With Alexandra van Huffelen, Radboud University will soon have at its helm a well-known politician. The former State Secretary will succeed current President of the Board Daniël Wigboldus. Van Huffelen plans to combine her position in Nijmegen with the chairmanship of D66.

The successor to Daniel Wigboldus is someone with a clear political profile. In the previous cabinet, Alexandra Van Huffelen (56) was State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitalisation on behalf of D66.

From 1 February 2025, she will be the new President of Radboud University’s Executive Board, the Supervisory Board announced today. Chair of the Board Mario van Vliet said in a press release that he was pleased with Van Huffelen’s appointment. ‘She is an experienced administrator with a strong network who is a great match for our University thanks to her powerful and connecting style focused on collaboration.’

State secretary and member of the Senate

Van Huffelen brings a lot of administrative experience and a large network in The Hague. In the Rutte III cabinet, she was State Secretary of Finance and in that role responsible for handling the child benefits scandal. Prior to this, she was, among other things, General Director of the Amsterdam public transport company GVB, alderman in Rotterdam, and a director at Essent.

In 2019 and 2020, Van Huffelen was a member of the Senate. She was active as a supervisor in the healthcare and culture sectors, among others. She studied Public Administration at the universities of Leiden, Rotterdam and Aarhus, Denmark.

‘Radboud University wants to be meaningful and make an impact. I resonate with these ambitions.’

Chairing the Executive Board in Nijmegen will be Van Huffelen’s first job as an administrator in higher education. She believes she is a good match for Radboud University, as she stated in her brief initial written response to VOX.

‘Radboud University wants to be meaningful and make an impact. It is a value-driven organisation. I resonate with these ambitions, and have gained extensive experience with them in other complex organisations, mostly in the interests of public service.’

Female board

With Van Huffelen’s appointment, Radboud University will for the first time have a female President of the Board. In fact, the Executive Board, which further includes Vice President Agnes Muskens and Rector José Sanders, will consist entirely of women.

‘It suits this University, which values emancipation,’ says Van Huffelen. ‘I am really looking forward to working with my colleagues on the Executive Board and, of course, with all other staff and students.’

Chairmanship of D66

Van Huffelen is not turning her back on politics. Last September, she announced her intention to chair D66, a position which, according to the party’s profile, requires a commitment of at least 16 hours a week.

‘An administrator is allowed to have one or more ancillary activities. This is very common.’

Van Huffelen has not relinquished that ambition, she writes. She believes chairmanship of D66 is easy to combine with being president of a university, both in practical and in substantive terms. ‘Once I start working for Radboud University soon, that will be my primary job,’ says Van Huffelen. ‘In addition, an administrator is allowed to have one or more ancillary activities. This is very common. Most of these activities take place on weekends and in the evening hours.’

Van Huffelen says she communicated her wish to become Chair of D66 to the Radboud University Supervisory Board. ‘They have let me know that they agree to this.’

One month without a president

On 1 February, Van Huffelen will take over from Daniël Wigboldus, who has been President of the Executive Board since May 2017. Last July, Wigboldus announced his intention to step down as President on 1 January, four months before his term officially expires. Vice President Muskens and Rector Sanders will therefore assume the President’s duties for the first month of 2025.