Bé Udink facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Bé Udink
Bé Udink in 1969
Minister of Transport and Water Management
In office 21 July 1972 – 11 May 1973
Prime Minister	Barend Biesheuvel
Preceded by	Willem Drees Jr.
Succeeded by	Tjerk Westerterp
Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning
In office 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973
Prime Minister	Barend Biesheuvel
Preceded by	Wim Schut
Succeeded by	Hans Gruijters
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives
In office 11 May 1971 – 6 July 1971
Preceded by	Jur Mellema
Succeeded by	Roelof Kruisinga
Parliamentary group	Christian Historical Union
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 11 May 1971 – 6 July 1971
Parliamentary group	Christian Historical Union
Leader of the Christian Historical Union
In office 20 June 1970 – 28 July 1971
Preceded by	Jur Mellema
Succeeded by	Jur Mellema
Minister for Aid to Developing Countries
In office 5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971
Prime Minister	Piet de Jong
Preceded by	Theo Bot
Succeeded by	Kees Boertien as Minister for Development Cooperation
Personal details
Born	Berend Jan Udink (1926-02-12)12 February 1926 Deventer, Netherlands
Died	24 May 2016(2016-05-24) (aged 90) Goedereede, Netherlands
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980)
Other political affiliations	Christian Historical Union (until 1980)
Spouse	Anneke van Drumpt ​ (m. 1949)​
Children	Marc Udink (born 1952) 2 other children
Alma mater	Rotterdam School of Economics (Bachelor of Economics, Master of Economics) University of Lausanne (Bachelor of Accountancy)
Occupation	Politician · Diplomat · Economist · Businessman · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Lobbyist · Professor

Berend Jan "Bé" Udink (born 12 February 1926 – died 24 May 2016) was a Dutch politician, diplomat, and businessman. He was a member of the Christian Historical Union (CHU) party. This party later joined with others to form the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party.

Early Life and Education

Bé Udink was born in Deventer, Netherlands. He studied Economics at the Rotterdam School of Economics. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees there. He also studied Financial economics at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

After finishing his studies, Udink worked as a director for the Chamber of commerce in Rotterdam. He also taught Trade economics as a professor at the Rotterdam School of Economics. Later, he became an executive director for the Chamber of Commerce in The Hague. He also served on the Rijnmond Council, which was a local council for the Rijnmond area.

Political Career

Bé Udink began his national political career in 1967. After the election, he became the Minister for Aid to Developing Countries. This role meant he helped manage aid from the Netherlands to other countries. He served in this position until 1971.

In 1970, he became the leader of his party, the Christian Historical Union. He was also the main candidate (called a Lijsttrekker) for the 1971 election. His party lost a few seats in that election.

After the election, Udink was chosen as a member of the House of Representatives. He also became the leader of his party's group in the House. In July 1971, he was appointed Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning. This role involved planning for homes and how cities grow. He stepped down as party leader shortly after.

In 1972, the government changed. Udink then also became the Minister of Transport and Water Management. This job involved overseeing roads, railways, and water systems. He continued to hold both ministerial roles for a short time. In September 1972, he announced he would leave national politics. His political career ended in May 1973.

Life After Politics

After leaving politics, Udink moved into the private sector. He became a Chief financial officer (CFO) and later the Chief executive officer (CEO) of a company called Overseas Gas and Electric Company (OGEM). He worked there from 1973 to 1980.

He continued to be active in both business and public service. He served on many different boards. These included boards for health insurance (Zilveren Kruis), research (Energy Research Centre), and cultural organizations (Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Council for Culture). He also advised the government on things like public pensions and spatial planning. He was also a diplomat and lobbyist for economic groups.

Bé Udink was known for being a good negotiator and debater. He often shared his thoughts on political matters until he passed away at age 90.

Personal Life

Bé Udink was married to Anneke van Drumpt. They had three children together. He was a member of the Remonstrant Brotherhood, a Protestant church.

Awards and Honours

Bé Udink received several important awards from different countries for his work.

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold II	Belgium	10 October 1969
	Knight Commander of the Order of Merit	Germany	1 February 1972
	Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	8 June 1973