Lucas Vos appointed new chair of the Ubbo Emmius Fund

Lucas was a top executive at Maersk, Royal FloraHolland, and Stolt Tankers, and held management positions in the Netherlands and abroad. He has been chair of the UEF since April 2025. “This role touches me on a different level. It feels personal.”

Groningen as a foundation

Lucas' personal involvement dates back to his student days, more than thirty years ago. “You go from a sheltered childhood to complete independence. You have to make your own choices, discover who you are. That can be overwhelming at times, but it's exactly what you need to grow.”

He lived in Visserstraat, later on Boterdiep, and could often be found in the University Library. “I remember exactly where I sat: third floor, at the back on the right.” His student days were more than an academic adventure: “My best friend is from that time. You grow up together in a city you don't know yet, far away from your parents. I quickly learned to appreciate that.”

Leadership with attention

Lucas calls himself a connecting leader. He developed this quality partly through contact with his mentally disabled sister. “To really understand her, I have to listen with more than just my ears. That has shaped me.”

He took that empathy with him into his career. “A leader who only sends messages misses what’s going on. Especially in a fund like this, which is all about connection, you have to keep listening to alumni, researchers, students, and colleagues.”

Time to give something back

After working in Denmark, Pakistan, India, and Spain, among other places, Groningen feels like an anchor to Lucas. “There are places that stay with you. Groningen is one of them.”

His decision to join the UEF stems from that deep connection. “I wanted to do something that is socially meaningful. I have received so much. Now it’s time to give back.”

The value of science under pressure

Lucas is concerned about the government's withdrawal. “Education and research were once self-evident public values, but that foundation is faltering. Investments are lagging behind and pressure on institutions is increasing. If we are not careful, we will lose something that makes the Netherlands so strong: independent, high-quality research and science.”

According to him, this calls for a rethink. “We need to look for new forms of engagement. Alumni can play a key role in this, not as a stopgap measure, but as allies of the university.”

Alumni: a sleeping giant

He sees the RUG’s alumni network as an enormous, untapped force. “Everyone who has studied here carries that time with them. Start talking about it and people smile. That connection is still there, we just need to activate it.”

And that doesn’t have to be with money. “Engagement takes many forms: sharing knowledge, mentoring students, opening up your network, or contributing ideas.” “That’s where it starts.”

Leaving something behind that matters

Lucas is modest about himself. ‘Of course I’ve worked hard, but I’ve also been very lucky. Things could have turned out differently.’ He wants to make a meaningful contribution. ‘I don’t have children, which is the biggest thing missing in my life, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel any responsibility. I want to commit myself to something that matters.’

Call to alumni

Finally, the new chair addresses former students: “Think back to your time in Groningen. What it has given you. Who you have become. Realize that this is not a given for new generations. We can make a difference in this.”

And, he adds: “Not only because it’s important, but also because it’s simply great fun to reconnect with the university where many of us started our careers.”