EIOPA appoints Dutch central banker as chair

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has named a new chair.

Petra Hielkema, who works for the Dutch central bank, De Nederlandsche Bank, will take up the position from September 1, 2021, for a five year term, which can be extended once.

She has worked at De Nederlandsche Bank since 2007 and has served as a member of a number of advisory boards, including the European Central Bank’s European Cyber Resilience Board and Financial Innovation Forum. She is also chair of EIOPA’s Policy Steering Committee.

Hielkema was selected from a shortlist of candidates drawn up by EIOPA’s board of supervisors and has been confirmed by the European Parliament.

EIOPA is one of three European financial supervisory authorities which form part of the European system of financial supervision, introduced in 2010 to address the risks revealed by the 2007-2008 financial crisis. It is an independent advisory body to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, intended to protect the public interest by ensuring the stability and effectiveness of the financial system in the EU.