On June 24, AmCham Board Member Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen (Aon) was awarded the Ambassador J. William Middendorf II Award in Washington DC by The Netherland-America Foundation (NAF). Mrs. Soeteman-Reijnen is the first Dutch woman to receive the Award. AmCham sincerely congratulates Mrs. Soeteman-Reijnen on receiving this prominent award in recognition of her tireless effort to strengthen Dutch-American relations and her dedication to advancing diversity and inclusion in the corporate world.
Please find the press release by Aon and NAF below.
Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen Awarded with Prestigious
Ambassador J. William Middendorf II Award
Amsterdam/Washington, 24 June 2021 – Today Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen, Chief Marketing Officer Aon Inpoint and Chairman of the Executive Board at Aon Holdings, has been awarded with the prestigious ‘Ambassador J. William Middendorf II Award’ in Washington DC. After former Prime Ministers Ruud Lubbers in 1995 and Jan Peter Balkenende in 2012, and former CEO of Unilever Paul Polman in 2015 were awarded with this recognition, Soeteman-Reijnen is now the first Dutch woman to receive this highly respected award.
Soeteman-Reijnen is being recognised for her services in promoting trade and cultural relations between the United States and the Netherlands. Within her role at Aon, but also within her role as a board member at the American Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands and various other board positions, Soeteman-Reijnen has been intensifying ties between the Netherlands and the United States for the past decades.
Since the start of her career, Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen has also been committed to strengthening the position of women in business and to greater diversity and inclusion in corporate life. As the president of the advisory council of SER Topvrouwen (= SER Top Women) dedicated to boardroom empowerment and as the representative of the Netherlands at the G20 EMPOWER, this is one of Soeteman-Reijnen’s key focus areas.
Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen comments: ‘I am thankful and proud to receive the ‘Ambassador J. William Middendorf II Award’ as the first Dutch woman ever. I am committed to continuing my efforts in strengthening the relationship between the Netherlands and the U.S. with a specific focus on the position of women in business and with a drive for greater diversity and inclusion.’
The award is handed over by the Netherland-America Foundation (NAF) that is celebrating this year its 100th anniversary and is a yearly recognition for an individual who has demonstrated extra-ordinary behaviour in the commercial, cultural or political sectors building the Dutch-U.S. relationship.
Andy Bender, Chair at the Netherland-America Foundation (NAF) comments: ‘Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen has done an exceptional job at intensifying the Dutch-American relationship over the past years and has remained committed during her whole career to promote the role of women in business. She is a pioneer and we are excited for her to continue to build the Dutch-American ties.’
