Main Board

Diana van den Heuvel

Diana van den Heuvel has been President of KIVI since June 2026. She is also Corporate Account Director at Siemens Energy where she focuses on the strategic renewal of energy infrastructures. With a background in Electrical Engineering (TU Delft) and French Language and Literature (UvA), she combines technical depth with strategic vision and social persuasiveness.

Diana strengthens the innovation and entrepreneurship climate within the engineering community through various ecosystem roles. As President of CIGRE Netherlands, she stimulates international knowledge exchange and new technical standards. In advisory and governing bodies such as the Netherlands Academy of Engineering, NWO, the King Willem I Foundation and the Hidde Nijland Foundation, she contributes to national innovation capacity by strategically connecting science, industry, government and young talent.

Ing. Eef Smits

Eef Smits has been a member of the Main Board since December 2023. He studied Construction Engineering at the HTS in 's-Hertogenbosch and later association management at the VU in Amsterdam. After starting at internationally operating construction companies, he became regional manager and secretary at trade association Techniek Nederland for more than twenty-three years after being a business advisor at the Chamber of Commerce for more than ten years. Besides supporting departments and regions, he was also active at the interface of education and business. On behalf of KIVI, he has been delegated to the EU STEM Coalition and Engineers Europe, where he chairs the Future Engineers working group. In his spare time, he enjoys playing tennis and is a cookbook collector and avid amateur cook.

Ir. Egbert Teunissen

Egbert Teunissen has been a member of the main board since March 2020 and holds the position of treasurer. He studied Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology (1981-1988) and has long been active within various sections of KIVI. Between 2001 and 2020, he held various positions within the Geotechnical Section, the Members' Council and the Members' Council Finance Committee. He worked in the infrastructure sector for the first 25 years, was head of the ports and hydraulic engineering sector and over the period 2014-2022 led Business Line Energy Water and Environment at Witteveen+Bos. Since then, he has been sector advisor and chairman of the Kiemt Foundation there.

Ir. Frans Heijnen MBA HonF.IRSE

Frans Heijnen has been secretary of the main board since July 2024. He studied electrical engineering at Delft University of Technology, where he graduated in Transmission of Information in 1975. A long career in the rail sector, in several countries, ended as VP Technology and R&D at Invensys Rail, now part of Siemens Mobility. As a consulting engineer and expert witness, he is still active today. He attended an eMBA at the Instituto de Empresa (now IE University) in Madrid in the early 1990s. He was (vice)president of several international engineering associations. KIVI member from his student days.

Drs. ing. Jeroen Grond

Jeroen Grond has been a member of the Main Board since December 2023. He studied Electrical Energy Engineering at the HTS in Arnhem and Business Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Jeroen is a long-time member of KIVI (since student days 1990) and was treasurer of Region The Hague from 2005 to 2011. Active within the Energy sector as Director HSEQ of Stedin Group, and also active in a number of sector boards such as: chairman Governance Code Veilige Energienetten (GVE), Stichting Dutchpower, Stichting CKB and Chairman Energy Safety Festival. He likes to dedicate himself as a connector in sector (transcending) issues, education and science. Besides his commitment to technology, people and society, he enjoys playing badminton and making music on his Waldhoorn (French Horn).

Dr Karin Smolders

Karin Smolders has been a member of the KIVI Executive Board since 2025. With a Bachelor in Innovation Science, a Master in Human-Technology Interaction, and a PhD focusing on lighting technology and mental health, she has a broad academic background within the engineering sciences.

Karin is currently working as an associate professor in the Department of Human-Technology Interaction at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). In this role, she investigates how technology can be used effectively and scalably to monitor and manage health in daily practice. From 2022 to 2025, she was also a board member of the Eindhoven Young Academy of Engineering (EYAE).

Within the KIVI main board, Karin is committed to promoting engineering education, strengthening the connection with younger generations, and increasing the visibility of the social value of engineering.

For questions, ideas or conversations about promoting engineering education and engineering sciences or strengthening the connection between technology and society, feel free to contact me via LinkedIn, email or phone.

Ir. Hugo van der Heijden LLB

Hugo van der Heijden has been a member of the Main Board since 2023. His academic background includes studying Mechanical Engineering and Systems Engineering at TU Delft, from which he graduated in 2021. Hugo is currently working as policy advisor electricity market for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. His professional focus is on the energy transition and tackling climate change, considering these challenges as the most pressing issues for society. Within the KIVI Executive Board, Hugo focuses on membership recruitment and contributes to the future development of the association. Besides his professional pursuits, Hugo has various interests, including a love for Saabs, sailing and is always open to meet fellow KIVI members. For contact or conversations about technology, social challenges or informal topics, you can always call, email or send him a message on Linkedin.

Ir. Jan de Waal CEng

Jan de Waal has been a member of the main board since December 2023. He graduated as a Civil Engineer from Delft University of Technology in 1987, and then followed a mostly international career in infrastructure project development and in the oil/gas sector. An active KIVI member and enthusiastic ambassador of the theme of lifelong development, he joined the Chartership Committee in 2022.
Portfolio: Chartered Engineering.