Roelof Nelissen
Roelof Johannes Nelissen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Netherlands |
| Died | July 18, 2019 (aged 88) |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, businessman |
| Years active | 1956–1992 |
| Known for | Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Minister of Finance, CEO of ABN AMRO |
Roelof Johannes Nelissen (4 April 1931 – 18 July 2019) was a prominent Dutch politician affiliated with the now-defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP), which later merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), as well as a notable figure in the business sector.
Biography
Nelissen completed his secondary education at a Gymnasium in Dongen between 1943 and 1949. He pursued higher education in Tax Law at Radboud University Nijmegen, obtaining his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1952 followed by a Master of Laws in 1956. From 1956 to 1957, he fulfilled military service as a Sergeant within the Medical Corps of the Royal Netherlands Army. Concurrently, he held executive roles at the Catholic Business Association (VNO-NCW) from 1956 until 1968, initially as Deputy General-Secretary and subsequently as General-Secretary.
In 1963, Nelissen secured a seat in the House of Representatives, where he led the special parliamentary committee on corporate investigations and acted as the spokesperson for Finance, Housing, Spatial Planning, Small Business, and Economic Affairs. After Leo de Block stepped down in 1970, Nelissen assumed the position of Minister of Economic Affairs. Post-1971 elections, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs within the Cabinet Biesheuvel I; however, he relinquished the latter role in January 1972.
The Cabinet Biesheuvel I collapsed in July 1972 due to disagreements over budget matters but continued in a caretaker capacity until replaced by Cabinet Biesheuvel II, where Nelissen maintained his roles as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. Following the 1972 elections, he briefly returned to Parliament but resigned shortly after because of constitutional restrictions on holding dual mandates. He did not participate in the Den Uyl cabinet formed in May 1973.
Shifting focus to the corporate world, Nelissen joined AMRO Bank as a financial advisor in 1973. He climbed the ranks to become Chief Financial Officer and vice chairman by 1979, then advanced to Chief Executive Officer and chairman in 1983. He steered AMRO Bank through its merger with Algemene Bank Nederland (ABN) in 1991, subsequently serving as CEO and chairman of the merged entity ABN AMRO until December 1992.
Decorations
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre | Holy See | 15 August 1971 | |
| Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 8 June 1973 | |
| Grand Officer of the Honorary Order of the Palm | Suriname | 25 April 1978 | |
| Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown | Belgium | 15 May 1984 |