Eelco Kessels

Eelco Kessels is Executive Director of the Global Center and an ex-officio member of its Board of Directors, responsible for overseeing the organization’s strategic and organizational direction and daily operations. He has more than a decade of experience developing and coordinating research and programming activities across the world, related to managing and reintegrating terrorism offenders, identifying and addressing violent extremist radicalization in prisons, countering violent extremism, and rule of law–based approaches to counterterrorism. From 2010 to 2014, he worked as Programme Manager at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague. Previously, he was a researcher in counterterrorism at Leiden University and worked for the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence in London. He holds a BA (cum laude) in international law and conflict studies from University College Utrecht and an MA (with distinction) in international peace and security from King’s College London.