On 1 August 2026, Geert Potjewijd took office as the new chair of the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Dutch DPA). He succeeds Aleid Wolfsen, who held the position for the past ten years. In this article we look back on Wolfsen’s term and ahead to what Potjewijd’s appointment might bring.

Reflecting on the Wolfsen era

Over the past ten years, Wolfsen has steered the Dutch DPA through important and sometimes challenging times. He took office in 2016, the same year that the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) entered into force. By that time, his predecessors had already managed to put the Dutch DPA on the map as a competent regulator and an influential voice at the EU level, including through leadership positions in the Article 29 Working Party (WP29) and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS).