Executive Board

Foto Gary

Gary Hays, Chairman

Gary Hays was born in London England, but has lived and worked in the Netherlands for thirty years. With a technical background (Chemistry first degree and a Physics PhD), Gary started working for Shell in research & development, but for the majority of his time at Shell he has had either HR roles or line & business roles, switching between the two areas a number of times. HR roles have included being global HR Manager within Shell Chemicals for six years and line roles have included Site Director of the Shell Technology site in Amsterdam.

Gary became interested in both the procedures for internationals coming to live in the Netherlands and support offered, when he managed a project which involved all aspects of moving over 200 senior positions from Shell in London and other locations to The Hague. Until recently, Gary was HR Director for Fonterra (Europe) based in Amsterdam, effectively a start-up of the European operation of Fonterra, a New-Zealand milk co-operative, which deals with 40% of the world trade in milk and milk products. Currently he is Deputy Vice President Human Resources and Organisational Development with TNK-BP in Moscow. Gary has three children who are now all attending university or college in the Netherlands and who went through the Dutch education system.

 
Kiri

Kiri Kikis, Vice-Chairman

Cypriot by origin, grew up in the UK and Studied Business Economics, and then Marketing & Communications in London. Kiri came to Holland for a 6 month project for UPC to work on a pilot for Interactive television... this was in 1999!

Staying because of his love of The Hague and knowing that the airport was only 30 minutes away connecting him anywhere in the world, Kiri has firmly settled with life in the Netherlands living with his fiancé Juliette and raising their daughter Chloe.

Running his own consultancy firm, Kiri has held roles in the Broadband Industry, Telecoms Industry, Music Industry, recruitment and the Oil & Gas Industry. Kiri is currently working on a project at Shell as an Analyst and runs a program of lessons learned capture and implementation on projects globally - this involves facilitating the learning from experience process and lesson capture process. Kiri has been with the ACCESS Board since end of 2008.

 
Imanda

Imanda Wapenaar, Secretary

Imanda Wapenaar is Executive Director of the West Holland Foreign Investment Agency (WFIA), the investment promotion agency for the western  part of the Province of South Holland, with its major cities The Hague, Leiden, Delft, Zoetermeer, Lansingerland.

The WFIA advises and assists foreign companies in establishing, expansion and relocation. The agency works closely with ACCESS in supporting the international community and to enhance and protect the international working and living climate in the region.

Imanda has a background in both business and government. For more than fifteen years she has worked for Dutch and American companies in the music industry in various marketing and management positions. After this she worked for the City of Amsterdam for seven years as deputy head of economic affairs, including foreign investment promotion. Then after working some years in a consultancy firm again, in the autumn of year 2000 she was invited to come to work for the WFIA which had just been formed by the above mentioned cities.
Connie

Connie Moser

Connie Moser is an American journalist and editor with 30 years life experience in the Netherlands, after navigating the ups and downs of expatriate living in Greece, Trinidad and Nigeria. She is a frequent contributor to expatriate and international relocation publications, and is active in the international community and in women's and business networks. Subjects include issues impacting expatriates, culture, lifestyle, travel, bi-lingualism, children, family issues, multi-cultural societies, international education, intercultural relationships, employee mobility, as well as architecture and interviews.

Connie is the author of Housing in Holland and Getting Connected, Spotlight on Amsterdam, an editor for At Home in Holland and Minding Your Manners - A Guide to Dutch Business & Social Etiquette, as well as contributing editor for Here's Holland and The Food Shopper's Guide to Holland. Her work is featured in the annual Xpat Media publication The Holland Handbook.

Internationally, she served as co-chair of the Substance Abuse Committee for FAWCO, (Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas) developing resources and educational material on substance abuse for their 19,000 members located in 39 countries. She lives in Haarlem with her son and daughter and enjoys film, jazz, travel, friends and being curious about life, people, and the world at large.
Lars

Lars Tomson

Lars Tomson lives in the Statenkwartier in The Hague together with his wife Hermione and son Arthur. Lars has been living in The Hague since 1998. His educational background lies in Hospitality Management and Business Administration. Lars likes to run through the dunes (and City-Pier-City), to play tennis, eat fantastic food and travel.

Lars has worked for ABN AMRO Bank for 11 years, and is currently Director of International Clients and is based in The Hague. Together with his team, he provides financial advice and services to the international community in The Hague area, the Rotterdam area and people living abroad.

Lars has a strong belief in the fact that serving the international community of The Hague is a joint effort of all organisations, service providers and the municipality. Together we make the international community feel at home.
Willemijn

Willemijn van Oppen-Stuyt

Willemijn L. van Oppen-Stuyt is the founder and principal of Educaide, the International Education Solution House, and has been involved with ACCESS since 1996.

Profile: Established organisational skills, networker, bringing host of differing positions/opinions together. Getting things done.

Focused, dedicated to international education and the international community in the Netherlands. Influencing skills. International experience (USA and Japan). Multicultural skills.

 
Jessie

Jessie Rodell

Jessie Rodell, an American, has lived in Holland as long as ACCESS and followed the growth of ACCESS within the international community through the years. Now serving as a Board Member she works to keep the focus on the Helpline and counselling referral services that ACCESS offers - the heart of the services that make ACCESS so unique.

Jessie has served as the Director of External Relations at the American School of The Hague for 25 years, working with the multicultural community as well as host country nationals to facilitate intercultural understanding.

Jessie is one of the founders of A Safe Harbour, the School's acclaimed transitions programme for students, staff and families. She enjoys playing tennis, reading and walking - and is on the Board of OAR - Overseas Americans Remember - a community organisation hosting American events including Thanksgiving at the Pieterskerk in Leiden and the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute and Dinner to bring special aspects of her culture to the American and international community here in Holland.

 
Charles

Charles van Beuningen

Charles van Beuningen studied political science, philosophy and law at the universities of Lausanne, Madrid and Utrecht. Having worked first as an editor in London, he has since been practicing law in The Hague since 1979. He is currently a Senior Partner with Van Beuningen Advocaten, a specialist law practice in The Hague city centre.