Experience

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  Statistics Center Abu Dhabi

  • Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪

  • Senior Strategic Advisor

    • Aug 2021 - Present
    • Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪

    Senior Strategic Advisor to Director General of Statistics Center Abu Dhabi (SCAD) advising on and contributing to innovations and achievements such as: - Innovating, transforming, modernizing Abu Dhabi official statistics and UAE statistics; - Abu Dhabi’s Decentralized Statistical Ecosystem; - SCAD Data Talks; - Stakeholder Management function; - Private Sector Forum & Data for Good Alliance; - International Strategic Advisory Committee; - Enhancing statistical knowledge, skills Emirati Nationals - Creation UN Regional Hub for Big Data in the UAE - Enhancing administrative data and creating an Abu Dhabi system of statistical registers; - Initiating a development towards user centric additional statistical services on demand. - Adopting new data sources to improve statistical products; - Execution of the first Abu Dhabi Census fully based on administrative sources; - Statistical documentation project linked to the GSBPM;- Creation Insights and Foresights Platform (powered by big data); - National Strategy for Statistics of Higher UAE Committee for Coordinating Statistical Work - Aligning Abu Dhabi and UAE statistics with international UN, ILO, IMF statistical guidelines; - Election of SCAD ED as Council Member 2025-2029 of the ISI , International Statistical Institute; - Supporting UAE’s election to the United Nations Statistical Commission - Building and expanding Abu Dhabi’s and UAE’s global statistical networks and connections.

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  Rotha Ventures Co. Ltd

  • Ban Dan, Buriram, Thailand 🇹🇭

  • Founder and owner

    • Feb 2022 - Present
    • Ban Dan, Buriram, Thailand 🇹🇭

    International advisory and research, global business development and high-level networking, (interim-) leadership and management, coaching & mentoring, educating, teaching, developing, training, land ownership, property development & (holiday) rental as well as touristic tours in North-East Thailand (Isaan) in close collaboration with co-owner, business- and life partner Thanya Hermans-Khamsri

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  Roha Ventures bv

  • Gulpen, Limburg, Netherlands 🇳🇱

  • Founder and owner

    • Dec 2005 - Present
    • Gulpen, Limburg, Netherlands 🇳🇱

    Inactive business status

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  Statistics Netherlands

  • Netherlands
  • Government Administration
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Director Development Regional Data Alliances

    • Jan 2018 - Aug 2021

    Creating triple and quadruple helix strategic data alliances throughout the Netherlands with governments, academia, private sector and citizen driven initiatives as partners / stakeholders , international advisory on this topic with Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean as special project as well as leading the CBS endeavors in the EU twinning project on modernizing Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 Statistics to become aligned with EU Standards

  • Program Director Development Urban Data Centers

    • Aug 2016 - Jan 2018

    Developing and implementing the innovative concept of the Urban Data Centers: a close collaboration between CBS as the Dutch National Statistics Office and cities throughout the Netherlands in their endeavors to become smart, sustainable and data-driven cities , including providing international strategic advisory services to other National Statistical Offices

  • Director Department of Statistics on Labour, Income and Living Conditions

    • Aug 2013 - Jan 2018

    Leading a 120 (statistical professionals) strong department in the production and dissemination of statistics on - amongst others - labor, income, living conditions, education, health, housing, safety and ICT. Initiating cross National-border statistics in close collaboration with Germany and Belgium. Progressing the exploration of potential usage of Mobile Positioning Data (MPD) for official statistics.

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  World Council on City Data

  • Toronto, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦

  • Member of the International Advisory Board at WCCD, World Council on City Data

    • Dec 2016 - Jul 2021
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦

    Member of the international advisory board of the World Council on City Data (WCCD) created by cities for cities, founded in Canada in 2014 to support cities globally to embrace ISO standardized, independently verified and globally comparable city data to make data-driven decisions on management, planning and investment, monitor progress and results and overall become more sustainable, safe, resilient, prosperous, inclusive and smart with partners such as UNEP, UNDRR, Statistics Canada, Citynet, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, The Dubai Executive Council, Royal Commission for Riyadh City and the University of Toronto, Canada

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  United Nations

  • Worldwide meetings 2x per year 🌎

  • Joint member United Nations Inter Agency & Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goals (IAEG-SDG)

    • Oct 2016 - Oct 2018
    • Worldwide meetings 2x per year 🌎

    Joint-member of the Inter Agency & Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goals with special focus on the topic of disaggregationAuthor of the UNECE document “Future Cities and Data Governance “ (2019) and co-author of the UNECE document “In-depth review of city data and statistics “ (2019)

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  Wujiang City

  • Wujiang, China 🇨🇳

  • Program Manager Smart & Sustainable Urban Development

    • Mar 2010 - Mar 2013
    • Wujiang, China 🇨🇳

    Sustainable urban development, smart cities, data driven decision making, competitiveness for Wujiang City, China. Wujiang City is one of five urban districts in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. As the southernmost county-level division of Jiangsu, it borders Shanghai to the northeast and Zhejiang province to the south and southwest. Wujiang is currently one of the most economically successful cities in China.

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  Ciudad del Saber Foundation

  • Clayton, City of Panamá, Republic of Panamá 🇵🇦

  • Member Scientific Comittee at CIDES - International Centre Sustainable Development

    • Aug 2006 - Aug 2011
    • Clayton, City of Panamá, Republic of Panamá 🇵🇦

    Member of the Scientific Committee and consultant sustainable development at CIDES ( Centro Internacional para el Desarollo Sostenible / International Center for Sustainable Development ) at the Ciudad del Saber Foundation / City of Knowledge at Clayton, Panama City , Republic of PanamáCIDES is an international multi-organizational network dedicated to promoting Integrated Knowledge Management for Sustainable Development, integrating social, economic, political, cultural, scientific, technological and natural dimensions. It operates through an international strategic alliance, made up of academic, scientific, governmental, non-governmental, business organizations and international organizations. It serves decision makers in the design of strategies, policies, plans, programs, projects and actions that simultaneously link social, economic and environmental objectives.Ciudad del Saber (City of Knowledge) is an innovative community aiming to be a model sustainable city that promotes knowledge management, innovation, culture and human development for The Republic of Panama and the world.

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  Research Institute for Knowledge Systems

  • Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands 🇳🇱

  • Director Global Business Development and shareholder

    • Jan 2006 - Jan 2010
    • Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands 🇳🇱

    Co-Director (50%) and shareholder (33%). The Research Institute for Knowledge Systems (RIKS) explores the future in over 50 countries worldwide by producing software tools to support planners (at local, regional, national and supranational governments and water management organizations) by allowing them to test and analyse the impact of policy alternatives on their city, region or country. RIKS developed the Metronamica land use modeling framework that allows decision makers to setup a land use change models for their own city, region or country without any software development. Metronamica was created as a Smart Cities Digital Twin “Avant la lettre “. In addition RIKS creates tailor made Integrated Spatial Decision Support Systems that include models and data from a range of disciplines such as economics, demographics, hydrology, plant growth, land use and transport which are selected depending on user needs and policy context. These systems provide users with an integrated assessment of various scenarios on economic, social and environmental indicators.

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  Etil research group

  • Netherlands 🇳🇱

  • Director Businesses Development and Commercial Affairs

    • Jan 2006 - Jan 2010
    • Netherlands 🇳🇱

    Director Business Development and Commercial Affairs (50%) Etil research group is an innovative research agency that believes companies and governments can optimally improve themselves, if they have continuous insight into trends and developments in society, their industry and their own organisation. Etil is always a sustainable partner. Etil continually collects, combines and interprets data at all levels, for both the public and private sector. Etil is independent, scientific, and offers possibilities for improvement with its thorough research and innovative solutions.Etil has a rich history and was founded in 1932 as the Limburg Institute of Economic Technology by Professor Henri Gelissen – who would later become Minister of Economic Affairs - to combat the economic crisis, stimulate the economy and promote industrialization. From 1975 onwards, Etil manifested itself as a social economic planning institute for the Dutch province of Limburg, after which it became part of Maastricht University in 1999. In 2010 Etil became an independent research agency as part of the IBS group.Developments on a global, European, national and regional level have consequences for the local environment: from districts, municipalities, and provinces to the (eu)region. For almost 90 years, Etil has been helping companies and governments with data-driven policy and decision-making at all levels.

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  Provincie Limburg

  • Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands 🇳🇱

  • Head Department of Economic Development, Labour Market, Education, Innovation and European programs

    • Jan 2003 - Jan 2006
    • Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands 🇳🇱

    Leading a team of 80 policy-making professionals on economic development, innovation, labor market, education and cross border collaboration with Belgium and Germany within the framework of European cross border regional development programs at the province of Limburg. Limburg is one of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands representing the administrative layer between the national government and the local municipalities, with responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance.

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  Etil research group

  • Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands🇳🇱

  • Head Department of Spatial Economics

    • Jan 2000 - Jan 2003
    • Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands🇳🇱

    Etil research group is an innovative research agency that believes companies and governments can optimally improve themselves, if they have continuous insight into trends and developments in society, their industry and their own organisation. Etil is always a sustainable partner. Etil continually collects, combines and interprets data at all levels, for both the public and private sector. Etil is independent, scientific, and offers possibilities for improvement with its thorough research and innovative solutions.Etil has a rich history and was founded in 1932 as the Limburg Institute of Economic Technology by Professor Henri Gelissen – who would later become Minister of Economic Affairs - to combat the economic crisis, stimulate the economy and promote industrialization. From 1975 onwards, Etil manifested itself as a social economic planning institute for the Dutch province of Limburg, after which it became part of Maastricht University in 1999. In 2010 Etil became an independent research agency as part of the IBS group.Developments on a global, European, national and regional level have consequences for the local environment: from districts, municipalities, and provinces to the (eu)region. For almost 90 years, Etil has been helping companies and governments with data-driven policy and decision-making at all levels.

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  Vebego International B.V.

  • Manager & Consultant

    • Jan 1999 - Jan 2000

    Vebego creates a better and more pleasant living and working environment. With nearly 40,000 employees in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, and in Liechtenstein and Austria, Vebego makes a positive contribution to society every single day. The Head-Office is located in Voerendaal in The Netherlands near to the place where the international family business was founded in 1943.

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  Gemeente Sittard-Geleen

  • Netherlands
  • Government Administration
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Head Department Internal and External Services at the City of Sittard

    • Jan 1994 - Jan 1999

    Leading a 120 staff strong team delivering internal services and external services such as communication, data, statistics and economic services to the citizens, businesses and stakeholders of the City of Sittard

  • Head Bureau Communications, Public Relations and Citymarketing

    • May 1992 - Dec 1994

    Creating, building and implementing a completely new team focusing on communications, Public Relations and Citymarketing at the City of Sittard

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  Gemeente Roermond

  • Roermond, Limburg, Netherlands🇳🇱

  • Policy Consultant Economic Development at the City of Roermond

    • May 1990 - May 1992
    • Roermond, Limburg, Netherlands🇳🇱

    Providing advice on developing and implementing economic policy recommendations, economic research, and project analysis; identify creative and strategic opportunities for SME’s; support the execution of economic policy recommendations, reports, surveys, etc. and serving as liaison with key stakeholders including the broader policy community.

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  ROC Arcus College

  • Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands🇳🇱

  • Teacher Geography and tourism

    • Mar 1987 - Apr 1990
    • Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands🇳🇱

    Part time teacher in Tourism and Touristic Geography in combination with studying Urban and Rural Geography and Communication Sciences at Amsterdam University