Is married and has 3 children. Since he is burgomaster of Rotterdam, he and his family moved to Kralingen, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.
He is member of the Dutch political party PVDA (Partij van de Arbeid). Before he became burgomaster of Rotterdam, he first worked as wethouder of Amsterdam and until 5-1-2009 he was staatssecretaris van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid in cabinet Balkenende IV. On 5-1-2009 he became burgomaster of Rotterdam.