<p>Maria van der Hoeven is a Dutch professional with broad<br />
political and managerial expertise.<br />
Her political career started in 1974 when she was elected as<br />
member of the City Council of Maastricht, her home town.<br />
In 1991 she became Member of Parliament. She was vicepresident<br />
of the House of Parliament for several years.</p>

<p><br />
From 2002 to 2007 Ms van der Hoeven served as Minister of<br />
Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands and from<br />
2007 to 2010 as Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy.<br />
Ms van der Hoeven took over as Executive Director of the<br />
International Energy Agency (IEA) on 1 September 2011 and<br />
led the IEA during a period of exceptional change in the global<br />
energy economy, as rapidly shifting supply/demand balances<br />
for oil and other major fuels transform the IEA&rsquo;s traditional<br />
mandate. Her mandate ended on 31 August 2015.<br />
Ms van der Hoeven responded by enhancing IEA engagement<br />
with key non-member countries including Brazil, China, India,<br />
Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa. Under<br />
her leadership, the IEA admitted its 29th member, Estonia, and<br />
increased its co-operation with OPEC and the International<br />
Energy Forum (IEF) as well as signed a partnership accord with<br />
the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), APEC and<br />
other multi-lateral institutions.</p>

<p><br />
Ms. Van der Hoeven has repeatedly emphasised the close<br />
link between climate and energy policy. As a member of<br />
the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, led by<br />
former President Felipe Calder&oacute;n of Mexico, she has initiated<br />
discussions between policy makers and industry representatives<br />
on the impact of climate change on energy security, and sought<br />
to raise awareness among young people around the world of<br />
the problem of climate change and the need to get informed<br />
and take action.</p>

<p><br />
Since September 2015 Ms van der Hoeven has been a member<br />
of the Board of Trustees of Rocky Mountain Institute in<br />
Colorado (US) and senior fellow at Clingendael International<br />
Energy Program (CIEP). Since spring 2016 Ms van der Hoeven<br />
has been a member of the Board of Directors of Total (France)<br />
and a member of the Supervisory Board of INNOGY (Germany).</p>

<p><br />
Since October 2016 Ms van der Hoeven has been vice chairman<br />
of the High-Level Panel of the European Decarbonisation<br />
Pathways Initiative (European Commission).</p>
