Wouter van Twiller was an employee of the Dutch West India Company

Dutch West India Company

Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...

 and the Director-General of New Netherland

Director-General of New Netherland

This is a list of Directors, appointed by the Dutch West India Company, of the 17th century Dutch province of New Netherland in North America...

 from 1633 until 1638. Wouter van Twiller succeeded Peter Minuit

Peter Minuit

Peter Minuit, Pieter Minuit, Pierre Minuit or Peter Minnewit was a Walloon from Wesel, in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, then part of the Duchy of Cleves. He was the Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633, and he founded the Swedish colony of...

, who was recalled by the Dutch West India authorities in Amsterdam for unknown reasons.

Van Twiller was chosen for the position because he had made two voyages to the colony of New Netherland prior to his appointment. He was a clerk in the warehouse of the Dutch West India company and he was a cousin of Kiliaen van Rensselaer who was married to as sister of Walters father.