Nathalie Tackling appointed as Chair of APS Board

Cul-de-Sac, Sint Maarten, January 23, 2023: As of January 10, 2023, Nathalie Tackling has been appointed as Chair of the Board of Algemeen Pensioenfonds Sint Maarten. Ms. Tackling has been a board member since 2021 and has now been appointed as Chair for a period of 5 years. The APS Board currently consists of 3 persons: Nathalie Tackling, Emilio Kalmera, and Shaira Bommel. APS is in the process of filling the 2 remaining vacancies for the Board.

The position of chair in the APS Board is the only one that is independent. As such, the position of chair is a distinguished one; it balances the interests of all stakeholders rather than acting for a specific group. The other 4 board positions represent the Committee of Civil Servants Unions (CCSU), the Corporate Governance Council (CGC), the Minister of Finance, and the Union of Dutch Caribbean Pensioners (BGNAA) respectively.

Nathalie Tackling is a Sint Maarten native with an extensive background in corporate and legislative law. She obtained two Masters in Law: one in Trade & Corporate Law from the University of Maastricht (Netherlands) and one in Intellectual Property Law from the George Washington University School of Law (Washington, DC).

Upon her return to Sint Maarten, Nathalie started her career as a civil law litigator. She then worked for VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne and later for the Raad van Advies (Council of Advice), where she developed specialized knowledge of public policy and complex constitutional issues. In addition to her work at the Council of Advice, one of Tackling’s proudest moments has been establishing the Saba Legal Aid Desk, the first of its kind in the Dutch Caribbean, which provides free legal advice to Saban residents.

In April 2020, Nathalie founded the law firm Tackling Law to contribute her public and private experience to the wider community through a suite of bespoke and client-centered services. In addition to APS, Nathalie contributes her experience by serving on various other boards across Sint Maarten.

‘It makes me proud to present Nathalie Tackling as our new Board chairlady. She is a perfect fit for the organization as well as the position, which requires a fresh, informed, and balanced perspective. In the past years, Tackling has proven to consistently put the security of the Fund first in her decision-making, which is why I fully entrust her with the ever-challenging task of chairing our Board,’ said APS Director Nadya Croes-Van Putten.

‘I am honored to be appointed as the chairlady of the Board of APS and will ensure the good work we have been a part of as Board members continue under my stewardship. My primary focus will be on reinforcing the sustained and responsible management of the Fund and safeguarding the retirement security of our participants, said APS Board Chair Nathalie Tackling.