Professor Jan Peter Balkenende was Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 2002 to 2010. He studied economic and social history (MA) as well as Dutch law (LLM) at VU University Amsterdam. He obtained a Ph.D. in law with a thesis entitled ‘Government Regulation and Civil Society Organisations’. Balkenende subsequently worked at the Netherlands’ Universities Council, the Research Institute of the political party CDA, and as professor at VU University. He was a member of the Amstelveen municipal council (1982-1998) and of the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament (1998-2002). From 2002 to 2010, Balkenende was Prime Minister of the Netherlands. In that capacity, he was also Chair of the European Council in the second part of 2004.

During 2011-2016, Balkenende worked as Partner at EY on corporate responsibility and international affairs. Since 2016, he is External Senior Advisor to EY and since May 2021 Associate Partner at Hague Corporate Affairs as well. Balkenende chairs the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition, New Mobility Foundation (International), and the Noaber Foundation. Balkenende is Professor of Governance, Institutions and Internationalisation at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Member of the World Leadership Alliance - Club de Madrid.