Enrique van Rysselberghe Herrera (born 17 September 1976) is a Chilean politician and engineer.
He is a member of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI) and currently serves as deputy for District 20 (2018âÂÂ2022 term). He is the son of deputy Enrique van Rysselberghe Varela and brother of the former mayor, councilor, intendant and senator Jacqueline van Rysselberghe.
From 2010 to 2018, he served as deputy for the former 44th district for two consecutive terms. Previously, he was a councilor for the commune of Concepción between 2008 and 2009. In 2021 he was elected senator for BiobÃÂo.
Since 1997, Van Rysselberghe has maintained active participation in the Catholic Church and in the Schoenstatt Movement.
He was born in Concepción on 17 September 1976, the son of Enrique van Rysselberghe Varela and MarÃÂa Norma Herrera Caire.
He is the brother of Senator Jacqueline van Rysselberghe and the grandson of Enrique van Rysselberghe MartÃÂnez, who served as mayor of Concepción during the periods 1971âÂÂ1972 and 1975âÂÂ1979. He is married to Valentina Troncoso.
Van Rysselberghe completed his primary and secondary education at the Alianza Francesa School of Concepción, graduating in 1994. In 1995, he entered the Universidad del Desarrollo in Concepción, graduating in 2000 with a degree in business engineering (ingenierÃÂa comercial).
In 2003, he obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the same university. In 2004, he completed a Post-MBA program in Marketing and Leadership at the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University in the United States. In December 2009, he earned a MasterâÂÂs degree in Humanities from the Universidad del Desarrollo.
In 1999, after organizing the first summer social work programs of the Universidad del Desarrollo, Van Rysselberghe was appointed general head of the universityâÂÂs Summer Social Work initiatives.
From 2001 onward, he has carried out both managerial and teaching duties at the Universidad del Desarrollo. Between 2001 and 2009, he directed the International PAEX Business Network of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the same university. He also served as professor and director of Business Relations at the Instituto Profesional Providencia in Concepción.
Van Rysselberghe began his political career in 2004, when he was elected as a municipal councillor (concejal) of the Municipality of Concepción for the term 2004âÂÂ2008.
In the 2008 municipal elections, he was re-elected councillor for the term 2008âÂÂ2012. However, he resigned shortly after assuming office in order to run for the Chamber of Deputies of Chile in the 2009 parliamentary elections.
In 2009, he was elected deputy representing the Independent Democratic Union for District No. 44, comprising the communes of Concepción, Chiguayante, and San Pedro de la Paz, in the BiobÃÂo Region, serving for the legislative period 2010âÂÂ2014. He was re-elected in the 2013 parliamentary elections for the same district, and again in 2017 representing the 20th District of the BiobÃÂo Region.
In August 2021, Van Rysselberghe registered his candidacy for the Senate of Chile representing the Independent Democratic Union within the Chile Podemos Más coalition, for the 10th Senatorial District of the BiobÃÂo Region (term 2022âÂÂ2030). In November 2021, he was elected with 35,573 votes, corresponding to 6.48% of the valid votes cast.
During his adolescence, Van Rysselberghe was a distinguished athlete. In 1983, he was named âÂÂExemplary Athleteâ by the Integrated Sports and Cultural Association of Private Schools (ADICPA) of the BiobÃÂo Region and was pre-selected for the Chilean national basketball team by the Chilean Basketball Federation. The following year, he was recognized as âÂÂBest Athleteâ of his graduating class.
In 1995, he received the Universidad Award from his university. In 2007, he was recognized as one of the âÂÂ100 Young Leaders of Chileâ by Sábado, the weekend magazine of El Mercurio of Santiago, and as one of the âÂÂ50 Young Leaders of the BiobÃÂo Regionâ by El Sur newspaper of Concepción.