Photo by Sandy Verhoeve (2022).
RON LINKER (ASSEN, THE NETHERLANDS, 1971)
Professional Career
2019 - present - Department Head - Public Diplomacy, Press, and Culture of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Washington, DC;
2016 - 2019 - Deputy Department Head - Public Diplomacy, Press, and Culture of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Washington, DC;
2011 - 2016 - France Correspondent for Dutch Public Broadcasting (NOS) in Paris;
2004 - 2011 - US Correspondent for Dutch Public Broadcasting (NOS) in Washington, DC;
1995 - 2004 - Editor, reporter, radio anchor at Dutch Public Broadcasting (NOS) in Hilversum, The Netherlands.
Education
1997 - 2000 - University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands // International Relations, M.A. cum laude;
1990 - 1994 - School of Journalism, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Ron Linker, born in Assen, the Netherlands, in 1971, is a seasoned Dutch journalist and communication expert with over two decades of experience in media and public affairs.
As the US and France correspondent for Dutch public broadcaster NOS, Linker covered several significant news events, including the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (2005), the Presidential Campaign of Barack Obama (2008), the terrorist attacks in Paris on Charlie Hebdo and the Bataclan (2015).
Currently, Linker serves as the Head of the Public Diplomacy, Press, and Culture Department at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Washington, DC, a position he has held since 2019. In this capacity, Linker leads strategic communications and cultural initiatives to enhance the Netherlands’ presence and partnerships in the United States, overseeing a multidisciplinary team and managing high-profile public diplomacy programs. Under his guidance, Dutch journalists have been able to cover the visits of Dutch Prime Ministers to the Oval Office, and he has coordinated the press program for American and Dutch reporters covering two Royal Visits to the States.