Ruben Zondervan
Ruben joined Stakeholder Forum in 2017 as Executive Director. He is also the director of the Earth System Governance Foundation. In this dual role, Ruben is well-positioned to manage Stakeholder Forum and to streamline the Partnership for Governance of Sustainable Development which will strengthen the evidence base of the multi-stakeholder processes facilitated by SF, and the impact of the novel policy solutions that are developed by researchers from the Earth System Governance Project, for which he was a past Executive Director. In addition, Ruben works as an independent advisor on research management, public affairs, and science-policy in the area of sustainable development, governance, and new technologies.
His newest SF projects include the Global Forum for National SDG Advisory Bodies, with partners the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and members from more than forty National Councils for Sustainable Development and similar bodies.
Ruben studied political science, modern history, law, and economics in Freiburg im Breisgau, and political sciences in Potsdam, and holds a degree in environment & resource management from the VU University Amsterdam. Prior to his current position, Ruben gained work experience in diplomacy, industry consulting, research, and international research management.