Jan in 't Veld

Jan in 't Veld (16 December 1925 – 27 January 2005) was a Dutch aerospace engineer and professor of industrial organization at the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Technical University of Delft. In the Netherlands he was one of the pioneers of the application of systems theory in business administration and management.

Born in Rotterdam to Joris in 't Veld, former minister and one of the founders of the management sciences in the Netherlands, In 't Veld studied aeronautical engineering at the Technical University of Delft from 1945 to May 1951. He received his Engineering Degree with a thesis on strength calculations .

In 1950 In 't Veld joined Fokker, where he worked as production manager at the Fokker F-27. From 1963 to 1968 he was production director, and directed the production of the Fokker F28. From 1968 to 1993 he was Professor of Industrial Organisation at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Delft University of Technology. Together with Pierre Malotaux he developed a specific system approach to organizational problems, called the Delft Systems Approach. After his emeritation In 't Veld is succeedded by Henk Bikker, who held his inauguration speech May 1995.

In 't Veld has held several directorships, including at Oldelft (now Thales Group), Ferro Holland and Gouda Refractories. From 1976 to 1992 he was also a citizen curator of the Royal Military Academy in Breda, and from 1993 to 2000 he was program leader of the TSM Business School. In 1990 he received the Conrad's Premium of the Koninklijk Instituut Van Ingenieurs (KIVI), for his contributions to the engineering sciences and their application. In 2003 he received BAAA Award of the KIVI NIRIA division of Business Administration, and in 2004 they appointed him honorable member.

In 't Veld was married to the sociologist Henny Langeveld (1926–2004) Emeritus Professor of Equality Studies at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. He was a lifelong avid photographer of Dutch windmills. He died in Leiden on 27 January 2005.

Notable former students were Jeroen van der Veer of Shell, of GVB Amsterdam, Jan Zaaijer former Fokker and BBA (public transport), and of Ziggo. Also , professor at Nyenrode Business University, , former professor Maintenance Engineering at TU Delft, the inventor of the venturi turbine Rikus van der Klippe, management author and research assistant L.J. (Hans) Lekkerkerk were among its alumni.

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