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Gerard van de Aast has been a member of the Supervisory Board since 2017. He is Chair of the Supervisory Board, Chair of the Nomination & Governance Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee. His second term expires in 2025.
Gerard started his career as a system analyst and civil engineer at Witteveen+Bos. For over 20 years, he worked in the computer and software industry, including with Philips Data Systems, Digital Equipment Corporation and Compaq in the Netherlands, Germany and the U.S. From 2001 to 2008, Gerard was on the Executive Board of Reed Elsevier (later: RELX) in the United Kingdom where he led the transformation from print to online. From 2009 to 2012, Gerard was the CEO of construction company VolkerWessels, where he obtained extensive managerial experience in the construction services. He joined Imtech in 2013 at a time that this technical services company was facing serious issues. He remained CEO until 2015, when the company had to file for insolvency.
Gerard is currently Chair of the Supervisory Boards of Royal KPN (Dutch Telecom). Before, he was Chair of the Supervisory Board of NS (Dutch Railways) and member of the Supervisory Boards of Witteveen+Bos, Océ and Heisterkamp Transport Services.
Gerard, a Dutch national born in 1957, obtained a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He has worked and lived in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany and the U.S.
Bram Schot is a member of the Supervisory Board since May 2022. He is Vice Chair of the Supervisory Board, Chair of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Digital Committee. His first term expires in 2026.
Bram started his career as a Management Trainee at DAF Trucks. For over 25 years, he worked in the automotive industry and held various management positions including at DaimlerChrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen Group and Audi. From 2006-2011 he was President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Italy. In 2011, he joined Volkswagen CV in Germany, where he was responsible for global marketing, sales & services, and new business models. In 2018, Bram was appointed CEO of Audi Group as well as member of the Management Board of Volkswagen Group and Vice Chair of Porsche Holding Salzburg. At Audi, Bram initiated the transition to electrification, and as part thereof obtained a fundamental understanding of sustainability issues and challenges of energy transition. He held these positions until 2020.
Bram is currently a non-executive member of the Board of Directors at Shell, Cognizant and Richemont and a senior advisor to different companies, including Carlyle Group. He is also Associate Professor of Practice Corporate Strategy at Bocconi University, Italy.
Bram, a Dutch national born in 1961, obtained a master’s degree in business administration (general management) at Bradford University. Bram has lived and worked in Germany, the Netherlands and Italy and has extensive working experience in China.
Sophie Bechu has been a member of the Supervisory Board since May 2023. She is Chair of the Digital Committee and member of the Audit Committee. Her first term expires in 2027.
Sophie started her career at IBM Corporation, where she worked for over 30 years and where she held various executive positions, most recently Vice President, Strategic Outsourcing, North America Delivery. In these roles, she drove operational excellence in operations, business transformation, service/solutions delivery and IT services delivery. From 2016 to October 2022, she served as Chief Operations Officer on the Executive Committee of Royal Philips, where she established Philips’ integrated supply chain organization, and optimized the supplier base and manufacturing footprint with cost, efficiency and sustainability in mind.
Sophie, a French/American national born in 1960, holds an Automation, Electrical Engineering degree from the École supérieure d’électricité in Paris. Sophie has lived and worked in France, Hong Kong, India, US and the Netherlands.
Jeroen Drost has been a member of the Supervisory Board since May 2024. He is Chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Nomination and Governance Committee. His first term expires in 2028.
Jeroen started his career in banking with ABN AMRO Bank, where he worked for over 20 years (1986-2008). Within ABN AMRO, he held various executive roles, including as Head Corporate Development (2004-2005) and as CEO Business Unit Asia (2006-2008). From 2008-2014, he served as CEO of NIBC Bank, where he led the restructuring of this private equity owned merchant bank in the Netherlands. In 2015, Jeroen became the CEO of private equity company NPM Capital. In 2016, he was promoted to become the CEO of NPM Capital’s parent company, the family-owned company SHV Holdings, from which position he retired in 2024. In this role, he was responsible for all activities of the group world-wide with a turnover of over EUR 20 billion and more than 60,000 employees as well as for the ESG efforts within SHV. He was on several boards of SHV related operating companies and as such involved in a wide range of industrial and investment activities around the globe.
Jeroen is currently Member of the Supervisory Boards of HR services provider Randstad and manufacturer of electrical buses Ebusco. Before, he was member of the Supervisory Board of Dura Vermeer, AON Group Nederland, Vesteda Residential Fund, Klepierre and various SHV related operating companies.
Jeroen, a Dutch national born in 1961, holds a Master degree in both Business Economics and in Dutch law, both from the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Jeroen has lived in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong and furthermore worked extensively in Central and Eastern Europe and Asia.
Pamela Knapp has been a member of the Supervisory Board since 2020. She is member of the Audit Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee. Her second term expires in 2028.
Pamela started her career as M&A consultant at Deutsche Bank Morgan Grenfell and later at Fuchs Consult. In 1992, she joined Siemens, where she held various management positions. From 2000 to 2004 she headed the corporate department for Management Development and Senior Management remuneration, reporting directly to the Siemens CEO. From 2004 to 2008 she served as CFO of the Power Transmission & Distribution Group, in which role she was also responsible for IT, purchasing, compliance and the sales offices in Latin America and Western Europe. From 2009 to 2014, Pamela was a member of the Management Board and CFO of GfK SE. Business transformation, including IT and HR topics, has been a permanent element of Pamela’s operational tasks and continues to be in her board memberships.
Pamela is a member of the Supervisory Boards of LANXESS and Compagnie de Saint-Gobain. She is also a member of the German Monopolies Commission (Monopolkommission). On both boards, Pamela is regularly involved in sustainability aspects of the respective businesses. Before, she was member of the Supervisory Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the business of which was strongly influenced by regulation regarding reduction of CO2 emissions and shift to e-mobility.
Pamela, a German national born in 1958, obtained a master’s degree in economics from the Universities of Berlin and Munich. Pamela has lived and worked in Germany, Belgium and Austria, and has extensive working experience in Latin America, Asia and Western Europe.
Rita Lane has been a member of the Supervisory Board since the company’s IPO in 2016. She is a member of the Nomination & Governance Committee and of the Digital Committee. Her third term expires in 2026.
Rita started her career as lieutenant at the United States Air Force. From 1991 to 2006, she held various management positions at International Business Machines (IBM), including as Vice President Integrated Supply Chain. In 2006, Rita joined Motorola, where she was responsible for procurement and promoted to Senior Vice President Integrated Supply Chain. From 2008 to 2014, Rita was Vice President of Operations at Apple, where she was responsible for the execution of new product introduction, cost, supply and quality.
Rita is a member of the Board of Directors of L3Harris Technologies and Amphenol Corporation. Before, she was a member of the Board of Directors of Sanmina Corporation.
Rita, a U.S. national born in 1962, obtained a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley. Rita lives in the United States and has extensive working experience in the Americas, Europe, China and other Asian countries.