Washington, D.C., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mr. Mark Heine, the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Fugro, is the recipient of the 2025 Holland on the Hill Freddy Heineken Award. The award is named for Freddy Heineken and honors an entrepreneur who has made a substantial impact to the economic ties between the Netherlands and the United States. The Holland on the Hill Freddy Heineken Award is co-organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the U.S. Congressional Caucus of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Netherland-America Foundation.
Fugro, a Dutch multinational company that specializes in Geo-data acquisition, is a pioneer in mapping, modelling, and monitoring the Earth’s surface and subsurface.
Heine leads Fugro’s more than 11,000 employees in 52 countries. In the United States, Fugro employs 1,400 people in 17 locations in Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, South Dakota, and California. Heine has been with the company for nearly 25 years. Under his leadership, Fugro has transitioned from focusing primarily on the oil and gas sector to offering a diverse portfolio of services across the energy, infrastructure, and water markets. By leveraging advanced techniques in mapping, modelling, and monitoring Geo-data, Fugro empowers its clients to make informed decisions, helping to reduce risk and uncertainty in both the built and natural environment.
In the US, Fugro’s work takes many forms. For example, after Hurricane Helene hit areas in Florida and Georgia in 2024, Fugro used high-definition aerial images to map the impact of the storm. The company is also working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to map the state’s seafloor to improve coastal resilience. In Kentucky, Fugro performed a geotechnical study to support the site investigation for a new bridge in Ballard County. And in Michigan, the company is surveying and evaluating the geophysical conditions for the construction of twin small modular reactors for an existing nuclear power plant.
Upon receiving the award, Mr. Heine said, “At Fugro, we see infrastructure as essential to how societies function and evolve. It influences how we live, how we grow, and how we recover from disruption. Whether guided by established policy or new federal investment, our focus is constant: to ensure every dollar spent delivers lasting value, resilience, and opportunity.”
The award was presented to Mr. Heine by Dutch Ambassador Birgitta Tazelaar and Ms. Fien Bertrams, Senior Vice President Heineken USA. Freddy Heineken came to the United States in the 1940s to expand Heineken’s market. Combining his Dutch business skills with American marketing techniques, Freddy Heineken built the foundation of what is today a global brand.
Ambassador Tazelaar said, “As CEO of Fugro, Mark Heine represents one of the leading Dutch companies that actively invest in the US. Together, those Dutch companies support more than 1 million American jobs. Fugro is but one shining example of Dutch companies bringing its expertise to bear on this side of the Atlantic, and for that we are grateful.”
The Holland on the Hill Heineken Award ceremony took place as part of the Netherland-America Foundation’s Ambassadors’ Award program. Members of Congress who are also members of the Dutch Caucus including Representative Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-1), and Representative Beth van Duyne (R-TX-24) attended the event.
Earlier in the evening, Mr. Heine participated in a panel discussion on “Future Proof Infrastructure.” The speakers from the public and private sectors noted that increasing energy production and manufacturing in the United States will require increased sustainability of our infrastructure. Heine’s remarks underscored that “future proof” is not a buzzword but a mandate. He stated, “Infrastructure is more than the roads and bridges we drive on. It’s integrated systems, electrical grids, and energy pipelines. These systems are being tested by natural disasters. Future proofing our infrastructure is a proactive and necessary approach to develop solutions to adapt to today’s challenges to our environment.”
Mr. Heine joins an illustrious group of business leaders presented with the Holland on the Hill Freddy Heineken Award, including: Stu Sjouwerman of KnowBe4 in 2024, Klaas van Lookeren Campagne of CitizenM in 2023, Richard DeLuca Jr., of Merck in 2022, Peter Oosterveer, of Arcadis in 2021, Michelle Browdy of IBM in 2020, Alexander R. Wynaendts of Aegon in 2019, David Hyman of Netflix in 2018, Dick Boer of Ahold Delhaize in 2017, Victoria B. Mars of Mars Inc. in 2016, Paul Polman of Unilever in 2015, and Werner Vogels of Amazon.com in 2014.
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Carla Bundy Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 202-274-2632 cy.bundy@minbuza.nl