After almost 11 years, Eveline Aendekerk, Executive Director of Dance4Life, has decided to pass the baton. In these 11 years she and her team have achieved a lot. There is a solid new strategy, a competent team, a stable organization, a strong partner network and a wonderful Friends4Life community. And there are still lots of great ideas to develop further. And that is precisely why she has decided that it is now time for the next step.
We are pleased to announce the unanimous decision of the Supervisory Board that the current Director Franchising & Development, Jael van der Heijden, will become the new Executive Director of Dance4Life on 1 July. Jael did a Masters in Econometrics and International Development Cooperation. She started her career in the commercial sector and brings 15 years of experience in the field of development cooperation. She worked for Oxfam Novib for 6 years and 5 years at STOP AIDS NOW (now Aids Fonds) before she joined Dance4Life in 2013.
At Dance4Life she combined her passion for personal leadership development with her drive for impact. Under her leadership, Dance4Life developed an innovative Youth Empowerment Model, integrating the latest insights and evidence about sexuality and behavioral change among young people. In addition, her team developed a Social Franchise approach whereby local partners become co-owners of this model and effective scale-up becomes possible. Jael thus played a crucial role in the formation and development of Dance4Life’s new strategy. The Supervisory Board is therefore convinced that Jael is the right person to lead Dance4Life to the next phase. Jael has a clear vision:
“With these innovations, Dance4life can deliver on its promise to the world; in 2030, 5 million young people will deliver knowledge, strength and freedom of choice in relation to their sexuality. We thereby hope that our Social Franchise approach will also contribute to a broader discussion in the sector about new forms of partnership, with a more equal relationship with local organizations.”
Next to Jael there will be a new director ‘Communications & Fundraising’. Click here for the vacancy. The two of them form the new leadership team of Dance4Life.
Eveline Aendekerk will become the director of CPNB as of 1 September. CPNB is the foundation that increases reading pleasure and book ownership through campaigns and events.
The Supervisory Board thanks Eveline for her unbridled energy and commitment to Dance4life in recent years. We thank her in particular for her great contribution to the success and impact of Dance4Life worldwide. Eveline has made an unmistakably personal mark on the development of the organization and our highly involved network. Together with young people around the world, we work so purposefully on our joint ultimate goal: knowledge, strength and freedom of choice for all young people. We wish her a lot of success in her future career.
Therese van Schie
Chairman of the Supervisory Board
