After working for 15 years in youth care in the Netherlands,  I joined the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for a mission in Afghanistan in 1992. The next 10 years I worked abroad for both the Federation and for MSF; much of that work was in the former Soviet Union.

From 2001-2009 I worked as the director for International Assistance at the Netherlands Red Cross. In 2009 I became the first alliance manager for an alliance between the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Stichting Vluchteling. I was also part of the IRC emergency team. Ever since 2016 I work as a consultant, amongst other for Stichting Vluchteling, the Dutch Relief Alliance and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.