Project Management Officer
Berend (Beer) Kwak is Project Management Officer at HCSS. In this role, he combines his experience in management with his knowledge of business strategy and geopolitics. Berend holds bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Philosophy from the University of Groningen and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Leiden University.
Berend joined HCSS as an Assistant Analyst in January 2024, working mainly on HCSS Boardroom and the two HCSS Cyberschools (The Indo-Dutch Cyber Security School & The South Africa-Netherlands Cyber Security School). After his internship, Berend was hired to continue the coordination of these two projects. Additionally, he assists the Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM) Secretariat with the organisation of their conferences.
HCSS Boardroom was established to help businesses navigate an era of uncertainty and risk, by becoming more geopolitically shock resistant. This includes research on critical raw materials, the energy transition, industrial policy and broader economic security of the EU and NL vis-à-vis the US and China. HCSS brings these issues directly into boardrooms, by providing Masterclasses and geopolitical due diligence exercises for top executives.
Before joining HCSS, Berend has gained experience in different commercial and academic positions. He has taught classes at his university, spent his time in high school as a professional athlete, and at 19 years-old became the youngest ever Sales Manager at a leading Dutch sales company. Through previous internships and projects, Berend has experience in risk analysis, consulting, and research, which allowed him to contribute to various reports published at HCSS.
