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Victor van der Chijs

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Nationality
  
Dutch

Name
  
Victor der



Born
  
1960 (age 54–55)
Ede, Netherlands

Occupation
  
President of the Executive Board of the University of Twente

Education
  
University of Amsterdam

Victor van der chijs at ie master in architectural management and design


Victor van der Chijs (born in Ede, Netherlands, 1960) is a Dutch entrepreneur. Since October 1, 2013 he is the President of the Executive Board of the University of Twente, the highest managing body of this university. The University of Twente is a technical university that offers research and degree programmes in engineering and in the social and behavioral sciences. In keeping with its entrepreneurial spirit, the university is committed to making economic and social contribution to society. Van der Chijs is currently re-evaluating the strategic direction of the university under the flag of Vision 2020, Together with students, staff, alumni and external stakeholders of the University of Twente, he is working on a more focused strategy for the future of the university, with the aim of finding solutions for major social issues.

Contents

Dutchdfa 4 4 victor van der chijs


OMA

Until summer of 2013, Victor van der Chijs was Managing Director and Partner of OMA, a leading international creative firm offering services in the field of architecture, design and creative advisory. Inspired by its roots in architecture, OMA and its research counterpart AMO offer services in the field of design in its broadest form resulting in buildings, masterplans, cultural advisory, identity studies, branding, exhibitions, sceneography and publications. The firm, founded by Rem Koolhaas, sustains offices in Rotterdam, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong and Doha with projects in over 35 countries worldwide.

Van der Chijs’ particular specialty is turning creativity into commercially viable propositions. Van der Chijs joined OMA in 2005 as Managing Partner. Next to the day-to-day responsibility for OMA's operations, he was responsible for business development and expanding and diversifying OMA's activities. Since 2005 until the departure of Victor van der Chijs, OMA and its think-tank AMO tripled in size while maintaining strict creative standards. On 19 March 2013, Van der Chijs announced his forthcoming departure as Managing Director and concluded his responsibilities at OMA end of June 2013.

Before

Before joining OMA, Van der Chijs held various management positions at Schiphol Group (international airport management company). Among others he was Director of Communications and Public Affairs lobbying for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol's aircraft noise mitigation programmes, and Director of Strategic Projects preparing for Schiphol's IPO (which was later derailed by the Dutch Labour Party) and setting up a strategic alliance between Schiphol and Frankfurt International Airport. He was also responsible for Schiphol's USD 1.2 billion terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, a position he happened to start on September 11, 2001 forcing a major financial restructuring of the project. Before joining Schiphol, Van der Chijs worked for financial services group, ING for over 10 years, of which the last three years based in Hong Kong in the field of project finance in China.

Van der Chijs holds a master's degree in Law from the University of Amsterdam, and has followed post-graduate education at the Amsterdam School of International Relations and at INSEAD, France.

Other positions

Van der Chijs holds and has held several other positions in Dutch society:

  • Member of the Executive Board of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU) (since 2013);
  • Member of het General Board of Association of Universities of the Netherlands (VSNU) (since 2013);
  • Member of the Strategy and Internationalization Steering Committee, VSNU (since 2013);
  • Member of the Executive Board of 3TU Federation (since 2013);
  • Member of the Innovation Platform Twente (since 2013);
  • General Board Member, University Fund Twente (since 2013);
  • Member of the Strategy Board Twente (since 2013);
  • Member of the Economic Board Twente (since 2013);
  • Member of Board of Trustees of Kennisland, an independent think tank based in the Netherlands, that aims to strengthen the Dutch cultural, intellectual and economic spheres (since 2010);
  • Member of the Supervisory Board of RET, the main public transport operator in the Rotterdam metropolitan area (since 2011);
  • Member of the Board of Trustees of the Nederlands Filmfonds (since 2013);
  • Member of the Dutch Creative Industries Council (since 2013);
  • Member of the Dutch Trade Board, advisory committee to the Netherlands’ Government in the field of international trade and cross-border investments (2007 - 2013);
  • Member of the Economic Development Board Rotterdam(2009 - 2013);
  • Member of the Board of Trustees and Audit Committee of the Netherlands National Historical Museum(2008 – 2011);
  • Member of the Program Committee of the Berlage Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design, Delft University of Technology (2012 - 2013); and
  • Chairman of the Dutch Creative Industries Council (2012 - 2013).
  • Towards a New Enterprise Policy

    Early 2011, Van der Chijs was appointed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation to head a 'top team' charged with exploring ways of stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship for the creative industries in the Netherlands. The key objective of the project, called To the Top – Towards a New Enterprise Policy (in Dutch: Topsectorenbeleid), is to give entrepreneurs more scope for their activities and enable them to grow. The Top Team generated an extensive report and action plan outlining which measures would enable creative companies to become more competitive, and to find solutions to major societal challenges by achieving 'cross-overs' with other industries, science institutes and governments.

    In order to realise this, a number of instruments were established, including CLICKNL, a public-private partnership that spurs innovation in creative SME's by connecting those to scientific research; and innovation vouchers which set out arrangements and financial agreements between businesses, scientists and the government to facilitate short-term research projects. Furthermore, the Dutch Creative Industries Council (D-CIC) was created, of which Van der Chijs held the position of chairman until end of 2013. He is still a member. The Council coordinates the implementation of the action plan, and advises businesses, scientists and the government on measures to address challenges in the sector, and on actions to consolidate the international position of the creative industries to become the most creative economy of Europe by 2020.

    ABN Amro International Business Award

    In 2007, Victor van der Chijs accepted for OMA the Jan Huygen van Linschoten Award, the business excellence award granted by of Dutch bank ABN AMRO. The award honors innovative international practice and excellent financial management, and reflected OMA's successful entrance and maintenance in emerging markets such as China, and amongst others, the Middle East.

    References

    Victor van der Chijs Wikipedia