Born in Heinsberg, Germany, in 1973. In 1989-1990, I visited Linn-Mar High-School in Marion/Iowa, to finish my Abitur in 1992 at the Kreisgymnasium Heinsberg. After my military service, I studied International Economics at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. During the academic year 1996-1997 I spend one academic year at Brandeis University, participating in their Ph.D courses. In 1998, I graduated receiving a Doctorandus in de Economische Wetenschappen from Maastricht University , cum laude, and spend three months as an intern with the NORC at the University of Chicago. I returned to Maastricht University to do Ph.D. research at the Business Investment Research Center with the Organisation & Strategy group of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, and to follow courses at NAKE. In 2000 I became an IZA Research Affiliate, and since 2003 Associate. After my Ph.D. I also became fellow of the research school METEOR. Since 2003, I am working as a researcher at the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) at Maastricht University.
I am married Rianne Kriechel-Mans, and we have two sons, Wilco and Chrit. We live in Maastricht / the Netherlands.