Our team

Shelley is highly motivated to contribute to a liveable, enjoyable, and future-proof world. She believes active and environmentally friendly modes of transport are essential to creating an inclusive society for all. She fully embraces the mission of the Dutch Cycling Embassy: Cycling for Everyone, Everywhere. As Knowledge & Partnerships Manager, she ensures the quality of knowledge exchange and strengthens international partnerships, working closely with cities, regions, and organisations around the world. Shelley has a background in Human Geography and Urban Planning and holds a teacher’s degree. She is culturally sensitive, open-minded, and always ready to think along or engage in conversations about concrete steps that can positively impact our surroundings.

As International Relations Manager, Chris brings a diverse set of skills to his role at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, including writing, photography, filmmaking, podcasting, public speaking, and digital media management. He first visited the Netherlands in the summer of 2016, and quickly fell in love with its seemingly effortless bicycle culture, and unique approach to transport planning. This cross-country tour inspired him to co-author the book, “Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality”, which shines a spotlight on the incredible (and often underappreciated) achievements of the Netherlands as the world’s foremost cycling nation. Chris uses his knowledge and passion to share practical lessons for global cities wishing to follow in their tracks, and become better places to live, work, play, and—of course—cycle.

As Project and Network Assistant at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, Jorma supports the project team in their daily work and helps maintain and activate the organisation’s public-private network. With a background in Tourism Management, Jorma focused the final year of his studies on the intersection of urban development and tourism mobility. He sees cycling not just as a mode of transport, but as a key factor in making urban life more liveable, healthy, and engaging. Having lived in five countries, he has experienced a wide range of mobility cultures, experiences that deepened his appreciation for the role of well-designed cycling infrastructure in creating vibrant, people-centred cities. His enthusiasm for cycling goes beyond commuting; he’s also a fan of long-distance bike tours, from crossing the Alps to riding along the Danube.

Oskar is passionate about making cities more liveable through cycling. As Project Coordinator at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, where he focuses on the Germany Strategy, he links German demand for cycle-inclusive mobility with Dutch knowledge and expertise. He has lived in Berlin, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, and recently completed a Master’s in Urban Human Geography at the University of Amsterdam. During his studies, Oskar examined questions of urban inclusivity to understand how global and local processes shape cities. He also investigated alternative mobility narratives in a project on Berlin’s planned cycling highways, exploring how cycling infrastructure can move beyond efficiency to foster social interaction and wellbeing. Fluent in German and English, and proficient in Dutch, Oskar brings extensive international experience and cultural insight. Outside of work, he enjoys long-distance bikepacking tours and believes there is no better way to discover a city than by bike.

As Network Coordinator, Nicole ensures our team stays closely connected with the Dutch Cycling Embassy's public-private network. She oversees the structure and vitality of the network, including onboarding, retention, and key moments of engagement such as our quarterly network meetings and the Dutch Cycling Embassy’s presence at Velo-city. Nicole has extensive experience in organising international congresses and events. Having spent years abroad in places where cycling was not the most obvious means of transport, she realised how much cycling contributes to a happy and free life, and what it means to her personally. As such, Nicole likes to contribute to the mission of making cities and places around the world greener and more liveable.

As an Intern, Cézanne spends half her time at Dutch Cycling Embassy helping her colleagues. The other half is spent on research regarding cycling. This is because Cézanne understands the importance of facilitating cycling, as she lived most of her life in a small village where cycling was key to be able to move independently. With her studies in Built Environment, specialized in Mobility, she has learned to value active modes of transports even more than she did before. Cézanne is also passionate about health and sports, including cycling.

Jeska combines sustainable mobility expertise with a passion for understanding human behavior across cultures. With a background in Social Urban Planning and Social Psychology, she enjoys turning creative ideas into practical solutions. At the Dutch Cycling Embassy, she coordinates international study visits and workshops, working with experts from our network to share Dutch cycling knowledge worldwide. She also manages marketing coordination, ensuring materials remain relevant and up to date. Jeska brings experience from projects ranging from cycling promotion to sustainable urban logistics and has previously contributed as an expert in our Capacity Building Workshop in Dubai. She is energized by international collaboration, knowledge sharing, and helping make cities more vibrant and liveable through active travel.

Having lived in six cities in four countries so far, Emma has first hand experience of different approaches to cycling infrastructure and cycling culture. With an academic background in Philosophy and International Relations, and a passion for cycling as sport and sustainable, socially beneficial transport, Emma is dedicated to forging connections that lead to international cooperation in the field of cycling infrastructure, as well as more theoretical issues of equality, inclusivity, cities of the future and climate adaptation. Following an internship at the Dutch Cycling Embassy in 2021, Emma completed a Master’s thesis on the impact of cycling diplomacy on states’ soft power in collaboration with the DCE. As Project Coordinator at the DCE, Emma connects demand for cycling-inclusive mobility from abroad, particularly from Spanish-, French- and German-speaking countries, with Dutch knowledge and expertise. She is looking forward to exploring more of the world by bike!

As the Director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy Skadi is responsible for the strategic development of the public private partnership, as well as the operational and financial activities of the organization. Under delegation of the board, she manages the daily office and the team and coordinates, together with the project coordinators, the Embassy’s various projects that result from incoming requests from all over the world. With a rich background in policy, diplomacy, and strategy, Skadi's international career spans across the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Previously, she served as the Senior Economic Policy Officer at the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Miami, Florida. Leveraging this extensive international experience, Skadi and her team are dedicated to assisting public and private organizations in creating the best conditions and solutions for cycling to flourish in countries and cities around the world.