Kees van der Graaf joined IMD as Executive-in-Residence in November 2008, following his retirement from the Board of Unilever, where most recently he was responsible for their European business. His 32 year-long career brought him to most countries in the world. He worked in The Netherlands, the US, England, Spain and Switzerland, mostly in food businesses, with emphasis on the ice cream sector. The establishment of an ice cream operation for Unilever in China was one of his most exciting assignments.

As global category leader for ice cream, he was responsible for the roll-out of these activities across the world.
The integration of the Bestfoods business in Europe was his next assignment, followed by the global launch of the core brand in his capacity as European head of the Ice Cream and Frozen Foods Business Group. He then joined the Unilever Board as Foods Division Director. In his final role, Kees created a sustainable, growing European business. A radical change plan was successfully implemented.

Kees is the founder and chair of the FSHD Foundation, an organization that raises research funds for this rare form of muscular dystrophy. Subsequently, together with the Dutch National Soccer team, he created an organization that raises money for children with a muscular dystrophy in general. Kees is now in the process of creating an international patients organization.

The latter years of Kees’career allowed time for self-reflection. He concluded that his life was out of balance, with too much time absorbed by his profession. His family and the foundations were not getting the attention they needed. He therefore decided to ask for early retirement from Unilever. He joined IMD to study the concept of total balance and share his experience with other executives.

Kees is a graduate mechanical and business engineer from the University of Twente in The Netherlands.
After his studies he completed his national service in the Dutch Navy.

Kees loves outdoor sports like sailing, skiing and golf: a passion that he shares with his wife (except for the sailing). They have three sons, who all live in Amsterdam; the two youngest are students, the oldest is a young graduate in his first real job. The muscular dystrophy disease of the oldest has created a very close family relationship. They enjoy taking holidays together. The China Olympics experience was unforgettable.

Kees is a non-executive director of the ANWB (automobile club) and Ben&Jerry (as from 2009). He is also a supervisory member of the Board of Spieren voor Spieren and, until the end of 2008, of Synergos, the organizational arm of the Global Philanthropists Circle.

His current portfolio of activities allows him to really enjoy everything he does.