VAN GOGH MUSEUM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- CFO
- Member of the Present Composition of the Board
Job Titles:
- Head of Education & Presentation
Amanda Vollenweider is responsible for the departments of Education & Interpretation, Exhibitions, Publications and for The Mesdag Collection in The Hague. Amanda will also lead the Exhibitions Department.
In her previous position, she was Head of Education and Programming at Museum Arnhem. She graduated as Master of Museology from the Reinwardt Academie and recently gained her MSc Business from the Nyenrode Business Universiteit.
Amanda was previously head of the project office at NEMO, where her achievements included setting the new course for the Weekend van de Wetenschap (Science Weekend). She also ran her own company, assisting a range of museums with modernisation programmes. She is keen to share her expertise in the field of (content-related) public policy, drawing on her experiences at various museums.
Job Titles:
- Secretary to the Board & Head of the Staff Office
Babette Meerdink-Schenau (1974) studied Dutch Law at Radboud University (Nijmegen) and International Trade Law at the University of London. She began her legal career at Houthoff Buruma before working for many years as a (legislative) lawyer at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Babette also worked as a Clerk at the Enterprise Division of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal. She became Secretary to the Board of the Van Gogh Museum in September 2017, providing the Board with policy and legal support.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the BIZOT Group and Board
As of 1 February 2020, Emilie Gordenker is director of the Van Gogh Museum.
She is in charge of the Groups Collection: Collection and Research, Collection Management and Restoration, Registrar's Office, Collection Information, Education & Presentation: Education & Interpretation, Exhibitions, Publications, The Mesdag Collection, Marketing & Communication: Digital Communication, Marketing, Press Office, Events, and Development.
Background
Emilie has been Director of the Mauritshuis from 2008 until 2020. Before that, she was Senior Curator of Early Netherlandish, Dutch and Flemish Art at the National Gallery of Scotland. She holds a B.A. in Russian and East European Studies (Yale University) and a PhD in the History of Art, specialising in 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art (Institute of Fine Arts, New York University).
Emilie is also an active member of the BIZOT group and Board Member of Fulbright The Netherlands.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager
- Head of Commerce
Jacqueline van Diessen is Senior Manager Group Commerce as of December 2021. She divides this role with her position of Head of Buying & Merchandise, which she has controlled since 2017. As Senior Manager Group Commerce, she leads a team with the aim of further building on the success of the commercial activities within the Van Gogh Museum.
After studying Business Economics, Jacqueline started her career as a management trainee at Koninklijke Ahold. After working for more than ten years in various commercial positions at Albert Heijn, Jacqueline made the transition to Nike European Operations Netherlands, where she supervised various global & European sourcing projects.
In her further career, Jacqueline has carried out various interim assignments in the field of category management, including Etos and Intertoys.
Jort studied Urban Planning at the University of Amsterdam and joined the Van Gogh Museum as a temporary employee during the exhibition Rembrandt - Caravaggio (2006). In 2013, after gaining several years' experience on the museum floor, he became Head of the Visitor Services Department. In November 2020, Jort became Head of Operations.
His primary focus areas as Head of the Visitor Services Department are museum visitor satisfaction, capitalising on the potential of (online) ticket sales and services, and ensuring an optimal blend of visitors. The primary responsibilities of the Head of Operations in the coming period are the museum's business prospects, the digital transition of the organisation and safeguarding the quality and scalability of all museum services that are affected by the Covid-19 measures.
Jort is responsible for policy and management at the Security, Visitor Services, Support Services and ICT departments.
Marije Vellekoop studied Art History at Utrecht University and joined the Van Gogh Museum in 1995, becoming Curator of Prints and Drawings in 1999. Marije assumed responsibility for the Collections & Research Department in 2013.
As head of this department, she oversees significant core activities at the Van Gogh Museum and The Mesdag Collection, including the presentation and expansion of the permanent collection, loans, authenticity research and the research programme. The Collections & Research Department is also responsible for developing exhibition concepts.
In her new role as Head of Collections (from 1 December 2020 on), Marije will be responsible for the departments of Collections & Research, Collection Management & Restoration, the Registrar's Office and Collection Information. Marije Vellekoop will also continue to lead the Collections & Research Department.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Present Composition of the Board
- Member ( Appointed until July 2027 ) Chair of the Board of the Authority for Consumers and Markets ( ACM )
Martijn Snoep
Member (appointed until July 2027)
Chair of the Board of the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM)
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Present Composition of the Board
Rob Groot - Managing Director
Rob Groot (1967) has been appointed as the new Managing Director of the Van Gogh Museum as of 1 September 2021.
He is responsible for the groups Van Gogh Museum Enterprises, the Staff Office, Finance & Control, HR and Operations.
Previously Rob was Financial Director at the Dutch Broadcasting Foundation (NPO), Managing Partner at KPMG Nederland and CFO at Stage Entertainment.
Rob Groot (1967) has been appointed as the new Managing Director of the Van Gogh Museum as of 1 September 2021.
Background
Groot was Financial Director at the Dutch Broadcasting Foundation (NPO), where he was responsible for financial administration, controlling and purchasing.
He studied Accountancy and subsequently IT Auditing (VU University, Amsterdam), before becoming Equity Partner at KPMG Nederland, responsible for Dutch and international clients.
From 2010 to 2014, he was Managing Partner at KPMG Nederland, responsible for HR. Groot later became CFO at Stage Entertainment and was a member of the Board at Stichting Videma.
Vincent Willem van Gogh (1953) is the great-grandson of Theo van Gogh, the artist's brother. Having made his career as a lawyer, Willem van Gogh joined the Van Gogh Museum in 1999. He was initially responsible for the museum's shops, before becoming Advisor to the Board in 2009. In his current role, Willem van Gogh works as an ambassador to expand and strengthen the museum's network.
Job Titles:
- Head of Marketing & Communication
In her new role as Head of Marketing & Communication, Yvonne is responsible for the departments of Marketing, Digital Communication, Press and Events. Yvonne will also lead the Marketing Department.
In her previous position, Yvonne Nassar was Head of Customer Strategy & Marketing at RAI Amsterdam. Other previous roles include as Marketing Director Europe at Dolce Hotels & Resorts, based in Paris. Yvonne has established international marketing and sales departments in the Netherlands and England.
She is also an active member of Platform Innovatie in Marketing (PIM), where she is Chairwoman, and IMD Alumni Club Nederland. Her personal mission statement is connecting people to drive sustainable business growth, for a colourful future for all.