Top 3 of “The 200 most influential people in the Netherlands” are all graduates of FEB

Hans Wijers, Paul Polman and Klaas Knot are ranked 1, 2 and 3 in the annual Top 200 of most influential people, published by De Volkskrant this weekend. All three are alumni of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Groningen.

Read more: De Volkskrant’s top 200

For the third year in a row, Hans Wijers (65) is proclaimed “Most influential person in the Netherlands”. The former Minister and chairman of the board of AkzoNobel holds several prominent positions, for example at Shell, Heineken and the Concertgebouw. He graduated in Economics in 1976, at the University of Groningen.

Paul Polman (60) graduated in Business Economics in Groningen in 1977 and is currently CEO of Unilever. He received an honorary doctorate at the University of Groningen in 2014. He was awarded the honorary doctorate due to his exceptional drive to successfully combine entrepreneurship and sustainable development. Not only in his role as Unilever CEO, but also in his public positions, e.g. the International Business Council of the World Economics Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Klaas Knot (49), president of the Dutch Central Bank (since 2011), graduated in general economics in 1991 and gained his PhD in 1995, both at the University of Groningen. He is now honorary professor of Economics of Central Banking at the Faculty of Economics and Business. Knot is a prominent critic of the policy of ECB president Mario Draghi.

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