Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau - Early Life, Education and Work

Early Life, Education and Work

Prince Friso was born in Utrecht as the second son of Queen Beatrix and the late Prince Claus of the Netherlands. His godparents are King Harald V of Norway, Johan Christian Baron von Jenisch, J.H. van Roijen, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Christina von Amsberg. He has one elder brother, Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and one younger brother, Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands.

In 1988, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, where he joined Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. From 1988 to 1994 he studied at Delft University of Technology, where he obtained an engineer's degree in aeronautical engineering. Additionally, he has an MSc degree in economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam. To prepare himself for the possibility of succession to the throne, he took courses in Dutch law and parliamentary history.

Prince Friso worked from 1995 until 1996 at the Amsterdam branch of the international management consultancy McKinsey. After completing an MBA-programme at INSEAD, Prince Friso worked as vice president from 1998 till 2003 for Goldman Sachs International in London. Since 2004 he is part-time co-president of TNO Space in Delft. As of October 2006, Prince Friso is Managing Director in the London office of the private investment and advisory firm Wolfensohn & Co (founded by James Wolfensohn, former President of the World Bank).

Prince Friso is a co-founder of the MRI Centre in Amsterdam and is also a founding shareholder of Wizzair, the largest low-cost airline in Eastern Europe. Prince Friso is honorary chairman of the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development (a position he holds together with his younger brother Prince Constantijn). The Prince also serves as a director and supervisory director of various companies.

Prior to his accident, Prince Friso was working as a Chief Financial Officer for URENCO, a uranium enrichment company that has its main offices in Stoke Poges, Berkshire, UK, and plants in the Netherlands, Germany, Capenhurst, UK, and New Mexico in the US. Prince Friso was taking care of all four plants.

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