Christiaan de Waal

Christiaan de Waal has twenty-four (24) years of distinctive professional experience across academia, government, and the private and non-profit sectors. He is based at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States and currently holds the position of Senior Aide for the Americas at the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), a division under the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands.

In this capacity, Christiaan represents and promotes the interests of the Netherlands and its foreign investment initiatives in the Western Hemisphere. He supports the expansion, consolidation, and establishment of foreign entities that offer unique value propositions to the Netherlands’ ecosystem. Additionally, he serves as the regional liaison; manages the NFIA engagements in Latin America; undertakes international due diligence and dual use assessments; maintains investor-relations; and disseminates signals related to the investment climate.

Given that the NFIA Washington, DC office oversees all NFIA operations across the Western Hemisphere and is attached to an Embassy, Christiaan also develops and maintains a region-wide network, and acts as a liaison between NFIA offices, various entities, departments, ministries, and other Netherlands government missions.

In addition to his primary duties, Christiaan serves in several capacities within the embassy and the NFIA, including as Integrity Coordinator; Protocol/VIP Support Team member; Diversity and Inclusion Officer; First Responder; Management Commission Treasurer; and Integrity Contact Person.

Christiaan's tenure in government service extends over eleven (11) years, including six (6) years as a Consular Officer, during which he vetted visa applicants; identified human trafficking, criminal and national security threats; co-managed/developed a complex OFAC-compliant logistic network; and undertook a temporary posting in Mexico City, Mexico.

Additionally, Christiaan served as Director of Investigations and Lead Investigator in the scope of multiple highly complex domestic and international criminal and civil investigations including a high-profile international drug trafficking case and an anti-dumping case.

Christiaan also acted as a Short-Term Observer for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections under the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Since 2013, Christiaan has held the positions of Adjunct Professorial Lecturer and formerly Adjunct Instructor at American University in Washington, DC, where he continues to educate both graduate and undergraduate students. Additionally, during his tenure as a staff member at the School of Public Affairs at American University, Christiaan engaged in academic integrity reviews.

Christiaan holds both an undergraduate degree in Justice and graduate degree in International Justice and Terrorism from American University in Washington, DC. He co-authored "Prisons: The World Over" (Lexington Books), "Missing Person Investigation" (published in PI magazine), and "Privacy Issues and Legislation to be Aware of when Conducting Investigations in the United States" (The Councillor). Additionally, he co-hosted an investigative podcast and contributed to several national radio broadcasts.

Christiaan has extensive international experience, having resided in seven countries across Europe, North, and South America, as well as in five different U.S. states. He is proficient in six languages, enjoys traveling, and is passionate about diplomacy, helping others and facilitating connections.