After graduating from the Frederik Muller Academy, Krikke studied law for some years at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.

In 1994, Krikke was elected for the Amsterdam's City Council, and two years later, she was appointed in the college van burgemeester en wethouders for economic affairs, airports and seaports.

She has also fulfilled several functions as a council member and commissioner, and was delegation leader of international missions with representatives of companies and institutions from Amsterdam In 2001 she was appointed by The Crown to be the Mayor of Arnhem, and in 2007 for another term of six years.

Meanwhile, she held governmental subsidiary positions such as Taskforce Youth Unemployment, and Consultative Commission On Disaster Relief.

On 29 October 2012, Krikke announced she would not seek a third term as mayor of Arnhem, creating ample time for both the municipality and herself, for "flow, and recalibration of perspectives" before the summer of 2013.