Martijn Paulen Netherlands

Martijn Paulen, Board Member

Originally an Organizational Psychologist based at the University of Tilburg, Martijn Paulen was invited to become the president of the Dutch Poker Association in 2005. Seeing poker as a social phenomenon that was not appreciated or understood by policy-makers, Paulen accepted the role. Although not a poker player himself, Paulen's academic qualifications have prepared him well to take up the task of promoting poker players’ right in the Netherlands: a task that remains mainly political.

Paulen's focus in the last five years has been to build a solid network of advocates and advisors, and to educate decision-makers on the best way to offer a safe and responsible environment in which people can enjoy poker. Paulen fully supports the role of the IFP in the global struggle to secure poker’s recognition as a skilled Mind Sport and gladly accepted his appointment to the Board of IFP in April 2009.