Former NATO top military officer Rob Bauer partners up with Deloitte

Rotterdam, 10 June 2025

Deloitte is proud to announce the partnership with Rob Bauer, which has taken effect on June  1, 2025. Deloitte will also work closely with communication strategist Eleonora Russell. She will support Rob Bauer in his new role. She was previously the strategic communications advisor for NATO's military leadership and is an award-winning speechwriter.

The former Netherlands Chief of Defence and Chair of the NATO Military Committee plays a key role in strengthening Europe's security and resilience. With Deloitte, Bauer will focus on intensifying national and international cooperation between the public and private sectors. Creating awareness at board level when it comes to security issues and international cooperation is part of this. His military experience and strategic insight are valuable assets for strengthening the resilience of organisations.

Admiral (retired) Rob Bauer: "Strengthening our resilience and deterrence requires a Whole-of-Society approach, in which governments, companies, and citizens take their responsibilities and work together intensively. It is essential that we as a society join forces to ensure a more resilient future."

Sjoerd van der Smissen, Industry Lead Government & Public Services sector at Deloitte  Netherlands: "With Rob Bauer's in-depth knowledge, experience, and network and Deloitte's strength, we can accelerate real positive change, not only for our clients, but for society as a whole. With our commitment to strengthening the security of the Netherlands and our defense capabilities, we are determined to work together for a more resilient society. I am therefore very much looking forward to this collaboration and the opportunities it
offers."

Deloitte previously took the initiative to travel to Finland with a group of 22 public-private organisations and aid organisations to experience first-hand how public-private partnerships contribute to the resilience of society. This growing group of public and private organisations is working together on concrete solutions to strengthen the resilience and security of the Netherlands. The experiences in Finland have inspired the group to get started after returning. The meetings in the Rotterdam district of Bloemhof, in which residents contributed ideas about the possible solutions and measures in case of a power outage for 72 hours, are a concrete example of this.

Deloitte considers security to be of paramount importance and, since June 1, 2023, has had a reservist policy that enables active reservists to be deployable.

About Rob Bauer

From June 2021 to January 2025, Rob Bauer was Chair of the NATO Military Committee, making him the highest-ranking NATO military officer and most senior military adviser to the top political level. Before this, he served as the Netherlands Chief of Defence. On April 22, 2025, Bauer was appointed a knight in the Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau by King Willem-Alexander, a rare decoration. 

Centre for the Edge

Rob Bauer becomes a Fellow at the Centre for the Edge. This is a strategic think tank that investigates major social and technological developments and applies them to the long-term business strategy. Although the center is part of Deloitte, it operates remotely and independently of transactional assignments, allowing participants to think outside of immediate project priorities.