Caroline Bäcker new Director and Chair of the Board of the Netherlands Water Partnership

The Netherlands Water Partnership enters the new year with the appointment of Caroline Bäcker as its new Director and Chair of the NWP Board. As of 1 January 2023, NWP has a new governance structure where leadership and operational responsibility are clearly positioned in the hands of the Director and Chair. Caroline succeeds Henk Nieboer who served as Interim Managing Director for the past year.

Caroline has worked in international cooperation throughout her career, and in the water sector for most of it. “I am pleased and proud to take on this new position at NWP. I am looking forward to working with the excellent NWP team, our members and partners. I hope to build opportunities, and facilitate an inspired response to the water challenges of today and the future. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the former NWP Board for its continuous work in strengthening the positioning of NWP, and to Henk, who has taken NWP forward this past year”.

The Supervisory Board (Raad van Toezicht) will continue to monitor the organisation as a whole. It is chaired by Rob Steijn and former NWP Chair Dorette Corbey is a member. Both will greatly contribute to NWP’s organisational continuity.

Apart from the Supervisory Board, NWP will also benefit from the strategic guidance of a new Water Council (Raad van Advies) comprised of high-level representatives of the Dutch water sector with national and international ambitions and remit. The Water Council will be established soon. One of NWP’s priorities will be to continue the dialogue with strategic partners to address and respond to global water challenges. This new structure will enable NWP to better serve both its members and the institutional environment in the Netherlands and abroad.

Rob Steijn is positive about NWP’s future. “The Dutch water sector plays a crucial role in solving water-related issues at home and abroad. It is important to share knowledge and foster cooperation. We are pleased that NWP has found an internationally experienced director in Caroline. I am confident that the highly motivated NWP team will continue to provide professional support to the Dutch water sector under her leadership”.