Rens Buchwaldt, member of the executive board of WUR, will be absent from 1 July 2025. He must undergo medical treatment and cannot work during that treatment. Earlier this year it was indicated that his appointment had been extended until 1 January 2026. However, the duration of the treatment is such that it is not expected that he will be able to return to work before the end of the year.
The two other members of the Executive Board - Carolien Kroeze and Sjoukje Heimovaara - will temporarily take over responsibilities and portfolios. They will be supported in this by the relevant (staff) directors. Colleagues who work closely with Rens will be informed in the coming days about the distribution of portfolios.
WUR president mrs. Sjoukje Heimovaara: "Carolien and I are naturally enormously shocked by this news. Rens is truly a pillar of support for us, so we shall miss him. We wish him and his loved ones strength in the coming months."
"I too am shocked by this news," says chair of the Supervisory Board mr. Elbert Dijkgraaf. "It is good that Rens is putting his health first. I naturally hope that the treatment proceeds smoothly and wish Rens and his family strength."
Practical consequences
Rens' absence will have no consequences for the direction or intended progress on important portfolios and developments such as the budget cuts, housing, and digitalisation. The supervisory board had already begun the selection procedure for Rens Buchwaldt's successor, and will now accelerate that process. The aim is for this person to start as soon as possible, expected this coming autumn.
