Marcel Beukeboom will take up the position of general director of Naturalis Biodiversity Center on September 8, 2025. He succeeds Edwin van Huis, who has been at the helm of Naturalis for 14 years and is now retiring.
Marcel Beukeboom (53) was ambassador to the UN Food and Agriculture Organizations in Rome until his appointment at Naturalis. Prior to that, he served for five years as Climate Envoy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, acting as the figurehead of Dutch climate policy. During his international career, he gained extensive administrative experience in international organizations such as the World Bank, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the scientific consortium CGIAR.
In recent years, retiring director Edwin van Huis has made a significant contribution to the growth and development of Naturalis into the Dutch institute for biodiversity. Under his leadership, a new iconic building opened in 2019. This combines an award-winning museum, the entire collection, and a scientific institute. And welcomes approximately 500,000 museum visitors annually. In the face of the growing biodiversity crisis, Naturalis has taken a leading role in innovative biodiversity research and the development of international research infrastructures over the past decade.
Connecting forceand political network
“In light of the current urgency, we consider Marcel Beukeboom's arrival to be extremely valuable,” says Robert-Jan Smits, chair of Naturalis' Supervisory Board. “As an institute, Naturalis is now at the heart of society. This phase calls for growing awareness and further cooperation between science, business, and politics. These are indispensable for real effectiveness. We see Marcel Beukeboom as a strong and unifying leader with strategic insight and a large (inter)national political network. Throughout his career, he has been committed to climate and sustainability at the administrative level. With his knowledge and experience, he can add great value to the further development of Naturalis as the Dutch institute for biodiversity.”
Biodiversity crucial for human existence
Marcel Beukeboom: "Rich biodiversity is a crucial condition for human existence. In my international work, I have learned that this insight does not automatically lead to the protection and restoration of biodiversity. To reverse the biodiversity crisis, cross-pollination between businesses, government, and other organizations is essential. Such cooperation must have a robust scientific basis, especially given the different interests and functions that may exist within that cooperation. I also saw that tension in the food systems sector. As a trusted institution, Naturalis plays a leading role in raising awareness and developing future-proof solutions. I am going to take up this task with a great sense of urgency."
For theeditorial team
- An image of Marcel Beukeboom can be found in this folder.
- If you have any questions, please contact the Communications Department at communicatie@naturalis.nl or +31 6 35112999 (every day from 09:00 until 18:00).