Petra Hielkema has been appointed by the European Council as chairperson of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA). Starting on 1 September, Hielkema will take over this role for a period of five years, with the option to extend once. The council adopted this decision based on the shortlist of candidates for the position of chairperson drawn up by EIOPA’s board of supervisors and following confirmation by the European Parliament. Hielkema is currently director of insurance supervision at the Dutch central bank, where she is responsible for the prudential supervision of the Dutch insurance sector. Since 2020, she has served as an alternate member of the EIOPA board of supervisors as well as chair of the policy steering committee of EIOPA. She started at De Nederlandsche Bank in 2007 as a senior policy advisor in the insurance and occupational pensions policy department. In 2012, she was promoted as head insurance policy unit at De Nederlandsche Bank. Hielkema began her career in 1996 as a legal assistant at Pepper, Hamilton & Scheetz, based in Almaty, Kazachstan. Discussing the Solvency II 2020 Review in December last year, EIOPA suggested that although no fundamental changes are needed, a number of adjustments are required to ensure that the regulatory framework continues as a well-functioning risk-based regime.
