The International Energy Agency (IEA) has a new Executive Director as of today as Maria van der Hoeven, former Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands, officially took over from Nobuo Tanaka, whose four-year term has expired.
“I am thoroughly convinced of the value of the IEA’s world-class expertise in meeting today’s energy challenges, and it is therefore vital that our expertise remain unrivalled, objective and focused on the right issues,” said Van der Hoeven, who was elected in March by the IEA Governing Board.
Ms. Van der Hoeven credited Mr. Tanaka with helping to build the agency’s profile. She said she would focus on further strengthening the IEA’s expertise and reach, promoting the use of the agency’s knowledge and experience to address energy issues impacting IEA Member countries, emerging economies and exporters of energy.
According to an IEA statement, Van der Hoeven is committed to market liberalization and transparency. She takes office at a fractious time for the consumer’s body, after months of disagreements with OPEC over the need to increase petroleum supplies to avert the collapse of the world’s nascent economic recovery that is now stalling in advanced economies.
“This means bringing the organisation’s expertise and well-founded views to the table at highest levels, in support of policymaking as well as to inform discussions with other organisations and institutions,” she said.
Van der Hoeven served as Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands from February 2007 to October 2010.
