Board member of the myeloma- and Waldenströmpatientgroups CKP and CMWP (2008 – 2011) and chairman of the board of Hematon Myeloma- & Waldenströmpatientgroup (2013 – 2015). Now boardmember of Hematon, a patient organisation for all dutch patients with a hemato-oncological disease. An active member of Myeloma Patients Europe since 2013.
He works as a patient-advocate in the field of healthcare on projects that support and empower cancer patients and patient groups. Before he was diagnoses multiple myeloma, he was a school teacher at first, and later educational consultant, interim manager and trainer in courses for school leaders and boards of educational institutes. He achieved a Master in Educational Sciences at the University of Amsterdam (in 1995), and continued for a period his research in a PhD-direction, but choose at some moment for designing and leading MD-courses (Management Development) for several companies for many years.