The museum’s management team consists of the Executive Committee, the Heads of Collections, Presentation & Program, Marketing & Communication, Operations, Commerce and Director’s Office.
Management Team
Emilie Gordenker - Director
As of 1 February 2020, Emilie Gordenker is director of the Van Gogh Museum.
She is in charge of the groups Collection: Collection and Research, Collection Management and Restoration, Registrar’s Office, Collection Information, Education & Presentation: Education & Interpretation, Exhibitions, Publications, The Mesdag Collection, Marketing & Communication: Digital Communication, Marketing, Press Office, Events, and Development.
Emilie has been Director of the Mauritshuis from 2008 until 2020. Before that, she was Senior Curator of Early Netherlandish, Dutch and Flemish Art at the National Gallery of Scotland. She holds a B.A. in Russian and East European Studies (Yale University) and a PhD in the History of Art, specialising in 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art (Institute of Fine Arts, New York University).
Emilie is also Vice President of Stichting Fulbright Commission the Netherlands, Member of the Advisory Board, Nexus Institute, Member of the Board of Advisors and member of the Beoordelingscommissie Restauraties, Rembrandt Association, Member of the Haagsche Schouw, Member of the Bizot Group.
Emilie Gordenker
Rob Groot - Managing Director
Rob Groot (1967) has been appointed as the new Managing Director of the Van Gogh Museum as of 1 September 2021.
He is responsible for the groups Van Gogh Museum Enterprises, JZ, Risk & Management Support, Finance & Control, HR and IT.
Previously Rob was Financial Director at the Dutch Broadcasting Foundation (NPO), Managing Partner at KPMG Nederland and CFO at Stage Entertainment.
Rob is also Member of the Advisory Board, Hospitainer BV.
Rob Groot
Babette Meerdink-Schenau - Secretary to the Board & Head of the Director’s Office
Babette Meerdink-Schenau (1974) studied Dutch Law at Radboud University (Nijmegen) and International Trade Law at the University of London.
She began her legal career at Houthoff Buruma before working for many years as a (legislative) lawyer at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Babette also worked as a Clerk at the Enterprise Division of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal.
She became Secretary to the Board of the Van Gogh Museum in September 2017, providing the Board with policy and legal support.
Babette Meerdink-Schenau
Marije Vellekoop - Head of Collections
Marije Vellekoop studied Art History at Utrecht University and joined the Van Gogh Museum in 1995, becoming Curator of Prints and Drawings in 1999. Marije assumed responsibility for the Collections & Research Department in 2013.
As head of this department, she oversees significant core activities at the Van Gogh Museum and The Mesdag Collection, including the presentation and expansion of the permanent collection, loans, authenticity research and the research programme. The Collections & Research Department is also responsible for developing exhibition concepts.
As Head of Collections (from 1 December 2020 on), Marije is responsible for the departments of Collections & Research, Collection Management & Restoration, the Registrar’s Office and Collection Information. She also continues to lead the Collections & Research Department.
Marije Vellekoop
Fayçal Ben Abdellaziz - Head of Marketing & Communication
In his role as Head of Marketing & Communication, Fayçal Ben Abdellaziz is responsible for the departments of Brand, Insights, Digital, Corporate Communication & PR, and Events. He also leads the Insights department.
Fayçal Ben Abdellaziz
Astrid Hertog - Head of Presentation & Program
Since June 2025, Astrid has been serving on an interim basis as Head of Presentation and Programme. Trained as an art historian with a specialisation in modern art, as well as in (art)management, she developed a specific interest in bringing art and culture closer to people. After completing her studies, she pursued additional training in didactics, education, and exhibitionwork. For her Master’s in Museum Studies at University College London in the late 1990s, she examined how five art museums in London and the Netherlands approached educational practice, and how school curricula can help deepen the connection between museums and their young audiences.
She has now been working in the cultural and museum sector in the Netherlands for more than thirty years in roles ranging from educator to museum director, and in recent years primarily as an interim professional.
Besides her current role at the Van Gogh Museum, Astrid is member of the Supervisory Board of the Railwaymuseum in Utrecht and treasurer of Cultuurfonds Utrecht. In July she joined the board of Van Gogh Europe, a European network of museums, heritage places and promotional partners, linked to the life and work of Van Gogh.
Astrid also greatly enjoys experiencing art and culture herself.
Astrid Hertog
Jacqueline van Diessen – Head of Commerce
Jacqueline van Diessen is Senior Manager Group Commerce as of December 2021. She divides this role with her position of Head of Buying & Merchandise, which she has controlled since 2017. As Senior Manager Group Commerce, she leads a team with the aim of further building on the success of the commercial activities within the Van Gogh Museum.
After studying Business Economics, Jacqueline started her career as a management trainee at Koninklijke Ahold. After working for more than ten years in various commercial positions at Albert Heijn, Jacqueline made the transition to Nike European Operations Netherlands, where she supervised various global & European sourcing projects.
In her further career, Jacqueline has carried out various interim assignments in the field of category management, including Etos and Intertoys.
Jacqueline van Diessen
José Dibbets - Head of Operations
The Head of Operations is responsible for policy and management at the Security, Visitor Services and Support Services.
After graduating in Social Sciences, with a specialisation in culture, organisation and management, José held various management positions in the technical services and real estate sectors, at organisations including Randstad Nederland, Smallsteps, Vattenfall and the Netherlands Police.
Throughout her career, José has maintained a deep passion for art and culture. She has taken several painting and architecture courses, and is delighted to be able to combine her role at the museum with her love of the arts.
José Dibbets