Speaker Biographies

Irene E. van Geest-Jacobs

Professional career

Irene van Geest-Jacobs (55) studied Dutch Language at the University of Nijmegen, with Communications and Social Psychology related to Labor and Organization as additional specializations. She also completed several courses to become a trainer of Communication Skills. After spending some time abroad, Ms. Van Geest-Jacobs started working as a high-school teacher of Dutch language. She also worked as a free-lance text writer for several public relations agencies and public information services. Furthermore, she was active as ghostwriter for a number of politicians.

After an interim-management assignment at Heidemij (now Arcadis), Ms. Van Geest-Jacobs decided to step into the world of consultancy. She was involved in the development and implementation of communication strategies, thereby specializing in 'crisis communication' and 'internal communication' during reform processes.

In 1993, she joined the City of Breda as Head of Communications for the municipal administration. Since June 1, 1996, she has been Director of Communications and Information for the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports. As of April 1, 2002, she is holding the same position for the new Food & Non-food Authority.

Organization

The Food and Non-Food Authority (VWA) is a new, independant Dutch government organization, in which the public bodies responsible for the inspection and supervision of food and non-food consumer products have been brought together.

Supervision, research and communication are the three core responsibilities of the VWA. Supervision has three focus areas: inspection, testing and enforcement. Research serves partly to support the authority’s supervisory activities, and partly to provide information for risk assessment purposes and the VWA’s associated advisory role. The object of communication is to ensure that the consumer has a better understanding of how products can affect safety, to the wider benefit of public health. And the main issues are risk perception and risk communication. The central unit of VWA is based in The Hague (Netherlands).

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Updated August 13, 2002