Nationality: Dutch | Year of birth: 1960
Frans van Houten is passionate about purpose-driven innovation, entrepreneurship and business transformation to drive customer value and competitiveness. Under his leadership as CEO of Royal Philips, the company transformed into a leading health technology solutions company, leveraging data and informatics to improve healthcare provider results, and became a forerunner across ESG dimensions, having become carbon neutral in its operations since 2020 and recycling over 90% of its waste. Mr. van Houten was an initiator of the World Economic Forum Compact for Responsive and Responsible Leadership as well as founder and co-chair of the Platform to Accelerate the Circular Economy.
Professional experience
- Advisor, Royal Philips NV, Netherlands (2022‑April 2023)
- CEO and chair of the executive committee and the board of management, Royal Philips NV, Netherlands (2011‑2022)
- Interim management, ING Group NV, Netherlands (2009‑2010)
- CEO and chair of the management board, NXP Semiconductors NV (formerly Philips Semiconductors NV), Netherlands (2004‑2009)
- Various managerial positions at Royal Philips Electronics NV, Netherlands (1986‑2004)
Mandates
Current:
- Board member, Absci Corporation, US
- Member of the supervisory board, Affidea Group, Netherlands
- Chair, Castor EDC, Netherlands
- Board member, Synthesis Health Inc. US
Past:
- Member of the steering committee, European Round Table for Industry (ERT), Belgium (2014‑2022)
- Vice chair and member of the supervisory board, Philips Lighting, Netherlands (2016‑2017)
Education
- Master’s degree in economics and business management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Bachelor’s degree in economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
Key skills
- Medicine/healthcare/R&D
- Environmental, social and governance (ESG)
- Data/digital
- Leadership/management
- Finance/accounting
- Law/regulatory/risk management