Tijs Breukink appointed interim member of the Executive Board

Tijs Breukink (born 1964) brings a wealth of experience in educational administration. He served on the Executive Board of Wageningen University & Research from 2005 to 2017. Following this, he became interim member of the Executive Board of HAN University of Applied Sciences and that of Fontys University of Applied Sciences, among other roles. Prior to his career in higher education, Breukink held management roles in the corporate sector, including at ARCADIS and DAF Trucks. Known for his calm demeanour and ability to connect, Breukink is skilled at bringing people together to achieve collaborative results.

Excited about his new role at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, Tijs Breukink stated: ‘I am thrilled that I get to contribute to operational management at AUAS, addressing challenges in optimising operations and ICT within this knowledge institution and helping to realise its ambitions, even amidst declining student numbers. I look forward to a productive collaboration with my colleagues.’

The Supervisory Board expresses its satisfaction that Tijs Breukink, an experienced educational administrator, can provide immediate support for continuity in the areas of operations and ICT during a time of changing environments and challenging strategic tasks. Gala Veldhoen, chair of the Supervisory Board, expressed confidence, saying: ‘We believe that, working closely with other members of the Executive Board, deans, directors of services, directors of operations at the faculties and executive staff management, Breukink will be able to manage the portfolio effectively until the vacancy is permanently filled.’

Jopie Nooren, Chair of the Executive Board, added: ‘We eagerly anticipate collaborating with Tijs Breukink. Given his experience in higher education, we are confident that he will quickly grasp the current administrative issues at AUAS. We are confident that Tijs will make a valuable contribution to the challenges in operations and ICT, as well as the development of shared services with the University of Amsterdam. Together, as the Executive Board, we will strike a balance between fostering development and innovation and safeguarding the quality of the foundation within the available financial resources.’

Residing in Zeist, Tijs Breukink is married and has two sons. After completing a technical degree programme at Saxion University of Applied Sciences, he earned a degree in business economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1987. In 1992, he obtained his doctorate in the same field at the former Katholieke Universiteit Brabant (now Tilburg University).