Erik van Dijk (Netherlands) is managing director at Lodewijk Meijer bv, a Netherlands-based implemented consultant specializing in Emerging Markets, Portfolio Construction and Selection of Asset Managers. The firm’s approach in all three areas benefits from joint work with Noble Prize Laureate Harry Markowitz. The CFA Institute gives special attention to the Markowitz – van Dijk portfolio optimization and risk management heuristic in one of its webcasts.  Erik has 23 years of experience in investment management at both the academic and professional level. Previously he was employed as CEO/CIO at Compendeon bv and Palladyne Asset Management and as head of Quant Strategies at Fortis Investments.  Erik has been a well-known asset manager and consultant in the institutional European investment market during the last 15 years. As such he has built up tremendous experience in the procurement of best-of-breed asset managers for a clientele consisting of banks, insurance firms and large pension plans.

During the last 5 years incorporating ESG principles in the procurement process for managers has been of growing importance.In 2008 Dr. Erik L. Van Dijk was appointed Director ESG - Finance and Investments in the Caribbean Procurement Institute and also acts as special adviser to the Agricultural and Mining Organization of Iran (AMIO).

In the academic field Dr. van Dijk has worked as lecturer and visiting lecturer Corporate Finance and Investments at the Free University Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Nyenrode Business School (Netherlands). He has also taught in Turkey, Australia and the USA. He has published one book on Quantitative Investment Analysis and about 100 papers in academic and professional journals.