Boels is a trained business economist who has worked in higher education since 2008. His specialisms are business management and strategy. He worked at the University of Amsterdam for over 17 years, serving as Director of Finance, Planning & Control from 2011. During his time at the university, he also played a role in strategy execution.
In his final role at the University of Amsterdam, he was responsible for the financial organisation, real estate portfolio, investment portfolio, and sustainability policy of the entire institution. He was also the university's central (cyber) crisis manager. Prior to working in higher education, he was a manager at Deloitte Consulting.
The new board member will introduce himself to our organisation at the annual start of the academic year, after which he will spend the first few weeks meeting various teams. He is well aware of the current challenges. Boels: “The major societal issues in the Rotterdam region require professionals and innovations. The RUAS' Strategic Agenda will help to find solutions to these issues. I look forward to working with the education, research and support teams on this task.”
Sarah Wilton-Wels, Chair of the Executive Board at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, has great confidence in the new team and is looking forward to collaborating with him, “Hanneke and I are excited to work with Erik. He is a valuable addition to the team in terms of his background, experience and personality. His strategic vision, entrepreneurial spirit, and environmental awareness align well with the Rotterdam mentality.
We also share a vision of joint leadership and a management philosophy. We have great confidence in the new Executive Board team and are pleased that we are now fully equipped to realise our ambitions, together with all our RUAS colleagues and our professional partners. After all, we are creating the future together, in the interests of our students, the professional field, and our city.”