Over the years EFR has invited some of the world’s most prominent business and industry leaders to the campus of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. With numerous CEO’s and even Heads of State invited, the association hopes to add to the relevant conversations of the time in student life.
Princess Laurentien
Chairman Missing Chapter Foundation
Spoke at the World of Business congress in 2017.
Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands is the Chairman of Missing Chapter Foundation. She is also committed to fight illiteracy. She worked before in Brussels at a communication and PR bureau where she was a communication advisor. She holds a master degree in journalism from Berkeley University.
Neelie Kroes
Former European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda
Spoke at the World of Business congress in 2019.
Neelie Kroes is an active Board member/advisor of several (inter)national companies, such as Board Member Salesforce, Advisor Impraise BV and President Supervisory Board The Social Medwork BV. Previously Neelie Kroes was Special Envoy for startups in the Netherlands.
Sigrid Kaag
Party leader of D66 2020-2023
Participated in the EFR World of Business in 2016, the EFR Inspiration Days in 2022 and the EFR/eenvandaag election debate in 2023.
Miss Kaag was the leader of the Democrats 66, the progressive liberal party. Miss Kaag was the minister of finance and used to be the minister of foreign affairs. She served as under secretary-general at the United Nations.
Diederik Samsom
Party leader of the PvdA 2012-2016
Participated in the EFR/eenvandaag election debate in 2012 and 2014.
Mister Samsom was the party leader of the Partij van de Arbeid. He was the main negotiator with Mark Rutte for the formation of the cabinet Rutte II. After that he went on as party leader in the Tweede Kamer. Before his career in politics he studied physics and was part of Greenpeace.
Arundhati Batacharya
Chair State Bank of India 2013-2017
Spoke at the World of Business congress in 2017.
Mrs. Arundhati Bhattacharya joined State Bank of India in 1977 and has worked in various challenging assignments across the length and breadth of the country and abroad to become the first Chairwoman of this 210 year old Fortune 500 Company. She has been ranked the 5th “Most Powerful Women in Finance” in 2016 by Forbes Magazine and has been featured in the Fortune List of Top 50 globally most powerful women in business.
Constantijn van Oranje
Special Envoy of StartupDelta
Spoke at the World of Business congress in 2019.
Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau leads StartupDelta, the accelerator for the startup ecosystem in the Netherlands and advises companies and the European Commission on their digital innovation strategies. He is a regular speaker at national and international tech conferences and holds a number of positions in both the public and private sector.
Sybrand Buma
Party leader of the CDA 2010-2019
Participated in the EFR/eenvandaag election debate in 2012 and 2014.
Mister Buma was the party leader of the CDA. He was one of the negotiators for the cabinet Rutte I. After that he became leader in the parliament for 6 years. Mister Buma studied Law in Groningen. He has always been part of the CDA as staff and after that as member of parliament.
Emile Roemer
Party leader of the SP 2010-2017
Participated in the EFR/eenvandaag election debate in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
Mister Roemer was the party leader of the Socialistische Partij. He participated in 3 national elections. He is known for his humor and sharp comments during the debate. He also published a book called: Het kan wel. Tussen Binnenhof en buitenwereld.