is former rabbi of the Reform Jewish Community of The Hague, and rabbi of the Union of Dutch Reform Jewish Communities. He is also active as peace-builder and public voice towards positive change through the Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values. He is currently secretary of the Stichting Prinsjesdagviering: the Foundation for the Budget Day Celebration in the Netherlands.

Professional background:
Awraham Soetendorp has worked as Rabbi in the Liberal Jewish Community in The Hague, the Netherlands, and as Rabbi of the Union of Dutch Reform Jewish Communities. As religious leader he was a participant in the World Economic Forum and various other international conferences around the world. In 2001, he was elected president of European Region of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. He was also appointed as member of the Earth Charter commission in 2000. He is the founder of the Hope Foundation for Children for Universal Education and was a member in the UNESCO committee working towards new chart of global ethics. Awraham Soetendorp has also been a board member and (co)-chair at various organizations and committees.

Erik Thijs Wedershoven

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Erik Thijs Wedershoven is president of the Worldconnectors and Senior Manager at EY’s Long-Term Value Team.EY supports him in his role as president of the Worldconnectors. In his work, he mainly focuses on strategy (operationalization) as well as managing and measuring social impact. One example is the project he did together with a team for Volvo Group on the societal costs and benefits of fully electric public transport.

Professional background
Before joining EY, he worked at KPMG and NCDO he also was also Youth Representative to the United Nations General Assembly. He was a member of the Dutch government’s delegation to the UN Millennium Summit in 2005, UN General Assembly in 2004 and 2005, and UN Commission on Sustainable Development in 2006.

He studied Economics and Political Science at the University of Maastricht and UC Berkeley. In 2011 he graduated from Sciences Po Paris and London School of Economics and Political Science LSE) with a dual degree Master in Public Administration (MPA).

Erik Thijs is half French and is an active judo player in his spare time.

Jan van de Venis

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Jan van de Venis is a solicitor and owner of the law firm JustLaw and Legal Desk Director of the Swiss Waterlex. He particularly concentrates on human rights and sustainable development issues. He is also chair of the board of Stand Up For Your Rights and The Crowd Versus. Jan was a member of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in the Governance and Remuneration Working Group and a special guest lecturer on Human Rights for several universities, including the University of Utrecht.

Professional background
Jan van de Venis was previously legal counsel at Greenpeace International and senior associate at the law firm Marree en Dijxhoorn. He is author of several publications on human rights law and sustainable development. He is a popular speaker on these subjects, also given the relation to MVO. He is also currently involved as advisor to multiple campaigns and innitiatives on human rights and a healthy environment (incl. Child’s Right to Nature and a Healthy Environment, Institutionalising the Rights of Future Generations)

His personal motto
We may not always be able to control things that cross our paths, but we are in control of the way we respond.

Jannet Vaessen

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Jannet Vaessen is the managing director of women’s platform WOMEN Inc. She is involved in a wide range of women’s networks and feels connected to women of different generations, ethnical backgrounds and disciplines, as well as with their aspirations for change.

Professional background
Jannet Vaessen previously worked as project manager at the Cultuurfabriek (Culture Factory), as well as an independent entrepreneur, programmer, director and floormanager. Before this she was director of the Dutch TV broadcasting companies VPRO, Humanitische Omroep, RTL 5, IDTV and Teleac NOT. She holds a degree in Contemporary History of Mentalities and Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam.

Personal motto
Everyone can initiate a movement. Small moves, big changes. Let’s connect all strategies to create change!!

Lynn Zebeda

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Lynn Zebeda is a member of the Worldconnectors Board and is co-founder of Dr. Monk. She also holds various positions as an adviser on sustainability and international cooperation, for instance for De Groene Zaak.

Professional background
Previously Lynn worked at Better Future as consultant for sustainable leadership, social entrepreneurship and innovation, mainly in African countries. Lynn also worked as head of communications at True Price Foundation. She holds an MA degree in International Political Economy and Development from the Institute of Social Studies. Lynn participated in the BKB Academy from 2010 to 2011 and was a board member at the Night of the Tips from 2006 to 2010.

Personal motto
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Jos van Gennip

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Jos van Gennip is one of the intiators of Wordconnectors and currently fulfills the role of President of the thinktank Socires.

Professional background
Jos van Gennip was President of the NCDO Board until December 2011 and is a former member of the Worldconnectors Steering Group. From 1997 until 2007 he was member of the First Chamber in the Netherlands on behalf of the Dutch Christian-democratic People’s Party (CDA), where he worked on issues regarding Foreign Affairs, Defense, European Cooperation and International Development. He was also director of the Scientific Institute of CDA from 1991 till 1999, and has fulfilled the role of Deputy Director-General of international cooperation at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.