I started off studying to become a doctor, but ended up working for the Medical Emergency Preparedness and Coordination Office (GHOR), which later on merged into the Safety Region of Rotterdam-Rijnmond. In that time I worked on preparing the region for a possible pandemic outbreak, ran over 300 trainings and exercises for boardroom management to Mayors and dispatch centres to hospitals, but also helped respond and coordinate numerous emergencies and crises.

Amongst other things, I also developed a methodology for victim tracking including a complementary software solution and led the regional preparedness program towards the pre-hospital response to a terrorist attack.

My experience extends to a national and international level when I worked for 4 years with the National Coordinator Terrorism and Safety (NCTV) of the Ministry of Security & Justice, where my portfolios covered critical infrastructure, large scale evacuation & flooding on behalf of the National Operations Coordination Centre (LOCC).

Inbetween acts, I completed my MSc in Risk, Crisis & Disaster Management from the renowned Scarman Centre of the University of Leicester in 2009. A fantastic red brick university, which I fully recommend. And if you do complete a course there, there is one defining moment awaiting you: the graduation ceremony.

Besides work I also volunteer as a board member for the Red Cross and a foundation that promotes and provides sports to people with a mental disability (Sportbelang SGK). On the side, I am also fully trained as a coordination and assessment expert for the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPT) and as a coordination expert for the WHO Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell (EMTCC).

- Red Cross: https://www.rodekruis.nl
- SGK: https://www.sportbelangsgk.nl
- WHO EMTCC: https://extranet.who.int/emt/
- Safety Region Rotterdam-Rijnmond: https://vr-rr.nl/
- NCTV: https://english.nctv.nl
- DG ECHO: https://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en