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Jan-Tjitte Meindersma (Universiteit Maastricht)
“Security is a never-ending race against the clock”
There is a serene calm in the historic university building on Minderbroerdersberg. This is hardly surprising, as the induction week is over and the new academic year has yet to formally begin in Maastricht. It is a good time for a conversation about the personal motivations of UM executive Jan-Tjitte Meindersma, who was still pouring beers for his students just the day before.
“It’s good for a board member to get outside,” Jan-Tjitte begins. “To connect with the people you’re doing it all for. So yesterday, a few of us colleagues went out to serve drinks to the new intake of students. It leads to some lovely conversations, and you also get to find out what’s going on in their lives.”
Jan-Tjitte Meindersma
‘Going outside’ is also the opening line of our interview, because on the LinkedIn page of Jan-Tjitte Meindersma, who has been vice-chair of the Executive Board since 2024, we come across some striking voluntary work. He says of this: “In 2016, I took time out for a sabbatical. I’d been working a bit too hard in the years leading up to that and was ready for a breather. As I’d mainly lived in the Randstad and abroad since my student days, as a native of Limburg I wanted to do something in my own region. I’d come to miss the Limburg hills immensely.
Through my contacts, I was able to spend a year working for the conservation organisation Natuurmonumenten in the South Limburg area. I helped to relocate an endangered butterfly population to a marl quarry in Maastricht and laid out a walking route on the Sint-Pietersberg. These days, as a volunteer, I contribute ideas on communication and on appropriate ways to develop activities and recreation in sensitive areas. Yes, I love being in nature, but I also need a sense of security. And people around me.”
A family of doctors
Jan-Tjitte’s story begins in Epen, a small town in the hills, or “the most beautiful part of the Netherlands”, as he calls it with a smile. “I come from a family of doctors. My mother, father and grandfather were all doctors, plus a few uncles and aunts who worked in the medical field. So it was only natural that I should study medicine. First in Rotterdam, but from the second year onwards in Maastricht.”
Yet the medical profession didn’t feel like his calling. “I was at odds with myself,” he admits honestly. “On the one hand, I was drawn to the gentle, human side of medicine. On the other hand, I love quantitative, analytical challenges. I love maths, analysis and structuring. That inner conflict caused a lot of tension. Coming out when I was around 19 or 20 made for an even more turbulent time. Unconsciously, I opted for the safety of reason. In the private sector, I was praised for my analytical skills: spreadsheets, rational analyses and presentations.”
“If you show your vulnerability, that’s not a weakness, but actually a strength”
That choice came at a price. “I tucked away a part of myself,” he admits. “I thought: reason at work, emotion at home. That worked for a long time, until my sabbatical in 2016 provided a sort of ‘reset’. The year I spent at Natuurmonumenten gave me a number of important insights. I’m good at restructuring. At putting things right. But, funnily enough, I learnt that flora and fauna aren’t really my cup of tea. The structures and driving forces of organisations, however, certainly are. The most important lesson was that it’s OK to be who you are. And you’re allowed to be open about it. If you show your vulnerability, that’s not a weakness, but actually a strength.”
The university’s role in society
These new insights had an immediate impact. Jan-Tjitte returned to the private sector, but this time with a new lesson in life: to bring empathy to his work. “Suddenly, I became more successful. Because I wasn’t just looking at the figures, but also at the people behind them.”
Despite his success in the corporate world at companies such as Air France-KLM and C&A, a little voice in his head kept urging him to return to the Limburg countryside. In 2024, the time had come. Jan-Tjitte joined the Executive Board of Maastricht University, with a focus on operational management: finance, IT, property and facilities management.
“I didn’t have an academic background, but I did have experience in restructuring and organisational change,” he explains. “Our university’s role in society is, of course, particularly significant. We have a mandate for education, research and commercialisation. We train talented individuals and have a responsibility to ensure our research makes an impact.”
Protecting more than just the crown jewels
His role as vice-chair is multifaceted, but one theme stands out: IT. “This remains a key focus,” he says. “Not only because of technological progress, but also because of security. Security is a never-ending race against the clock.”
He recalls the cyberattack in 2019 and the Canvas hack in 2026, which painfully exposed the vulnerability of digital systems. “We need to take a more systematic look at risks within our architecture. It’s not enough just to protect the crown jewels; we need to map out the entire landscape. Technology that is currently managed in a decentralised manner might be better organised centrally. That also requires organisational changes.”
Jan-Tjitte advocates a pragmatic approach. “You buy peace of mind through small investments in risk management. The level of detail must be appropriate to the organisation. Do you want to be the first to adopt state-of-the-art solutions, or simply a very good follower of what’s available on the market? Maastricht University is a good and smart follower.”
“You buy peace of mind by making small investments in risk management”
One of his key insights? Collaboration. “At first, we thought: let's just do our own thing. But after a DDoS attack on the network in January 2025, it became clear: we’re all connected, whether we like it or not.” The Canvas hack demonstrated that a coordinated approach is essential. “We don’t need to come up with the same solution ten times over, but we do need to understand each other’s systems. If we understand our processes and systems together, it becomes easier to choose different solutions.” Jan-Tjitte sees a greater role for SURF in coordinating cyber resilience. “We have an absolute need to work together, not only strategically, but also operationally.”
“If we understand our processes and systems together, it becomes easier to choose different solutions”
Better decisions through vulnerability
Despite his focus on large and complex IT and financial issues, Jan-Tjitte continues to emphasise that humanity is at the heart of his leadership. “I try as much as possible to get out into the organisation, have conversations and pick up on underlying currents,” he explains. “As a board member, you have to get out there and visit the shop floor.” He finds that his openness and vulnerability create a safe environment. “People feel confident enough to be themselves when I do the same. And that leads to better decisions, because you hear the real concerns and ideas.”
Text: Edwin Ammerlaan
Photos: De Beeldredaktie / Marcel van Hoorn
Jan-Tjitte Meindersma
Jan-Tjitte Meindersma was born in Epen, Limburg, and now lives in Maastricht. He obtained a Master’s degree in Medicine from Maastricht University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Trium, a triple-degree programme run by NYU Stern, HEC Paris and the London School of Economics. From 1997 to 2024, Jan-Tjitte worked in the private sector, holding various management positions at Air France-KLM and C&A. During his career, he took a year’s unpaid leave to work on nature restoration and supporting the LGBTQ+ community. As a volunteer, he worked as a forest ranger and as an adviser to the board of Natuurmonumenten. Since July 2024, Jan-Tjitte has been vice-chair of the Executive Board of Maastricht University.