Former Dutch employers leader Hans de Boer has died unexpectedly at the age of 66, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage last week.

De Boer headed the VNO-NCW organisation up to September when he retired to Curaçao. Before that he held a number of advisory and lobby functions, including that of director of small firms association MKB-Nederland and head of a government commission on youth unemployment.

A no-nonsense campaigner, De Boer was known for his straight talking and once said in an interview: ‘I am from Friesland, and Friesland does not produce many diplomats.’

The VNO-NCW’s new director Cees Oudshoorn said De Boer’s sudden death is a ‘great shock’ and that it was a privilege to have worked with him. Prime minister Mark Rutte described him as a ‘great friend’.

Received with great sadness the news of the death of #HansdeBoer , former #Chairman of the Dutch #ConfederationOfIndustries (#VNO_NCW). Also on behalf of all his #Indian business friends, I wish the family and relatives a lot of strength. https://t.co/VIggvvo0sJ

— Fons Stoelinga (@FonsStoelinga) January 18, 2021

Most recently, De Boer was involved in negotiating the role of employers in the new pension agreement, as well as in drawing up coronavirus support measures for industry.