Joop Wijn

Joop Wijn
Born	Joannes Gerardus Wijn (1969-05-20) May 20, 1969
Occupation(s)	Politician, businessman
Years active	1998–2007 (politics), 2007–present (business)
Known for	Dutch politician affiliated with the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), former State Secretary and Minister of Economic Affairs, businessman at Rabobank, ABN AMRO, and Adyen
Notable work	Spearheading Dutch Sandwich BEPS tax strategy

Joannes Gerardus "Joop" Wijn (; born 20 May 1969) is a former Dutch politician affiliated with the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and a businessman.

Early life and education

Between 1981 and 1987, Wijn completed his gymnasium education in Haarlem. He pursued Economics at the University of Amsterdam, achieving a Bachelor's degree in 1989 followed by a Master's in 1991. Subsequently, he studied Law at the same university, earning a Bachelor's in 1992 and a Master's degree in 1994. From 1991 to 1994, he instructed economics at both the Kennemer Lyceum and Schoevers. Afterwards, he worked as a financial analyst at ABN AMRO from 1994 until 1998.

Politics

In the 1998 general election, Wijn secured a seat in the House of Representatives representing the Christian Democratic Appeal. He commenced his term on 19 May 1998. During his tenure as an MP, he acted as the primary spokesperson for finance, small business, and integration, while also serving as deputy spokesperson for economic affairs and postal services. Notably, in 2000, he was one of the few CDA members to endorse the legalization of same-sex marriage in the Netherlands. This stance underscored the contrast between his openly gay identity and his party’s traditional views.

Following the 2002 general election, Wijn was appointed as State Secretary for Economic Affairs with a focus on foreign trade within the Balkenende I cabinet, assuming office on 22 July 2002. Although this cabinet collapsed after four months, it continued to function in a caretaker role.

After the 2003 general election, Wijn returned to parliament on 30 January 2003. Subsequently, during the 2003 cabinet formation, he was named State Secretary for Finance in the Balkenende II cabinet starting from 27 May 2003. In this capacity, he managed the restructuring of the Tax and Customs Administration into an entity responsible for both collection and redistribution of public funds, including healthcare contributions, housing subsidies, and child benefits. His priorities included streamlining bureaucracy and enhancing tax relief measures aimed at families.

Wijn is recognized for spearheading the development of the Dutch Sandwich BEPS tax strategy, which stands as one of the most significant international tax avoidance mechanisms. Alongside other Dutch multinational BEPS tools such as the "double dip" hybrid debt instrument utilized by resource firms to reduce taxation in emerging economies, these initiatives contributed to positioning the Netherlands as a prominent global corporate haven.

The Balkenende II government dissolved on 30 June 2006 due to coalition disagreements but remained operational in a caretaker capacity until succeeded by the interim Balkenende III cabinet. On 7 July 2006, Wijn was appointed as Minister of Economic Affairs. After the 2006 general election, he resumed his parliamentary role on 30 November 2006. On 6 February 2007, Wijn declared his withdrawal from national politics and declined any ministerial role in the forthcoming Balkenende IV cabinet, subsequently resigning from parliament on 22 February 2007.

Business

Following the establishment of the Balkenende IV cabinet, Wijn decided to exit the political arena. Despite receiving an invitation from the CDA leadership in August to assume the role of parliamentary leader, he opted to decline and withdrew from national political engagement. Subsequently, he moved into the private sector, taking on the position of chief business officer (CBO) at Rabobank in June 2007. In 2009, Gerrit Zalm brought him on board at ABN AMRO, where Wijn was appointed chief marketing officer (CMO) in February. By May 2017, he had progressed to hold dual roles as chief strategy officer (CSO) and chief risk officer (CRO) at Adyen, a prominent international payments firm.

In parallel, Wijn maintained involvement within the public sector by participating on boards of nonprofit organizations such as the Orange Foundation, nl:Stadsherstel Amsterdam, and the Jaarbeurs. Moreover, he plays a significant role in shaping Dutch business policies through his leadership position within the trade association VNO-NCW.

Decorations

Honours

Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	11 April 2007