BIOGRAPHY OF MABEL WISSE SMIT

Mabel Martine Wisse Smit was born in Pijnacker on August 11, 1968, as the eldest daughter of Hendrik Cornelis ("Henk") Los (+ early 1978) and Florence Malde Gijsberdina ("Flos") Kooman. Two years later her sister Nicoline was born, now married and living in Belgium with husband and at least one child (born in 2000). Mabel's father drowned while he was speed skating on the Loosdrechtse Plassen. In 1979 Mabel's mother remarried with businessman Peter Wisse Smit (October 15, 1939 - Hilversum, November 11, 2000), who suddenly died 2 1/2 years ago. He had been a (field) hockeyplayer and also later was very much involved in the hockey world in Middle-Netherlands. A hockey tournament in Hilversum, that takes place on 1st Easterday, is named after him. Eveline, the 22-year-old halfsister of Mabel, is a talented (field)hockeyplayer and played in the Dutch national junior team. Mabel and her sister Nicoline changed their last name into Wisse Smit on August 1, 1982.

Mabel Wisse Smit grew up in the Gooi. She finished the Municipal Gymnasium in Hilversum in 1986. In 1993 she graduated in economics and political science (cum laude) at the University of Amsterdam. During her studies she had several trainee jobs, among others at the Secretary of the United Nations in New York, at Shell in Malaysia, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague and at the ABN-AMRO Bank in Barcelona. Early 1994 Mabel founded the European Action Council for Peace in the Balkans, a non-gouvernmental organisation that aims for peace, democracy and stability at the Balkans. She was its managing director until 1997. Since 1997 she is managing director of the Open Society Institute in Brussels, Belgium. This institute represents the Soros Foundations Network in Europe, that contributes to stimulate democracy, human rights and promotion of the independent constitutional state. In 1995 Mabel was one of the co-founders of the Dutch Foundation War Child, that helps children in war areas, and she was at the board of the foundation for about four years.

Mabel Wisse Smit speaks English, Spanish and French fluently and also has some knowledge of Slavonic languages.