Bas Kerkwijk appointed CEO Novel-T
Bas Kerkwijk (52) will start as the new CEO of Novel-T and director of the University of Twente Holding (UTH) on January 1, 2024. With his proven track record in innovation and entrepreneurship, he takes over from Jaap Beernink, who switched to a director role at Deltion College in the summer.
With Bas Kerkwijk, Novel-T and UTH are bringing a leader on board who already has a strong bond with the organization and region. As a UT alumnus, he started his career at the same University of Twente as a researcher and subsequently held management positions at Urenco Nederland, ETC, and Twence. In recent years, he led Flexiramics to the next growth steps together with the founder and participated in the Novel-T GROW Program with this UT spin-off.
Novel-T looks forward to the steps they can take under his leadership. The appointment marks the beginning of a new phase. Ad Louter, chairman of the Supervisory Board of Novel-T: “Novel-T has set an ambitious and powerful course in recent years that must be maintained. Bas is undoubtedly the right person for this. As CEO, he and the Novel-T team will continue to build a results-oriented and agile organization that can respond flexibly to new market developments.”
Vinod Subramaniam, chairman of the Executive Board of the University of Twente, is also pleased: “I am convinced that Bas will be able to represent both Novel-T and UTH properly. He is the right person to optimize the synergies between the various stakeholders and further position the organization nationally and internationally. With which he, of course, contributes to Twente's ambition to be one of the most innovative regions in Europe.”
For Bas Kerkwijk, this is a logical next step in his career: “I am honored and proud that I can contribute to the success of Novel-T and UTH. I have personally experienced what Novel-T support can do for entrepreneurs, so I look forward to providing direction in achieving the big goal: making an impact with innovative entrepreneurship. It is extra special because I have gained all my teaching, research, and business experience in and from Twente, always with an international view. The fact that I can now give back to the same region in this capacity, together with an ambitious team, makes me very happy and grateful."
