Born 1928 in Utrecht, Netherlands. Studied law at Leiden. Military training in the US Air Force, served as operational fighter pilot in the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
- Joined Shell International in 1954, working in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
- 1959, graduated in Arabic at the British Foreign Office school (MECAS),Libanon. (other languages: German, French and Spanish). Subsequently 5 years in the oil business in the Middle East. Attended the first Arab Petroleum Congress in Cairo.
- After 4 years At Shell Centre in the Hague and London, chief executive of Shell companies in equatorial Africa.
- Chief executive of Shell Vietnam in Saigon from 1972 to 1975, the last years of the Democratic republic of South Vietnam.
- From 1976 Vice President of Shell Europe, involved in drafting OECD and European guidelines for Multinationals and advising the International Energy Agency and the European community on emergency oil supply measures.
- 1981, President of Shell Venezuela and of the Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean in Caracas.
- Since late eighties in Marbella, Spain. Married four children.
