drs. Willemijn Verloop

About Willemijn Verloop

‘To make a difference, large systems need to be changed.

Inspiration, passion, and a lot of energy are the words that best describe Willemijn Verloop. She is a peace activist, pioneer, social entrepreneur, and leader in the public & private sector. Willemijn Verloop believes in the power of the individual to change the future; she wants to inspire and support as many ‘changemakers’ as possible worldwide to create a fairer and more livable world.

Willemijn Verloop studied history and international relations in Leiden and Amsterdam. After her studies, she briefly worked at the United Nations and the Council of Europe and was employed at ‘The European Action Council for Peace in the Balkans. In 1995, at the age of 24, she founded War Child Netherlands in response to the war in former Yugoslavia; she was the charismatic face of the organization for 15 years. Supporting a war child so that they can change their own future is the mission of War Child.

Under her leadership, War Child has grown into a leading international aid organization with 60 employees in the Netherlands and over 800 employees in 13 conflict areas, reaching nearly 1 million children annually with its projects. The organization has distinguished itself for years through innovative fundraising and collaboration with the business sector and the entertainment industry to finance projects for youth in war zones, thanks to her efforts.

In addition to her expertise as a social entrepreneur in the field of development cooperation and CSR, she is a professional in marketing and building innovative brands. Willemijn passionately speaks about activism, leadership, innovation, creativity, and adding social value. She is an experienced speaker capable of engaging and inspiring her audience on various topics.

Willemijn is now active as a board member and advisor for numerous organizations in the fields of international solidarity, human rights, peacebuilding, culture, and development cooperation. She is an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau and, as the founder of War Child, received the prestigious Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award. The award has previously been given to Nelson Mandela, Lakhdar Brahimi, and Max van der Stoel.