4TU.Alumni Events - Washington D.C. and New York, United States of America

You are warmly invited to the 4TU.Alumni gathering in Washington D.C. taking place on Tuesday, 2 December and hosted at the World Bank Headquarters, courtesy of the Office of the Executive Director for the Netherlands Constituency.

This special event will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how major international organizations shape the world — through the experiences of 4TU alumni working at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.

The programme will consist of UT alumnus Dirk Jan Grolleman sharing his career path and insights from his current role at IMF Monetary & Capital Markets Department. This will be followed by an interactive alumni panel and updates from the Embassy and the four universities. The programme concludes with an informal borrel/networking reception.

• 4:30PM Arrival with light refreshments
• 5:00PM Opening words
• 5:15PM Talk by Dirk Jan Grolleman, Deputy Division Chief - IMF.
• 5:45PM Panel Interview with WB young (alumni) professionals: Bramka Arga Jafino (TUD alumnus) – Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Josina Mellink (WUR alumna) – Environmental Analyst, Kaja Waldmann (UT alumna) – Natural Resources Management Specialist.
• 6:15PM Summary
• 6:25PM Networking 'Borrel' reception
• 8:00PM End of programme

1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20433

Dirk Jan Grolleman is Deputy Division Chief in the Financial Supervision and Regulation Division of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Since joining the IMF in 2012, he has been involved in shaping international financial sector policies and leading capacity development initiatives across IMF member countries. His current work focuses on strengthening banking supervision frameworks, addressing emerging cybersecurity challenges, and advancing digital transformation in financial services.

Earlier in his career, Dirk Jan held senior supervisory roles at the Dutch Central Bank (2006–2012), where he focused on prudential oversight of financial institutions. Before transitioning to public service, he spent eight years in the private sector with ING Bank NV (1998–2006), gaining hands-on experience in banking operations and risk management.

He holds an engineering & management degree from the University of Twente and a master in risk management from the University of Amsterdam, combining technical rigor with a strategic perspective on financial system resilience.

Please find below information on how to register for the event in Washington D.C. Keep in mind that registration is required and capacity is limited.

You are warmly invited to the 4TU.Alumni gathering in New York taking place on Thursday, 4 December, highlighting inspiring examples of innovation within the local 4TU community.

This 4TU Alumni event hosted at the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in New York will feature two local alumni speakers.

Marleen Vogelaar (alumna TU/e) will share her entrepreneurial journey across two continents — starting from co-founding her 2007 startup in the Netherlands all the way through the growth, successes, and challenges that followed. Today Shapeways is headquartered in New York, with factories and offices in Eindhoven, Queens, and Seattle.

The identity of our second speaker will be announced soon.

In addition, brief updates will be given from both the Dutch Consulate and our four universities, followed by a networking borrel reception.

• 5:30PM Arrival with light refreshments
• 6:00PM Opening words
• 6:15PM Updates from the Universities
• 6:30PM Talk by Marleen Vogelaar, CEO/Co-founder Shapeways
• 6:55PM Second talk
• 7:20PM Summary
• 7:30PM Networking 'Borrel' Reception
• 9:00PM End of programme

Consulate General of the Netherlands, 666 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10017

Marleen Vogelaar is the co-founder and current CEO of Shapeways, the pioneering digital-manufacturing company she helped launch in 2007 with the vision of democratizing on-demand production for creators and businesses alike. After the company filed for bankruptcy in mid-2024, she led a revival alongside a dedicated Eindhoven team, acquiring the brand and original production facility and steering the business back to operational stability and customer-centric growth.

With a strong foundation in strategy, operations and manufacturing, Marleen brings deep expertise to her leadership role. Her career journey includes consulting in M&A and strategy, as well as hands-on experience in quality and logistics management. She holds an M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management Science from TU Eindhoven. Known for her energetic and positive approach, Marleen thrives at the intersection of technology, design and manufacturing—driving innovation while empowering teams to bring bold ideas to life.

Please find below information on how to register for the event in New York. Keep in mind that registration is required and capacity is limited.