Hans Wijers
Hans Wijers | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gerardus Johannes Wijers January 11, 1951 |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, Business executive, Economist |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for | Minister of Economic Affairs (1994–1998), Chairman of Akzo Nobel, Chairman of ING Group supervisory board |
Gerardus Johannes "Hans" Wijers (born 11 January 1951) is a Dutch former politician affiliated with the Democrats 66 (D66) party and an established business executive. Since 2018, he has held the position of chairman of the supervisory board at ING Group.
Early life
Wijers earned his degree in economics cum laude from the University of Groningen in 1976. He subsequently taught economics at Erasmus University and completed his doctoral research in 1982, focusing on the formulation of industrial policy.
Civil service
Between 1982 and 1984, Wijers was employed as a civil servant within the ministries of Social Affairs and Labour as well as Economic Affairs. Following this, he transitioned into management consulting, working with firms such as Horringa & De Koning, which later became part of the Boston Consulting Group.
Politics
A member of D66 since 1976, Wijers was appointed Minister of Economic Affairs in 1994 by fellow party member Hans van Mierlo during the First Kok cabinet. His tenure included extending retail operating hours and drafting legislation on Competition Regulation that led to establishing the Dutch Competition Authority. A significant challenge during his ministership was the 1996 bankruptcy of the Fokker aircraft manufacturer; Wijers declined further government support due to uncertain future viability, resulting in German parent company DASA withdrawing.
As Van Mierlo prepared to leave office near the end of the cabinet’s term, party leaders encouraged Wijers to take on leadership responsibilities. Nevertheless, after the 1998 election and formation of the second purple cabinet, Wijers chose not to continue for a second ministerial term.
Life after politics
Wijers returned to consulting in 1999 as senior partner and chairman of The Boston Consulting Group’s Dutch division. He joined Akzo Nobel NV’s Board of Directors in July 2002 and ascended to chairman on 1 May 2003, succeeding Kees van Lede. During his chairmanship, AkzoNobel divested its Organon BioSciences pharmaceutical unit in 2007 and acquired British firm ICI, refocusing its core business on paints and chemicals. He stepped down as chairman in April 2012, with Ton Büchner taking over.
Beginning January 2009, Wijers has served as a non-executive director at Royal Dutch Shell and later became vice-chairman. His other roles include President of Heineken, supervisory director at HAL Holding NV, chairman of Vereniging Natuurmonumenten, and head of the supervisory board at Royal Concertgebouw NV. In 2010, he chaired the jury for the Libris Literature Prize and led the National Committee organizing King Willem-Alexander's inauguration in 2013.
From 2021 until 2022, Wijers participated as a member of the Trilateral Commission’s Task Force on Global Capitalism in Transition, which was chaired by Carl Bildt, Kelly Grier, and Takeshi Niinami.
Personal
Wijers resides with his partner and is a father to two children.
Decorations
| Honours | ||||
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 30 October 1998 | ||
External links
- Official
- Dr. G.J. (Hans) Wijers Parlement & Politiek
- 1951 births
- Living people
- Boston Consulting Group people
- Democrats 66 politicians
- Directors of Shell plc
- Dutch academic administrators
- Dutch chief executives in the finance sector
- Dutch chief executives in the food sector
- Dutch chief executives in manufacturing
- Dutch corporate board members
- Dutch expatriates residing in the United States
- Dutch management consultants
- Dutch nonprofit board members
- Dutch nonprofit leaders
- Dutch sports executives and administrators
- Erasmus University Rotterdam alumni
- Faculty of Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Heineken personnel
- Ministers of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands
- Ministers of Finance of the Netherlands
- Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Politicians originating from Amsterdam
- People from Sluis
- People from Veere
- University of Groningen alumni
- Faculty of the University of Groningen
- 20th-century Dutch business figures
- 20th-century Dutch civil servants
- 20th-century Dutch economists
- 20th-century Dutch educators
- 20th-century Dutch politicians
- 21st-century Dutch business figures
- 21st-century Dutch economists
- 21st-century Dutch educators
- 21st-century Dutch politicians
- Businesspeople from Amsterdam
- Members of the First Kok cabinet