CEO: NFI should be a receptive contractor
Reinout Woittiez is to succeed Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi as Chief Executive Officer of the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI). Originally he is a biologist, the last few years he was facilities coordinator for Omgevingsdienst Noordzeekanaalgebied (ODNZKG).
Woittiez studied biology at Wageningen University and Research Centre. His former positions included working as deputy Director-General at the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection (RIVM), and as Director of the Environment and Safety Sector, also at the RIVM. Before that he worked for the General Inspection Service of the RIVM.
Who is Reinout Woittiez?
“I am nearly 59 years old, happily married, and I have two daughters. I am a biologist and an adherent of the Enlightenment. This means considering matters and making reasonable decisions on the basis thereof. In my spare time, I like to do photography."
The works of ODNZKG seems to be completely different compared to the works of the NFI. Is this a logical step in your carreer?
“Environment and safety have been the key themes in my carreer. At ODNZKG, I examined the set of needs in the area of safety. These needs had to be translated into tailor-made services. When I look at the NFI, we must continue to be an innovative services provider. In addition to this, my feeling for political/administrative matters will come in useful. In combination with my background as a scientist, I think that this is a good mixture."
You are switching jobs after just 2.5 years. Had you already finished your job at ODNZKG?
"The switch was too soon. I had not yet finished there. On the other hand, as a builder you must also dare to transfer the house to its inhabitants. They will then be able to arrange things to suit their preferences. I have thought long and hard about it, but there is a fantastic challenge for me at the NFI."
What challenge is that?
“The NFI must maintain its leading role in the forensics world. I would call it 'sustainable preservation'. By this, I mean that innovation will enable us to safeguard our meaningful position in the criminal justice system in the long term. In the criminal justice system, people must say: the NFI helps us to make our work easier and more effective.”
Should the client be King?
"The NFI should be a receptive contractor: we must be able to listen to the client's requirements and needs. We should think and act based on the individual case and client. At the same time, however, the NFI must be a client itself, a party that has something to say for itself, as well. The NFI has forensic knowledge that other parties in the criminal justice system are lacking."