Roelof is a counselor with Vriens & Partners. He specializes in the field of Circular Development, with a focus on Plastics and Packaging. Roelof counsels multiple large and small organizations to advance their Sustainability and Circularity roadmaps and mentors start-ups that contribute to Circularity. In particular, he is actively involved in projects that aim to address global marine plastic pollution.
Roelof has 30 years of experience in Plastics and Packaging. He was CEO of DSM Engineering Plastics for several years, where he led a global billion-dollar business and built the Asia Pacific business from scratch to well over USD 500 million in size. As Business Group Director at Amcor, he managed a billion-dollar flexible plastics packaging business in the Asia Pacific with manufacturing operations in 8 countries.
Besides managing large P&Ls for most of his career, Roelof also has a strong background in technology and technical expertise, having led for many years the global Materials Science Research group at DSM – a team of over 400 PhD holders.
Roelof strongly believes that businesses and business leaders have a unique responsibility and opportunity to address global climate change challenges and making our economy carbon neutral and fully circular. He is passionate about the convergence of business, Circularity, and Doing Good by Doing Well.
Roelof has worked and lived with his wife and three children in the Asia Pacific for 20 years, based mostly in Singapore and China. He holds a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Delft University in the Netherlands.