Erwin van der Laan

Erwin van der Laan served as Associate Professor of Logistics and Operations Management at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, where he made significant contributions to closed loop supply chain management research and education. His work focused on value creation through optimizing operations management processes, particularly in closed loop supply chains. As Scientific Director of the closed loop supply chain center at RSM, he led research initiatives while teaching dedicated courses in the MSc Supply Chain Management program at RSM and the MSc Industrial Ecology program jointly offered by Leiden University and TU Delft. His research impact was substantial, with over 5,500 citations to his work, establishing him as a leading authority in humanitarian logistics and supply chain optimization. His notable contributions included groundbreaking research on demand forecasting and order planning for humanitarian logistics, particularly through his work with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), helping to transform their supply chain management practices. Sadly, van der Laan has since passed away, but his legacy continues through his influential work in supply chain management and logistics optimization.