Born and raised in the Netherlands, Derek Groot (29) displayed an early passion for entrepreneurship and became politically involved at the age of 20. He served as a local commissioner of his hometown Heiloo after which he joined the national board of the youth of the CDA as head of policy and international affairs at the age of 21. After his introduction into politics he joined the climate change department of Ernst & Young (EY) helping clients like Royal Philips or The Ocean Cleanup. Currently Derek is operating as the Director of Dutch Carbon Consultants, he is committed to driving impactful change in carbon emissions and sustainability practices. Derek, is a forward-thinking conservative in the fields of sustainability and political youth engagement. Prior to this role as Vice-President of the Youth of the European People Party, Derek was the Vice-President of the Christian Democratic Youth Appeal (CDJA), where he championed youth involvement in politics and policy-making with a focus on environment.
