Johannes Witteveen

Biographical Information
Johannes Witteveen, Chairman of the International Sufi Movement, Former Chancellor of the Exchequer of the Netherlands.

"Dr Hendrikus Johannes Witteveen was born on June 12, 1921, in Zeist, the Netherlands. He was educated at the Netherlands School of Economics in Rotterdam and received his doctoral degree in 1947.

"From 1948 to 1963 Mr Witteveen was professor of Business Cycles and Economics at the Netherlands School of Economics in Rotterdam, and from 1951 Rector Magnificus of the same institution. From 1963 to 1965 he served as Minister of Finance to the Dutch Government, a function he returned to again from 1967 to 1971 after spending two years as Member of the Dutch Parliament. Mr Witteveen has been Managing Director (1973-1979) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, DC, USA, and Chairman (1978-1983) of the Group of Thirty (Consultative Group of International Economic and Monetary Affairs - G30), Washington, DC, USA.

"He has served as director or advisor on international economic and monetary affairs to various international and Dutch companies. He was Advisor to the Managing Board of ABN-AMRO Bank, Member of the European Advisory Council of General Motors, Member of the International Council of Morgan Guaranty, Director of the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, Chairman of the Robeco Group and Chairman of ING Group, among others.

"He is a life-long member of the International Sufi Movement and is now its Vice-President.

"Among his publications: Developing a new monetary system: a long term view, (Washington DC: The 1983 Per Jacobsson Lecture); Economic Globalisation from a broader, long-term perspective: some questions and concerns, The Economist, 146, 4 (1998); The determination and consequences of International Liquidity, The Economist, 143, 4 (1995); Universal Sufism, (Longmead: Element Books, 1997); The heart of Sufism, (Boston: Shambhala, 1999); Soefisme en economie, (Deventer: Ankh Hermes, 2001); Sufism in action, Achievement, inspiration and integrity in a tough world, (London: Vega, 2003)."


 * Treasurer, Spanda Foundation
 * Founding Chair, Group of 30
 * Advisory Board, Encounter of Worldviews Foundation
 * Member, World Wisdom Council

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