Since 2011 Dezentjé Hamming-Bluemink is the chairman of FME, the Dutch entrepreneurs' organization for the tech industry. She is also a board member of the employers' organization VNO-NCW, member of the Netherlands Cyber Security Council, member of the Supervisory Board of Platform Talent for Technology and duo chairman of the collaborative organization Vocational Education and Training Business.

In an interview over four years ago with, among others, newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, she referred to the introduction of fixed quotas at a few popular programs at technical universities as “the world turned upside down.” As president of the FME, she expressed her opinion that it would be unacceptable if TUs were to introduce admission freezes while industry was anxious to employ highly trained engineers. She also felt that the TUs hadn’t done enough to cope with the growth. She was backed by then education minister Jet Bussemaker on this issue, who mentioned at the time that the TUs had also received additional means worth 33 million euros.

She continued to bring attention to this issue in the following years, including in 2018, when the matter of the reintroduction of a lottery system for programs with fixed quotas came up. On Radio 1, she still objected to admission freezes, but she showed more understanding for the TUs. “The reason why programs have to send students away, is because there is a lack of means. I understand the university (she was talking about the University of Twente at the time, ed.), because they also need to provide quality,” she said. “There aren’t enough teachers and the lecture halls are overcrowded. More money is needed, this is unacceptable.”

Rich network

Peter Wennink, chairman of the Supervisory Board, is pleased with Dezentjé's appointment. "As chairman of the FME, she has enormous knowledge of the high-tech industry in the Netherlands, she has a very rich network and she is fully knowledgeable in political and administrative issues. We are very pleased that she will strengthen the Supervisory Board with her qualities". Robert-Jan Smits, chairman of the Executive Board says that he is very proud that the TU/e is getting another top supervisor. “Dezentjé Hamming-Bluemink knows like no one else the ins and outs of one of our most important stakeholders, the industry. That is one of the most important competencies for our supervisory board, given the close cooperation of the TU/e with the industry. I am very much looking forward to our cooperation".

Dezentjé Hamming-Bluemink herself says in a first reaction that she thinks that the TU/e "is a wonderful university with a unique signature, thanks to its key role in the ecosystem of the Brainport region. I am therefore honored to take on the role of supervisor at the TU/e".