Alexander Rinnooy Kan (1949) grew up in The Hague. In 1976, he obtained a PhD in Mathematics at the University of Amsterdam.
Between 1977 and 1991 Rinnooy Kan held senior academic positions at European and American universities. He was rector magnificus of Erasmus University from 1986 to 1989, and holds a number of honorary degrees.
Rinnooy Kan was the Chairman of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) from 1991 to 1996, and member of the ING Group Executive Board from 1996 to 2006. He was the Chairman of the Netherlands Social and Economic Council from 2006 to 2012. In 2012, he was appointed as Distinguished University Professor at the University of Amsterdam. In June 2015, he was elected to the Dutch Senate. He sits on a variety of boards and has advised the Dutch government on numerous occasions.
