Merel van Vroonhoven is to be the new Chair of the Supervisory Board of Radboud University. The former board member of the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets is currently a teacher in training. Also joining the Board is Jonathan Soeharno, Professor of Law at the University of Amsterdam. In total, there are three women and two men on the new supervisory board.

In September 2019, Merel van Vroonhoven (born in 1968) made a special transition. She gave up her position as board member of the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and enrolled as a student at the primary education teacher-training college (PABO). She writes columns about her experiences in mainstream and special education in de Volkskrant.

Previously, Van Vroonhoven, who studied Geophysics at Delft University of Technology, was a board member at Dutch Railways, ING and Nationale Nederlanden. She was also a member of the Supervisory Board of Delft University of Technology. ‘The mission to contribute to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for everyone is more relevant than ever in these times of major social issues,’ said Van Vroonhoven in a message on the University’s website.

Lawyer

A second new member of the supervisory board is Jonathan Soeharno. The lawyer at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek and professor of law at the University of Amsterdam studied philosophy in Nijmegen from 2000 to 2005. He is chairman of the Committee on Research Integrity of the University of Amsterdam and a member of the supervisory board of the Ronald McDonald Children’s Fund.

Now that Radboud University is no longer a Catholic institution, the bishops may no longer appoint the members of the supervisory board. The appointment of Jonathan Soeharno was made after a nomination by members of the Nijmegen participational bodies.

With the appointment of the two new members, the Supervisory Board is now complete. In total, there are three women and two men on the Supervisory Board. Dymph van den Boom (former rector of the University of Amsterdam), Valerie Frissen and Paul Morshuis recently joined the board. The appointments are for a period of four years.

One of the first tasks for the new board is to find a successor for Wilma de Koning , vice-president of the Executive Board. After eight years in office, De Koning will be leaving Radboud University next spring.