Expertise
René van der Steeg (1966) has been a Partner and Senior Advisor at EPPA since 2004. Over the years, he has developed into an expert on issue management and public affairs strategies. He has made his services available to a broad range of clients, both on the national level and the European level. Those clients include large multinationals, SMEs, and trade associations.
After graduating from university, René started his career as Secretary International Affairs at MKB-Nederland. In 1998, he joined Ernst & Young Consulting (EYC). At EYC, he worked as a Managing Consultant and was asked to expedite professionalization of the Issue Management and Public Affairs (IMPA) practice, after which he opened specialized IMPA offices in The Hague and Brussels on behalf of EYC. In 2000, EYC merged with Cap Gemini to form Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGEY), which led to René becoming Label Manager CGEY Issue Management, Public Affairs and Communications.
Background
René graduated in 1993 in Policy and Management in International Organizations at the University of Groningen (RUG). In 1999, he completed a postgraduate course in Association Management at the Free University (VU Amsterdam).
Personal
René comes from an entrepreneurial family, is a fan of Ajax, and is actively involved in his local football club. He is also involved in the Trade Association of Public Affairs Professionals (BVPA). From 2001 to 2005, René taught Public Affairs and Lobbying at the Free University of Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam).