Anthony Ruys
“I am a strong believer in a Europe that works closely together with the national governments to address a myriad of problems that face us all (immigration and the environment to name just a few). And its my passion to pass this conviction and my experiences to the younger generation.
We cannot afford not to act together! There is in today’s world with China, Russia and Mr Trump no alternative. We need courage, creativity and compassion to dare work together across the boundaries of territory/ language/culture and/or race. United Europe is playing a significant role in the ongoing need for education and information sharing. And I think with this mentoring programme we can support .”
Overview
Anthony Ruys, former CEO of Heineken, is a Dutch manager with wide international experience. He has been chairman of the supervisory board of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport until 2017. He was a member of the supervisory boards of British American Tobacco until 2016, Janivo Holding BV (until 2017) and Indian Tobacco Company (until 2017). He is currently a non-executive board member of Intertrust Holding NV and of Hunter Douglas NV. Ruys is a member of the International Advisory Board of Van Lanschot Kempen. Since 2013, he has been serving as Vice President of United Europe.
Approach
At United Europe, Ruys is particularly interested in projects involving the younger generation – after all, it is their ideas and expectation which are going to determine Europe’s future. Ruys, who was born on July 20, 1947, is mentoring United Europe’s series of workshops for outstanding young professionals from the EU.
Career History
Ruys holds a Master’s degree in civil law from the University of Utrecht. In 1974, he started his professional career as a marketing trainee at Unilever in Rotterdam. He stayed with the group for 19 years during which he worked as a manager in Colombia, Italy and the Netherlands. During this time, he also completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.
In 1993 Ruys joined the board of Heineken in Amsterdam with responsibility for global marketing. From 1996 to 2002 he was deputy chairman of Heineken before being appointed chairman of the board, a position he held until 2005.
Personal
Ruys has a strong commitment to civil society. From 2004 to 2012, he served as chairman of the supervisory board of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Since 2009, he has been chairman of the supervisory board of Madurodam miniature city.
One cause particularly close to his heart is the Dutch AIDS Foundation where he is serving as chairman of the supervisory board. Ruys’ interest in the issue goes back to his time at Heineken when he was in charge of developing an AIDS policy for employees in Africa.