ACM’s Directors of Competition and Energy switch positions

The Board of the Netherlands Authority of Consumers and Markets (ACM) is pleased about the appointments of Remko Bos and Michiel Denkers as Director of ACM’s Competition Department and as Director of ACM’s Energy Department, respectively. Both Mr. Bos and Mr. Denkers already work at ACM, but will now switch positions. Two team managers will also switch positions. Björn Vroomen will become team manager in the Energy Department, and Friso Koel will become team manager in the Competition Department. Mr. Vroomen en Mr. Koel will also take on the roles of acting Directors in their respective departments. All of these changes will take place on October 15, 2023.

‘With these new appointments, we will gain new perspectives from very experienced colleagues on topics that are important to ACM. It is also great that, with these switches, ACM will be able to hold on to their extensive knowledge and experience’, says Martijn Snoep, Chairman of the Board of ACM.

The Directors of the Competition Department and Energy Department

Mr. Bos comments: ‘In 1997, I was among those who helped create competition law in the Netherlands. I now look forward to working together with everyone in the Competition Department on the challenge of further developing competition oversight in rapidly changing markets. In that way, we will be able to keep delivering on our mission to ensure that markets work well for all people and businesses.’

Mr. Denkers says: ‘For me, this is a perfect opportunity to broaden my horizons and to build something new. Against the backdrop of the energy transition and the energy crisis, well-functioning energy markets need our attention, now more than ever. I look very much forward to fleshing out, together with my colleagues, the regulatory regime for the entire energy industry.’

Mr. Bos’s current position is Director of ACM’s Energy Department. He previously held various positions at the Netherlands Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority (OPTA) between 2005 and 2013: first, as head of the Markets Department, and then as head of the Consumers, Numbers and Chair’s Office Department. Mr. Bos studied economics at VU Amsterdam (VU), and he completed the postgraduate program in Economic and Financial Policy (BoFEB) at Erasmus University in Rotterdam.

Mr. Denkers’s current position is Director of ACM’s Competition Department. In that capacity, he is responsible for merger control and competition oversight in the Dutch economy. Previously, he worked for the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) where, among other positions, he was Head of the Financial Institutions Supervision Group. Mr. Denkers studied Economics and Finance at Warwick University, and obtained an MBA degree from the Rotterdam School of Management.

Remko Bos

Michiel Denkers

The team managers in the Competition Department and Energy Department

Björn Vroomen is currently team manager in the Competition Department. Previously, he worked at the CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB), among other organizations. Mr. Vroomen studied econometrics at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He obtained a PhD in economics from the same university, where he completed his doctoral research on consumer choice behavior on the internet.

Mr. Koel is currently team manager Distribution Grids in the Energy Department. Prior to his transfer to ACM, he worked in the corporate sector for several years, including in the financial-services sector and for Capgemini Consulting. Mr. Koel studied business economics at the University of Groningen.

Mr. Vroomen’s says: ‘Earlier in 2023, I ventured into energy regulation for a bit. That experience whetted my appetite. With this transfer, I am able, through our regulatory efforts, to contribute towards realizing the energy transition and well-functioning energy markets. In that context, I’m excited to bring my experience of change processes and of quickly resolving complex questions.’

Mr. Koel adds: ‘Over the past few years, I have been focused on making sure the energy market worked well in these turbulent times. I look forward to applying my knowledge and experience to our general market-oversight activities, and thus making sure that, in other changing markets too, competition is safeguarded, that competition oversight adapts to the times, and, in doing so, that markets continue to work well, especially now.’

Bjorn Vroomen

Friso Koel