Merijn Boender is a senior executive with international experience working for large multinational players in the financial services industry in various countries. He received Master of Civil Law and Master of Arts in Japanese Language and Culture degrees at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands in 1995.

Mr. Boender is currently Head of the Netherlands Depositary Bank and Chief Administration Officer of State Street Bank International GmbH, Amsterdam Branch. Previously, he was Chief Financial Officer of Yongo Europe B.V., a family-owned business in the Netherlands. Currently, he serves as a non-executive director of Shin & Young Holdings B.V.

He worked in Italy as Country Manager of Alico Wealth Management, and Strategic Controller of Eurovita Assicurazione (Aviva Italy). Before, he was Regional Chief Strategy Officer UK & Ireland for Alico (part of AIG, later MetLife). Previously, over a ten year period, Mr. Boender worked in various strategic and marketing capacities with AEGON N.V. in The Hague and business units in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.

An active member of the Netherland-America Foundation since 2004, he was involved with the NAF initiative in 2005 to expand its membership nationally through the use of direct mail and a project to develop the governance structure for the NAF and its new local US chapters in 2007. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of the NAF in the same year. From 2015, Mr. Boender has been actively working with fellow Netherlands-based NAF Board members and NAF Netherlands Alumni Committee on the expansion of NAF activities in the Netherlands, leading to the establishment of the NAF Netherlands Chapter. Mr. Boender chaired the local chapter board until 2024. In 2019, the NAF Netherlands Chapter organized its inaugural Netherland-America Friendship Gala. Mr. Boender served as the chair of the Organizing Committee from 2019 until 2024. He was part of the NAF Education Committee from 2017 until 2023. From June 2023 until July 2024 he served as vice-chair of the Foundation.

Merijn Boender lives with his wife Shin in Wassenaar, The Netherlands.