Heleen HerbertMinister of Economic Affairs and Climate
Born on 31 August 1972 in Ommen, unmarried
Party: Christian Democratic Alliance (CDA)
A strong economy and business climate form the basis for our future prosperity and wellbeing. To safeguard this, we must invest in innovation and technology, digitalisation, higher productivity and greater resilience. So that we can continue to pay for essential public services such as healthcare, education and defence.
Business climate and competitiveness
Macroeconomic policy
European economic policy
Innovation policy
Industry and industrial policy
Consumer policy
Competition policy
Tackling regulatory burden and the Dutch Advisory Board on Regulatory Burden (ATR)
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
European Structural Funds
Aerospace
Economic security
Postal market
The national investment institution (NII)
Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB), Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), ICT Services (DICTU), Chamber of Commerce, Dutch Accreditation Council, Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)
Applied research institutions
23 February 2026
Appointed Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate in the Jetten government
2024 – 23 February 2026
Director of Strategy / Chief commercial officer, Heijmans NV
2019 – 2024
Director of Strategy and Organisation, Heijmans NV
2009 – 2012
Southern Regional Director, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) (Dutch rail service provider)
2006 – 2009
Director of operations, NS Hispeed
2003 – 2006
Production manager, NS Reizigers
1999 – 2003
Programme manager, Nederlandse Spoorwegen
1997 – 1999
Head of customer service, NS Reizigers
1995 – 1997
Internal consultant, NS Reizigers
1990 – 1995
Industrial engineering and management, University of Twente
1984 – 1990
Secondary education, Jan van Arkel School, Hardenberg
2012 – 2020
Various temporary political/management tasks for the CDA, including the selection of candidates for the House of Representatives and the Senate (chair of the 2020 selection committee), membership of the committees tasked with selecting the party chair, the Senate party leader and the national party executive, and the evaluation of the 2012 parliamentary election
Other outside activities include:
2021 – 2026
Chair of the Watertorenberaad (stakeholder group to share knowledge on integrated area development)
2021 – 2026
Chair of the supervisory board, Boulevard theatre festival
2020 – 2026
Supervisory director, 4Blue B.V.
2019 – 2026
Chair of the development board, Brabant Kennis
2017 – 2026
Chair of the supervisory board, LBP|SIGHT engineering consultancy
2019 – 2022
Board member, Habitat for Humanity Nederland
2017 – 2021
Board member (2017-2019) and chair (2019-2021), Bossche Energie Coalitie
2015 – 2020
Board member, Brabant Erasmus Festival
