Governance & Management

The Royal Tropical Institute has the statutory form of an association with private and corporate members.

The governing bodies of the association are: the Council of Members, the Board of Directors and the (single-headed) Executive Board. The Institute also has an Advisory Board, consisting of leading international experts in its fields of operation. Take a look at our organization chart.


The Board of Directors oversees the work of the Executive Board. The Directors in their turn are accountable to the Council of Members.

Board of Directors

Chairman Prof. Dr R. (Rudy) Rabbinge, MSc

 Dean, Graduate Education, Wageningen University and Research Centre; Chairman, Wageningen Graduate School; Member of the Dutch Senate
Vice Chairman Mr P.J. (Peter) Groenenboom Former President of the Board of Internatio-Müller N.V.
Mr A.A. (Bram) Anbeek van der Meijden, MA Former Vice President of the Board of Delta Lloyd Insurance Group N.V.
Mr H.G. (Henk) Dijkgraaf, MSc Chief Executive Officer at Gasunie Trade & Supply;

Former President of Shell Nederland B.V.

Dr M.J.A. (Maartje) van Putten, MA Vice President of the European Centre for Development Policy Management; Former Member of the World Bank Inspection Panel; Member Independent Review Mechanism of the African Development Bank
Prof. Dr C.I. (Carla) Risseeuw Professor of Intercultural Gender Studies, University of Leiden; Affiliated Fellow International Institute for Asian Studies, Leiden/Amsterdam
Prof. Dr E.J. (Joost) Ruitenberg Chairman of the Scientific Council at the Sanquin Foundation; Professor of International Public Health, Free University Amsterdam
Executive Board

Dr J. (Jan) Donner President
Council of Members
Mr M.A. (Max) van Alphen, MA Former Vice President of the Board of Internatio-Müller N.V.
Mr H. (Haig) Balian Director of the Royal Zoological Society “Natura Artis Magistra”
Mr R.M. (Michael) Barth, MA Managing Director Global Investment Darby Overseas Investments, Ltd.; Boardmember Emerging Markets Private Equity Association
Ms L. (Lia) Belilos Shell, Director Human Resources NL
Mr C. (Kees) Blokland, MSc Director Personnel and Organizations NS
Dr M.J. (Job) Cohen Mayor of Amsterdam
Mr G. (George) Görtemöller, RM Former Director of TNO
Mr M. (Michiel) Hardon, MBA Program Executive To Overcome Poverty in Africa, World Council of Churches
Mr J. Th. (Jan) Hoekema, MSc Mayor of Wassenaar
Mr J.P. (Hans) Hoogeveen, LL M Director General Executive Board Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Food Quality
Mr N. (Nanno) Kleiterp Director FMO
Mr J.A. (Johan) de Koning, MPhil Economic Advisor Unilever
Ms P.W. (Pauline) Kruseman Former Director, Amsterdam Historical Museum
Ms I.L. (Irene) van Luijken, MA Corporate Communications Manager, Shell Solar
Mr J. (Jan) Post Former President of the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce; Ambassador University of Amsterdam
Mr F. (Floris) Recourt, LL M Representative of the Maatschappij van Nijverheid en Handel (Netherlands Society for Industry and Trade)
Mr W. (Wietze) Reehoorn, LL M Member of the Board of ABN AMRO Netherlands
Mr G.H. (Gerard) Versseput, MA Consultant; Former Director of HVA Holding B.V.
Mr J.P. (Johan) Zoutberg, MA CEO Public Health
Advisory Board

Mr G.O. (George) Abungu (Kenya)

 Chairman of the Governing Council of the Kenya Cultural Centre
Mr D. (David) Ofori Adjei (Ghana) Director, Noguchi Research Institute

 

Prof. Dr S. (Sonia) Montaño Virreira (Bolivia) Sociologist and Chair, Programa de Investigacion Estrategica en Bolivia; Chief of the Women and Development Unit, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Carribean (ECLAC)
Dr I. (Ismail) Serageldin (Egypt, Chair) Director of the Library of Alexandria; former Vice President of the World Bank

Prof. Dr Le Vu Anh (Vietnam)

 Dean of Hanoi School of Public Health

Management & departments

The Institute has six departments and three service departments. The management of KIT is in the hands of the Executive Board.

Executive Board KIT
Executive Board President: Dr. J. (Jan) Donner

KIT Development, Policy & Practice
B. (Bart) Steenhuijsen de Piters, PhD - Director a.i.

KIT Biomedical Research
Dr P.R. (Paul) Klatser - Head of Department

Tropentheater
R. (Rien) Vrijenhoek - Director

Tropenmuseum
L.J.B. (Lejo) Schenk - Director

KIT Information & Library Services
J.H.W. (Hans) van Hartevelt, MA - Head of Department

Personnel, Organization & Information
R.T. (René) Mentink, MA - Head of Department

Finance & Control
M. (Marieke) Marcus,  - Head of Department

Corporate Communication
H. (Henk) van Holland - Head of Department

KIT Publishers
R. (Ron) Smit, MA - Director

KIT Intercultural Management & Communication
M. (Maarten) Bremer - Director

Royal Tropical Institute