The Faculty Club of... Fenna Hanraets

In this section, our members tell something about themselves and why they are members of the Faculty Club. Fenna Hanraets is the Managing Director of Utrecht Botanic Gardens and a board member of the Faculty Club.

De Faculty Club van Fenna Hanraets

I already regularly attended a Faculty Club back when I was working at The University of Western Australia. It always was a nice place for appointments with people from outside the university or to organise events, but also to just have a nice lunch and to get a cup of coffee in between two appointments. I also always ran into colleagues with whom I could then quickly fine-tune stuff right there. That sometimes saved time, because we wouldn’t need to schedule an official appointment then.

In the first week in which I worked at Utrecht University, I immediately became a member of the Faculty Club in Utrecht. Since September 2017, I'm in the Faculty Club board and really enjoy being a general manager.

What do you do in your daily life?

I'm the Managing Director of Utrecht Botanic Gardens and together with the team, I'm responsible for human resources, communication and marketing, education, finances, housing and public activities.

The Faculty Club is a beautiful location to meet each other formally AND informally. My guests are always impressed with this special place.

What is your most fun memory of the Faculty Club?

My most fun memories of the Faculty Club are the Midsummernight parties  which fully use the inner garden besides the Sitting-Room as well.  

What are you looking forward to the most?

The Faculty Club is a beautiful location to meet each other formally AND informally. My guests are always impressed with this special place. I very much look forward to see the board members, members of the Programme Commission and Faculty Club members in the flesh again while having a drink and a snack in the inner garden at Achter de Dom.

Do you have any suggestions for activities for the Faculty Club?

If it's all possible and legal again soon: a ‘Walking Dinner’ in the Faculty Club, where you enjoy every course at another location in the Sitting-Room, in the Garden, in the Kanunnikenzaal with other people. I think it's lovely to be in the Faculty Club again soon to catch up with everyone and gain inspiration thanks to various contacts and conversations that take place in the Club.