Consul General Bart van Bolhuis

Bart van Bolhuis was appointed as representative for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the 13 westernmost United States in August 2009. He and his team, based in San Francisco and Los Angeles, focus on mutual investments in innovation: water and energy, food and nutrition, life science and health, and creative industries.

From 2003 to 2009, Bart van Bolhuis was Director for Foreign Trade and Investment at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Secretary of the Dutch Trade Board. Bart has been and continues to be an advocate for private-public cooperation designed to increase Dutch competitiveness in globalizing markets. In this regard, he took the initiative for the creation of the Dutch Design Fashion and Architecture cooperation.

Bart began his career in the UN Department at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Afterwards, at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, he was involved in the creation of the European Market and the Economic and Monetarian Union. In 1992, with the agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, he established the PSO Programme, which assisted new European Union members to adapt to EU requirements and helped to position Dutch business in developing markets in Eastern Europe.

From 1998 to 2002, Bart van Bolhuis led the ‘Euroteam’ at the Ministry of Finance, which was responsible for the successful introduction of the Euro currency in the Netherlands.

Bart van Bolhuis holds a Master’s Degree in International Law from the University of Amsterdam.