Experienced Development Executive Robbert van den Berg Appointed as new Managing Director for Mercy Corps in The Netherlands

Mercy Corps is pleased to announce the appointment of Robbert van den Berg as its new Managing Director for Mercy Corps in The Netherlands. Van den Berg will be our representative for Mercy Corps in The Netherlands, oversee our operations in The Hague, and play an important leadership role within the global organization. He will provide visionary guidance for the organization’s growth in The Netherlands and with our European Union partners, contributing to Mercy Corps' humanitarian work to support communities facing poverty, conflict, and the disastrous effects of climate change in 40 countries over the world.

Harpinder Collacott, Executive Director of Mercy Corps in Europe said:

“I’m excited to welcome Robbert as the new Managing Director for Mercy Corps in The Netherlands. Our organization will truly benefit from his humanitarian experience gained on four continents. Robbert’s expertise in strategic leadership and management, great understanding of the Dutch, EU and international stakeholder landscape and impressive knowledge of programming and fundraising will be a key driver of Mercy Corps’ success in The Netherlands and beyond.”

Van den Berg joins Mercy Corps after leading Stichting Vluchteling’s earthquake response programme in Türkiye and Syria. Before that, he served as senior advisor to the Dutch government for the UN Water Conference, as well as Executive Director for ECPAT International and Regional Director for Oxfam in Africa, Latin-America, the Middle East and North Africa. Throughout his career, he led numerous humanitarian and reconstruction projects in Chile, Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Kenya, Angola, Thailand, and The Netherlands.

Commenting on his appointment, van den Berg said:

“I am thrilled to join Mercy Corps at an unprecedented and challenging time when communities worldwide face increasingly complex and prolonged crises. Humanitarian emergencies endure in Syria and Afghanistan while the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan continue without an end in sight. People across Africa and the Middle East are also grappling  with the significant impacts of climate change.”

“I believe that humanitarian work must go beyond crisis response, and strive to create opportunities and climate-resilient solutions that enable communities not only to navigate crises but to emerge stronger.”

“Drawing from my 30 years of experience working with a diverse array of humanitarian actors at both hands-on field and senior management levels, I hope to enhance the already impressive global efforts of Mercy Corps.”

Van den Berg, who will be based in The Hague, joins Mercy Corps on Feb 5, 2024.