Marianne van leeuwen is the new director of professional football. In her career she already had the opportunity to hold several high positions and she also sat on the sports council of Amsterdam. She has sufficient experience as CEO and commissioner so the choice for the KNVB was not so difficult. Early 2014 she started the new direction for the club Zeeburgia in Amsterdam. Her sons were at the football club and during a meeting she ended up in a higher position here. She has done everything to be able to offer the best youth training for soccer players internationally. She has also worked hard in recruiting and retaining sponsors. We also know her from the fight against racism among athletes. For years she has been the figurehead of this fight.
Who is Marianne van Leeuwen?
We know Marianne van Leeuwen as someone who studied law at Harvard Business School and at Leiden University in the 1980s. Subsequently she started working as a publisher at Reeds Elsevier. Here she was the specialist in the field of healthcare and tourism. For this same company she was also a director in France and the Netherlands. She also worked in the United States for this company as president. Finally she came back to the Netherlands where she was a member of the supervisory board of Oxfam Novib for several years. She has also held the position of commissioner at various large organisations.
Since 2017, she has focused herself completely on the sport and has been drawn towards the football side partly by her sons. She is an experienced woman who can ensure diversity within the KNVB. In addition, she is strongly committed to a better world where there is less racism and discrimination. These are important points for the KNVB in recent years. That is why they choose her.
What has she done in the past?
In the past Marianne van leeuwen has mainly worked for Reeds Elsevier in various countries. From '97 to 01 she was director of the business department in France. Subsequently she was appointed president of the Boston division in the United States where she worked until 2005. However, she kept missing the Netherlands and partly for that reason she returned to Reeds Elsevier in the Netherlands. Again she was director of the business department of this major publisher. Then in 2011 she joined Oxfam Novib as a member of the supervisory board.
She thinks it is important that everyone gets a fair chance and therefore this was a wonderful position to hold. At the time, she was also a commissioner at ANP and CITO. Subsequently, she also became a commissioner at AEB Amsterdam, which deals with waste. Finally, earlier this year, she was named director of the KNVB and she will proudly hold this position. It will be a challenge, but this top woman should be able to handle it.
Why did Marianne van Leeuwen become the director of professional football?
Marianne van leeuwen was ready for a new challenge and fit exactly within the picture of the KNVB. She also has a lot of experience as a director and commissioner at various organizations. She is also committed to less discrimination, an important point for the KNVB where they want to bring change. It is also about time that a woman gets the chance to hold this position. In a time where diversity is increasingly important, this is a smart move for both parties.
How has Marianne van Leeuwen's career progressed?
Marianne van Leeuwen's career has always been fairly stable. In most companies she has worked for several years as a commissioner or director. Besides that she is a real power woman who knows how to lead people. She is also a woman who is recognized internationally because of the many great positions she has held in her life. She is a specialist in the developments of the society and she puts herself against racism and discrimination during sports. This is an important milestone for the KNVB which they have been trying to achieve for years. In the coming years we expect to hear a lot from this woman.
How did she make it to the top?
Immediately after her studies Marianne van Leeuwen got the chance to start at a high level. The first 10 years of her career she spent at the Dutch study centre. Here she gave lectures and wrote articles for managerial positions and how to lead properly and effectively. After 1 year working for Reed Elsevier in the health care and tourism section she became a director. In the beginning she did this in France. After that she briefly went to America to acquire even more international knowledge. Then she returned to the Netherlands and worked for this company for many years. It is the first woman in charge at the KNVB which makes history. In the coming years we will see what this woman can achieve.
Where is Marianne van Leeuwen going to make a difference?
Marianne van Leeuwen was hired to make a big difference in the world of football. The KNVB came to the conclusion that it was time for change and they gave this power woman the opportunity to do so. In the coming years they expect it to change a lot in the field of discrimination and racism. Of course she will also work hard for the position of women in professional football. Besides that, she knows exactly how to lead a company because of her years of experience. This means that the coming years we will see a lot of changes in the positive sense of the word.