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Former CEO of IDH (2008-2020)
Dear colleagues and friends,
I have enjoyed every minute of the last twelve years, but there is a time for everything, and now is the moment for me to move on. It is humbling that so many have joined me on this journey, to make international value chains sustainable. Thanks a million for your trust and commitment.
A big, big thank you to IDH’s core donors (the Dutch (MoFa), Swiss (Seco) and Danish (Danida) government) and strategic program funders (the Norwegian (NICFI) and British (FCDO) and American (USAID) governments and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. They give IDH the freedom and guidance to explore new ways of creating sustainable value chains and allow IDH to develop the instruments that prove to effectively create impact at scale.
A big thank you to the many governments and global business partners with whom IDH has worked so closely, building effective partnerships and seeking innovate ways forward to reach impact at scale. Together we have created real impact. We have changed business models and governance settings and thus improved the livelihoods of millions of farmers, bringing millions of hectares under sustainable land management.
Last but not least, I am most grateful to the global IDH team of now about 250 from all over the world. They dedicate their professional lives to this beautiful IDH mission and earn its respect each and every day. It has been an honor to work with and for you!
I am leaving IDH to become the CEO of Invest International, a new development and finance facility set up by the Dutch government. It has a great mandate to invest in businesses and work with government for the SDGs. So, in many ways this is not a farewell, but rather a goodbye and speak to you soon!
I am thrilled that the Supervisory Board has appointed Daan Wensing as my successor. He is a humble but effective leader. Daan has proven his worth to the organization and its mission many times over. I wish him and the team the best of luck. I am confident that many great things are still to come out of this beautiful organization!
If you want to hear more of my reflections, have a listen to this podcast: