NETHERLANDS – Meindert Alsma has been named as the new general secretary of The Hague-based OPF, the Dutch pension fund association, following the departure of Nico Obolonsky who left the association in March to concentrate on his career in insurance.

Alsma joined the OPF in October and has been acting general secretary since Obolonsky left. He is a lawyer by profession but was a consultant for The Hague- based pensions and insurance consultancy, Montae Advies for two years prior to joining the OPF.

Before that he spent three years working in the policy-making unit of the Dutch ministry of social affairs. He built up his pensions experience earlier in his career working for various funds at executive level.

The departure of Obolonsky coincides with the departure of Herma Goboers and Kristina Witterman, who were the OPF’s respective legal and fiscal secretaries. Though Alsma points out that the three departures are purely coincidental, the OPF has had to reorganise somewhat at manager level.

“Apart from my appointment as permanent general secretary, our director, Jeroen Steinvoorden, has seen his role expanded to help compensate for the loss of Goboers and Witterman. There are no plans to make any other formal appointments at this point,” he says.

Alsma says both Goboers and Witterman also left to pursue careers in the insurance industry.

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