About Marisa Gerards
H.E. Ms Marisa Gerards is the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India, Nepal and Bhutan, a position she has held since August 2023. Based in New Delhi, she presented her credentials to the President of India on 21 August 2023. Prior to her current assignment, Ambassador Gerards served as Director General at the Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands and as Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to NATO for four years. From 2014 to 2018, she served as Ambassador to South Africa, with accreditation to Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini. Born in Amsterdam, Ambassador Gerards studied European Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Over the course of her three-decade diplomatic career, she has held a range of positions across different countries, ministries and institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment in The Hague.