Curriculum vitae
Before his appointment to Chairman of the Dutch Data Protection Authority
Jacob Kohnstamm had been a member of the Senate of
the States General for D66 (Liberal Democrats) since
1999. In addition, he was chairman of a large number
of organisations and committees including the Regieraad
ICT Politie [Board for Information and Communications Technology
for the Police].
He was State Secretary for Internal Affairs between 1994 and 1998 and in particular was responsible for developing the Large Cities Policy.
After completing his studies in law at the University of Amsterdam, J. Kohnstamm worked as a lawyer between 1977 and 1981 and between 1982 and 1986.
In 1981 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives of the
States General. He was a spokesman for his political
party in the areas of defence, the police and justice.
From 1982 to 1986 he held the position of party chairman
of the Liberal Democrats.
Between 1986 and 1994 Kohnstamm was again a member of the House of Representatives. In the first session period he was spokesman for internal affairs, the police and the Middle East. In this period he was also Chairman of the standing parliamentary committee National Ombudsman. In the parliamentary period that followed, namely between 1989 and 1994, he was spokesman in the policy areas of public health, the police and the Middle East and also chairman of the standing parliamentary committee for the police.
Additional functions
- since 2008 Chairman of the Board of Commissioners
of the Woningbouwcorporatie Stadgenoot [Stadgenoot
Housing Corporation]
- since 2008 - this day Chairman of the Board of
Stichting Ipermestra [Ipermestra Foundation for Music
Projects]
- since 2008 - this day Member of the Initiatief-
en Referendumcommissie Gemeente Amsterdam [Initiative-
and Referendum committee of the municipality Amsterdam]
- since 2004 - this day Chairman of the Board of
the Garantie Instituut voor de Woningbouw [Guarantee
Institute for Housing]