Mark Rutte took office as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s 14th Secretary General on 1 October 2024. As a former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Rutte has a distinguished record of domestic and international achievements including security, defence, employment and social affairs, and economics. He is a strong supporter of global and transatlantic cooperation.

He joined NATO following a distinguished domestic and international career. Mr Rutte served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands for almost 14 years [October 2010 to July 2024]. During this time, he presided over 4 coalition governments, proving his ability to forge consensus without compromising on his values.

Rutte is the longest-serving Dutch Prime Minister to date. During his tenure, he steered the Netherlands through times of significant national and global upheaval, including the economic crisis, the coronavirus pandemic, and the war in Ukraine. He is a committed European and transatlanticist and was instrumental in bolstering his country’s role at the heart of NATO and the EU.

The downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) by Russian-backed forces over Eastern Ukraine in 2014 marked a turning point in Mr Rutte’s premiership. It cemented his belief that no country can respond to today’s interconnected security threats alone: we are stronger together.

He was a member of the Dutch parliament from January to May 2003 and leader of the liberal Dutch People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from 2006 to 2023. He led his party to election victory in 2010, becoming the first liberal Prime Minister to be appointed in the Netherlands in 92 years. Rutte started his professional career in the private sector in 1992, working in human resources management for Unilever and its subsidiaries. He studied Dutch history at Leiden University and has been a guest teacher at the Johan de Witt group of schools in The Hague since 2008.

October 2024 – present: NATO Secretary General
October 2010 – July 2024: Prime Minister of the Netherlands
June 2006 – October 2010: Leader of the Dutch People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) parliamentary party
June 2004 – June 2006: State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science
January 2003 – May 2003: Member of the House of Representatives for the VVD
July 2002 - June 2004: State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment
2002: Director of human resources at the IGLOMora Group BV, Unilever subsidiary
1997-2002: Personnel manager at Van den Bergh Nederland, part of Unilever
1992-1997: Human resources manager at Unilever