Founder | Chief Network Officer

Frits Huffnagel

Lobby

Communication

Frits Huffnagel is our Chief Network Officer. Together with Stefan de Bruijn, he co-founded Castro in 2019. As a consultant, presenter, and opinion leader, he knows the ins and outs of communication, political decision-making, and city marketing. He’s a cheerful guy who likes to keep things as simple as possible. Frits knows a lot of people, and almost everyone knows Frits.

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With Castro since 2019

Two Great Loves
Frits was born in Leiden, where he also grew up. While studying political science, Frits worked in the youth division of Veronica, where he produced reports for the radio program Club Veronica Trend. He then went on to work as an editor for Veronica Nieuwsradio. He also completed an internship at the VVD’s research bureau, the Telders Foundation. In 1993, he graduated with a degree in Political Communication and Information. This field combined Frits’s two main interests: communication and politics.

Politics
In 1998, Frits became a city council member in Amsterdam, and in 2004, he was appointed alderman for Finance, Economic Affairs, ICT, and the Airport. In 2006, he became an alderman in The Hague, with portfolios in City Marketing and Downtown, International Affairs, ICT, and Human Resources & Organization. Frits has made a significant contribution to the development of city marketing in the Netherlands. In the capital, he introduced the “I amsterdam” campaign, and in The Hague, he put the city on the map as the “International City of Peace and Justice.”

Frits also has experience and expertise in (political) campaigning. In 1998, he served as campaign manager for the VVD in Amsterdam. In 2003, he was part of the campaign team for party leader Gerrit Zalm, and in 2006, he served as the winning campaign manager for Mark Rutte. In addition, he closely follows American politics and enjoys visiting the U.S. He has visited all fourteen official presidential museums and libraries in the U.S.

Media
After his political career, he started his own company under the name Frits Huffnagel, City Marketing & Communication. His passion for communication took on a new form as a host at BNR Nieuwsradio and with his own talk show, FRITS!, on Omroep West, covering art & culture, entrepreneurship, politics, entertainment, and sports.

Frits himself is also a regular guest or participant in the media. His national fame began with his participation as a panelist on the debate show *Het Lagerhuis* (1997), airing Saturday evenings on VARA. He was a contestant on the twelfth season of *Wie is de Mol?* (AVRO). He has appeared regularly on programs such as *Nieuws van de Dag*, *Shownieuws*, *Goedemorgen Nederland*, *Jinek*, *Beau*, *WNL op Zondag*, and *Pauw (& Witteman)*. On BNR’s *Zaken doen*, he is a member of the Lobby Panel. He has written columns for publications including *Gay & Night*, *HP/DeTijd*, and *De Telegraaf*. Frits also served as chairman of the AGP Foundation, which organizes Pride Amsterdam, and was a member of the Supervisory Board of the Netherlands’ largest broadcaster: AvroTROS. 

Castro
At Castro, Frits works for clients in the fields of lobbying/public affairs and strategic communications. He regularly serves as a moderator/host and advises on stakeholder management. He is the creator of “Castro Invites,” where he has interviewed many inspirational speakers, such as Atilay Uslu, Ferd Grapperhaus, Carolien Gehrels, Caroline van der Plas, and Jacco Vonhof.