Work and Research Focus

Jesse is a Senior Researcher & Project Manager at ZSI, specializing in climate change adaptation, circular economy and innovation.

He began his career at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working on green growth policies related to food security and raw materials. He then led strategic partnerships for a sustainable housing project at Finch Floating Homes.

At Rijkswaterstaat – the Dutch executive agency for water management and infrastructure – he first focused on climate change adaptation and later served as Senior Strategic Advisor to the Director-General. In this role, he provided strategic and integrated advice on infrastructure resilience, climate change adaptation and organisational priorities, helping to translate high-level policy into actionable decisions and align stakeholders across the organisation. He also played a key role in managing Brexit-related impacts on port operations.

Jesse joined the Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI) in April 2025 and is working on Horizon Europe projects, including RESIST, MountResilience and CircSyst.

He holds an MPhil in Climate Change and Sustainable Development from the University of Cape Town, an Advanced Master’s in International Development from Radboud University and a BA in Social Sciences from Amsterdam University College.