Full Name
Rolf Draak
Job Title
Chair, Board of Directors, and CEO
Company
World Trade Center Nice/Sophia Antipolis
Speaker Bio
As a director of a leading development group, Rolf Draak became fascinated by the potential of the World Trade Center business concept and philosophy. It was with this group that he took the initiative to develop and build phase 1 of World Trade Center Amsterdam in 1980.
Upon completion of this project in 1985, he took the position of CEO of WTC Amsterdam, a position he held until 1996. As a result of a well-developed business plan and management strategy, WTC Amsterdam has become one of the more successful members of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA).
In 1992, Mr. Draak was elected on the Board of the WTCA and became an active member of the WTCA family, offering guidance and sharing experience with many other WTC businesses. He has served as a Vice Chair on the Board as former Chair of its Executive Committee.
Mr. Draak wants to put his knowledge to work on future WTC developments, and has completed many feasibility studies and marketing strategies for various WTC projects around the globe. He has been helping many members to prepare WTC applications and start-up strategies including those in Almere, Belfast, Curacao, Aruba, Heerlen-Aachen, Leeuwarden, Schiphol-Airport and Tbilisi.
Among others, he has taken the role of leading the development team for the project of WTC Barcelona, which also has become a very successful WTC operation. He has also taken the initiative to develop, build and operate WTC Nice/Sophia Antipolis in France.
Mr. Draak's greatest ambition is to develop a stronger relationship between the countries within the European community and the countries within the African continent. In this context, he has taken the initiative to develop a twin WTC project in the very south of Spain, in Malaga, and in Morocco, Tangier, thus creating a virtual bridge over the Strait of Gibraltar, and enhancing stability, peace and understanding between the cultures of that region.
Mr. Draak holds a graduate degree in Civil Engineering (1964). Prior to joining WTC Amsterdam, he spent over 20 years working in many foreign countries, where he gained a wealth of international business experience and respect and understanding of other cultures. He has lived in Mexico, Spain, France, former Czechoslovakia, the Middle East, West Africa and South America, and he has a working knowledge of several languages.
Upon completion of this project in 1985, he took the position of CEO of WTC Amsterdam, a position he held until 1996. As a result of a well-developed business plan and management strategy, WTC Amsterdam has become one of the more successful members of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA).
In 1992, Mr. Draak was elected on the Board of the WTCA and became an active member of the WTCA family, offering guidance and sharing experience with many other WTC businesses. He has served as a Vice Chair on the Board as former Chair of its Executive Committee.
Mr. Draak wants to put his knowledge to work on future WTC developments, and has completed many feasibility studies and marketing strategies for various WTC projects around the globe. He has been helping many members to prepare WTC applications and start-up strategies including those in Almere, Belfast, Curacao, Aruba, Heerlen-Aachen, Leeuwarden, Schiphol-Airport and Tbilisi.
Among others, he has taken the role of leading the development team for the project of WTC Barcelona, which also has become a very successful WTC operation. He has also taken the initiative to develop, build and operate WTC Nice/Sophia Antipolis in France.
Mr. Draak's greatest ambition is to develop a stronger relationship between the countries within the European community and the countries within the African continent. In this context, he has taken the initiative to develop a twin WTC project in the very south of Spain, in Malaga, and in Morocco, Tangier, thus creating a virtual bridge over the Strait of Gibraltar, and enhancing stability, peace and understanding between the cultures of that region.
Mr. Draak holds a graduate degree in Civil Engineering (1964). Prior to joining WTC Amsterdam, he spent over 20 years working in many foreign countries, where he gained a wealth of international business experience and respect and understanding of other cultures. He has lived in Mexico, Spain, France, former Czechoslovakia, the Middle East, West Africa and South America, and he has a working knowledge of several languages.
Speaking At
