VA board expanded, new member for Supervisory Board

Jan Wirken and Alexander Scholtes have joined the board of the Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit (the Dutch combat sports authority). Wirken is an economist and works in the financial sector. Scholtes recently stepped down as Senior Advisor at Royal Schiphol Group and has been appointed chair of the Amsterdam Centrum city district (Stadsdeelvoorzitter). After six years, Peter Kwint, member of the Dutch House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer), is leaving the board and will join the Supervisory Board (Raad van Toezicht) of the VA.

Wirken and Scholtes combine a love of combat sports with professional expertise in the fields of finance and public administration respectively. In recent years, both were active in the VA's Audit Team. As volunteers, they visited combat sports events to assess the standard of the organisation and to share points for improvement.

Through his work at ABN AMRO, economist Wirken appears regularly as an analyst on RTL Z. Sound finances will be an important focus in his work as a VA board member. In addition to his professional experience at Schiphol, Scholtes has a background in local government, which means he also understands the perspective of an important group of VA partners: the Dutch municipalities.

At the same time as the new board members take office, board member Peter Kwint is stepping down. As a board member, the SP member of the House of Representatives worked for the Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit for six years. Even before the organisation was founded, he was involved in the steering group that preceded the VA. However, Kwint will remain connected to the Vechtsportautoriteit: he will join the VA's Supervisory Board.

All members of the VA board and of the Supervisory Board carry out their work unpaid.