About Kellen
Senior Executives
ALFONS WESTGEEST
Managing Partner, Kellen Europe
Alfons Westgeest is Managing Partner, Kellen Europe. Previously, he was Partner of Ernst & Young Association Management and European Affairs, which was acquired by The Kellen Company in June 2004. He joined Ernst & Young in 1981 and worked as an industry consultant and association manager with the firm's offices in Amsterdam and The Hague, The Netherlands. He has served associations in the following industry sectors: electronics, power plants, health care, construction, financial services, food & drinks and engineering.
In 1988, Alfons moved to Brussels to become a manager of the EU office of Ernst & Young International. He has developed excellent contacts with international organizations, in particular key decision-makers at the Institutions of the European Union. At the same time he established initial services for the Association Management practice in Brussels.
Alfons leads a team of 20 European professionals from 7 nationalities with diverse educational backgrounds. They advise and manage European associations or the representation of US-based associations in various industries. The team also provides added-value services, including European affairs and economic analysis & benchmarking, for several associations. He is directly involved in client board and member meetings, strategic planning and European affairs.
Alfons is a graduate in commercial law of Leyden University, The Netherlands. Besides his Dutch mother tongue, he speaks English, French and German. He is long-time member of the European Society of Association Executives (ESAE) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). He is the former Chairman of ASAE’s International Section and International Committee and the first-ever Board member of ASAE to reside outside of North America.
Alfons has published articles on how to promote interests of international associations. He represents Kellen Europe at the EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium. Over the years, he has organized strategy seminars and international conferences for his clients, Ernst and Young, and now Kellen Europe.