He helped the Dutch government from March to September 2020 as special voluntary corona envoy, especially focused on testing policy and availability.

From mid 2020, Sijbesma focuses on several board positions (among others chairman of Philips and Unilever) and the African malnutrition issue and climate (adaptation).

[1][2] After graduating from Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1987, Sijbesma started his career in the pharmaceuticals division of the Dutch biotechnology company, Gist-brocades NV.

[12] In 2016, Sijbesma was named Co-Chair of the High Level Assembly of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) which was convened by the World Bank Group.

[16] In 2020, the International Monetary Fund's Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva appointed Sijbesma to an external advisory group to provide input on policy challenges.

In 2023, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Sijbesma as one of 22 members of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement's lead group.