Herman Wijffels

H.H.F. "Herman" Wijffels (born 13 March 1942) is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and businessman.

Herman Wijffels
Herman Wijffels in 2012
Chairman of the Social
and Economic Council
In office
1 January 1999 – 1 April 2006
Preceded byKlaas de Vries
Succeeded byAlexander Rinnooy Kan
Personal details
Born
Herman H.F. Wijffels

(1942-03-13) 13 March 1942
Turkeye, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
Political partyChristian Democratic Appeal
(from 1980)
Other political
affiliations		Catholic People's Party
(until 1980)
Spouse(s)
Herma van der Weide (m. 1970)
ResidenceMaarn, Netherlands
Alma materTilburg University
(Bachelor of Economics, Master of Economics, Doctor of Philosophy)
OccupationPolitician · Civil servant · Economist · Financial adviser · Researcher · Businessman · Banker · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Trade association executive · Academic administrator · Lobbyist · Author · Professor

From 1981 to 1999 he worked for the Rabobank ultimately as chairman of the board of directors and from 15 March 1999 until 1 April 2006 he was chairman of the Social-Economic Council (Sociaal-Economische Raad, SER). From 2006 to 2008 he was the Dutch representative at the World Bank, succeeding Ad Melkert. For the 2006-2007 Dutch cabinet formation, Wijffels was recommended by informateur Rein Jan Hoekstra to lead the negotiations between the CDA, PvdA and ChristianUnion. On 22 December 2006 Queen Beatrix appointed him as Hoekstra's successor as informateur. He has been referred to as "the best prime minister the Netherlands never had".[1]

He has been involved in supporting many causes since his retirement from the SER as his biography by Jan Smit illustrates[2]. On leaving the SER, he demonstrated his bridging role by bringing together people from his traditional world and alternative world in a leaving event with Prof Ervin Laszlo, Dr Don Beck and Peter Merry. He repeated this with a major event focused on societal transformation in the Netherlands called Klaar om te Wenden[3] (which translates as the sailing term "Ready About!").

Decorations
Honours
Ribbon barHonourCountryDateComment
Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Netherlands 30 April 1991
Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 30 April 1995

Honorary degrees
Honorary degrees
UniversityFieldCountryDateComment
Tilburg University Economics Netherlands 25 November 1998
Open University Economics Netherlands 13 December 2002

References
  1. http://www.volkskrant.nl/archief_gratis/article1213347.ece/We_vragen_te_veel_van_planeet_aarde
  2. "Herman Wijffels in een biografie van Jan Smit - Biografieportaal". Biografieportaal (in Dutch). 2014-06-07. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  3. "Klaar om te Wenden". Peter Merry. 2006-03-31. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
Official
Civic offices
Preceded by
Klaas de Vries		 Chairman of the Social
and Economic Council
1999–2006		 Succeeded by
Alexander Rinnooy Kan
Government offices
Preceded by
Rein Jan Hoekstra
2006–2007		 Informateur
2006–2007		 Succeeded by
Jan Peter Balkenende
as Formateur
2006–2007
Business positions
Preceded by
Pierre Lardinois		 CEO and Chairman of the
Rabobank
1986–1999		 Succeeded by
Hans Smits
Preceded by
Ad Melkert		 Executive Director of the
World Bank Group
2006–2008		 Succeeded by
Unknown
Executive Director of the
International Monetary Fund
2006–2006		 Succeeded by
Unknown
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by
Unknown		 Secretary of the
Christian Employers' federation
1977–1981		 Succeeded by
Unknown
Preceded by
Unknown		 Chairman of the
Vereniging Natuurmonumenten
1999–2006		 Succeeded by
Cees Veerman
Academic offices
Preceded by
Unknown		 President of the
Tilburg University
2000–2006		 Succeeded by
Hein van Oorschot
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