Catherine De Bolle is the Ghent University alumnus of the year 2023
She is the first Belgian and woman to head Europol and is committed to fighting cybercrime. Catherine De Bolle was honored for her outstanding career in which she holds high positions and for her contributions to the field. The award was presented during the UGent Alumni Day on March 26, 2023.
It’s always nice to be recognised, and when it comes from your own university it means even more. I’m really proud of Ghent University and its international role. My connection is still strong, also because I’m often in contact with academics.
Catherine De Bolle, head of Europol and Ghent University alumnus of the year 2023
About Catherine De Bolle
Catherine De Bolle received her law degree from Ghent University in 1993. Actually, that was her plan B. Her first choice was to join the national police, but due to regulations she was 4 cm too short to join. Today, however, she is the supremo at Europol and before that she was head of the federal police. She has been praised for “the way she functions in difficult circumstances and complex organizations and can make a difference” and for her integrity and smooth communication. She already showed herself to be a bridge figure between ministers, police and intelligence services.
As head of Europol, the EU police cooperation agency, she is committed to fighting serious and organized crime such as terrorism or sexual exploitation of children. “The biggest challenge: making Europol respond to today’s needs. Technological evolutions have a solid impact on police work. Better cooperation is essential to counter the spiral of violence. I am most proud of the fact that in Europe we are sharing and exchanging much more information. That’s a big difference from the situation in 2016, the year of the terroristic attacks in Belgium.”