Border security expert, military commander, and public administration strategist specializing in international migration management, customs administration, and multilateral oversight.
His military and public service career includes serving as Commander of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and Governor of the Residency (2012–2015; 2019–2023), as well as holding senior roles within the Dutch Senior Civil Service, such as Director-General of the Netherlands Tax and Customs Administration, Quartermaster of the Integrity Chamber in Sint Maarten, and Programme Director-General for the post-Hurricane Irma reconstruction of the Windward Islands. In international governance, he served as a member of Frontex's Management Board and chaired NATO's International Board of Auditors (2019). His earlier career encompasses military command in artillery and gendarmerie units, serving as Contingent Commander in Afghanistan, lecturing in Law and Police Sciences at the Netherlands Military Academy, and working as a senior policy adviser in the Dutch Ministry of Defence.
He graduated from the Royal Military Academy in Breda and completed his officer training in the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. He holds a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Leiden University.