About Gerard van Olphen
“Reasonable people adapt themselves to their environment. Unreasonable people adapt the environment to themselves.”
Short biography
Gerard van Olphen is a Dutch executive. He studied economics and management information systems at the University of Groningen and trained as a chartered accountant. After roles at ABN AMRO, SNS REAAL and NIBC, he joined Achmea’s executive board in 2002. Following the nationalisation of SNS REAAL in 2013, he became CEO and led the restructuring and split of the group in line with EU requirements. After a short spell as CEO of VIVAT following its sale to Anbang, he was appointed CEO of APG in January 2016, focusing on the participant and on making the organisation more socially oriented; he announced his departure in spring 2021. He chaired the Financing taskforce of the Dutch Climate Agreement from 2018 to 2019, and since then has taken on supervisory board roles in the Dutch financial sector, including at a.s.r. and, from 2021, as chair of the supervisory board of de Volksbank (now ASN Bank).
Personal details
Name: Gerard van Olphen
Year of birth: 1962
Current Position
2019 — Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board, a.s.r. Nederland N.V.
2021 — Chairman of the Supervisory Board, ASN Bank N.V.
2025 — Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Mollie B.V.
Previous Positions
2016 – 2021 — CEO, APG
2013 – 2015 — CEO, SNS Reaal (later Vivat)
2008 – 2013 — Vice-Chair, Executive Board, Achmea
2002 – 2013 — Chief Finance & Risk Officer and Executive Board Member, Achmea
2000 – 2002 — CFO and CEO Asset Management, NIBC
Earlier roles included positions at Reaal and ABN AMRO
Education
Economics (Business Economics), University of Groningen
Postgraduate Registeraccountancy (RA), University of Groningen
Executive education including IMD and INSEAD
Fun fact
In his youth, he followed Queen across Europe — if they played in Belgium, Germany or the Netherlands, he’d be there.
Favourite Book / Film / Series
Books by James A. Michener, and he’s also a fan of biographies—especially about Winston Churchill and Barack Obama.
Last updated 1 February 2026
Stay connected with us!
Uniting the financial sector by discussing pressing topics and enhancing cooperation. That’s what we love to do at Leaders in Finance. By listening, learning, and connecting with others, we accelerate the sharing of ideas, thus powering (upcoming) leaders and organizations to shape the future of financial services.
Each part of the Leaders in Finance Group – Podcasts, Events, Lunches, Academy – has its unique approach. Want to explore how we can benefit your organizational goals? We’re happy to meet and discuss opportunities.