Colette van der Ven
Executive Director
Colette van der Ven is an international lawyer and policy expert recognized for her thought leadership at the intersection of trade, sustainability, and economic transformation. With over 15 years of experience spanning legal practice, public policy, and advisory work, she is known for translating complex international economic law frameworks into practical strategies that advance sustainable development and inclusive growth.
She is the Founder and Executive Director of TULIP Consulting, an impact-driven advisory firm that supports governments, international organizations, and public institutions in designing forward-looking trade and sustainability policies. Her work focuses on green industrial policy, the circular economy, carbon pricing, and trade laws and policies. Colette has advised a wide range of multilateral institutions and public sector clients, including the World Bank, WTO, OECD, UNEP, the International Trade Centre, the World Economic Forum, the African Climate Foundation, and national ministries across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
In addition to her advisory work, Colette is a Senior Researcher at Europe Jacques Delors and a Research Fellow at the London School of Economics’ Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa. She serves as a Visiting Lecturer in International Economic Law at the Geneva Graduate Institute, where she annually teaches an International Economic Law Clinic (TradeLab).
Earlier in her career, she practiced international trade law at Sidley Austin LLP in Geneva, representing governments in WTO dispute settlement proceedings and founding the firm’s Trade and Development Initiative. She has also worked on human rights and anti-corruption matters with institutions including the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the World Bank Integrity Vice Presidency.
Colette holds a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College. She is a member of the New York Bar.
She has authored more than 50 policy reports, academic articles, and technical studies on trade, sustainability, and development, and her work has been cited in leading international media. She speaks Dutch and English fluently and has professional proficiency in French and Spanish.
