Our team

As the Director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy Lucas 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, he 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. Lucas has a background in urban geography and more than 15 years of research in various roles, focusing on urban planning and sustainable urban transportation. Formerly he has been affiliated to the Urban Cycling Institute (UCI) of the University of Amsterdam and has worked at the Netherlands Institute for Transport Policy Analysis and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. With his experience and extensive network Lucas and his team supports public and private organizations in creating the best conditions and solutions for cycling to flourish in countries and cities around the world.

As an event coordinator, Nicole assists the team on projects in the Netherlands and around the world. She organises activities and takes care of things behind-the-scenes. In recent years, Nicole has gained experience in organising international congresses and events. She spent years abroad and lived in places in the world where cycling was not the most obvious means of transport, and that experience made her realise how cycling contributes to a happy and free life, and what it means to her. Therefore, Nicole likes to contribute to the mission of making cities and places in the world greener and liveable.

As Marketing and Communications Manager, Chris brings a diverse set of communication 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.

During his study in International Management, Nout combined his passion for bikes and international trade by exporting vintage road bikes within Europe. Internationally oriented, Nout has an eye for cross-cultural trends and strives for global cooperation to encourage and improve our most healthy, most sustainable and simply most fun way of transportation: by bike!

As Project Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, Margot matches questions from abroad regarding cycling mobility with Dutch knowledge and expertise. She works on several topics connected to cycling, such as behavior change, inclusivity, infrastructure and policy. Margot believes it is important to keep a pleasant living environment and sustainability as a starting point for mobility policies. With the idea of ‘Think Big, Think Bike’, we put cycling on the international agenda to create healthy, climate neutral, reachable and livable regions. With a background in Political Science and Human Geography, Margot always approaches mobility projects with a holistic view. At the Dutch Cycling Embassy, we do this with our broad network of Dutch cycling experts. Cooperation and connecting are always at the center of this process. 

Shelley is highly motivated to contribute to a livable, enjoyable, and future-proof world. She believes in active and environmentally friendly modes of transport as a key to enable an inclusive society for all. Therefore, she fully embraces the mission of the Dutch Cycling Embassy: Cycling for Everyone. As Project Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, she connects the best of Dutch cycling knowledge, experience, and experts with the rest of 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 willing to think along or chat about concrete steps that can positively contribute to our surroundings.

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!

Nils is passionate about promoting active mobility worldwide to support the transfomation towards more liveable, inclusive and sustainable cities. After moving to the Netherlands, he realised the opportunitites and potential that cycling offers when taken seriously and designing infrastructure right. During his studies at Utrecht University, his personal passion for cycling turned into his research focus looking at sharing knowledge and learnings in the field of urban mobility. In his master thesis he focused on last-mile commute in India analysing the potential of walking and cycling to public transit. He is highly motivated to connect people and transfer knowledge to continuosly improve conditions for active mobility worldwide.

In 2019, Annika relocated to Utrecht where she was instantly captivated by the city's biking culture. Coming from Canada and having experienced two biking accidents due to the lack of proper infrastructure, she understands the true value of cycling-focused infrastructure planning. With a Creative Business degree from HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, coupled with experience in social media for both businesses and not-for-profit organizations, Annika is determined to utilize her skills to advance the goals of the Dutch Cycling Embassy. As a Marketing and Communications Intern, she is enthusiastic about sharing the ins and outs of the Dutch biking world through their social media channels.

Arthur was born in Seattle and moved to Vancouver with his family when he was 13. Despite the limited infrastructure in Seattle, he developed an affinity for cycling. Moving to Vancouver (a city with better cycling infrastructure), Arthur experienced biking as a part of day-to-day life. He continued this lifestyle during his bachelor’s at McGill University, where he cycled year-round, even during the frigid Montreal winters. Eager to learn from some of the best, Arthur came to the Netherlands to do a master’s degree in urban and regional planning at the Universiteit van Amsterdam. While finishing his degree, Arthur wanted to join the DCE to put his passion for biking in action and help develop cycling infrastructure and culture around the world. While interning, he will also conduct research on how learning happens between Dutch experts and international delegates for his master’s thesis.