In 1999, Jeroen van der Sommen became the first Managing Director of the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP), an independent foundation with a bold vision: to unite public and private water sector organisations in a neutral platform. The aim was to amplify the voice of the Dutch water sector on the global stage and create greater opportunities for collaboration and success. We reflect with Jeroen van der Sommen and, in line with the theme of our 25th anniversary, ‘Envision the evolution of the international water sector’, we also look ahead.
“Dutch companies and NGOs gained global exposure through NWP missions and exhibitions and oftentimes found that final push to secure a project.’’
Jeroen van der Sommen
NWP's Managing Director from 1999 to 2011
“Our water partnership model was adopted by other countries like Denmark, Germany, Japan, France, and more, which opened valuable opportunities.’’
Jeroen van der Sommen
NWP's Managing Director from 1999 to 2011
''It's essential to look beyond the water sector and engage with the financial world (venture capitalists, family funds), the IT sector, and more. These are steps that individual participants may find challenging but can be achieved collectively within the NWP framework.''
Jeroen van der Sommen
NWP's Managing Director from 1999 to 2011