We believe in continued learning and members are expected to join regular events to stay up-to-date and share their experiences. Under Chatham House Rules real life cases are discussed. In a different setting than the board, members can take time for reflection, intervision and discussion with other supervisory board members and external speakers.

Masterclass

Master Classes are aimed at learning about (more than discussing) specific governance issues. Focus on technicalities, legal aspects, accountability and liabilities. The master classes are typically 2 hours in total of which 1 hour is spent on theory and 1 hours on discussions and Q&A. Some examples:

Governance and the employee representation, the Ondernemingsraad. Focus on the formal/legal aspects and the supervisory role of Non-Exec Directors. When and how to involve the OR in times of major change, such as restructuring, M&A, disruption? What must be done, what is possible?
Governance during times of Merger & Acquisition. The supervisory board has a special role in the run-up to, during and after such a process. A lot of different stakeholder interests to monitor, the issues of conflicts of interest between Supervisors and Management, and additional formal roles for Supervisors during the M&A process.

Goverance Lab

Governance Labs consists of content based discussions and interpersonal skills stimulated by actual (case) situations and discussion, all supported by experts in the field and case-related subject matter experts. Some examples:

The supervisory board and the media. Is talking to the media part of good governance? How should the organization deal with journalists? A well-positioned interview could be quite useful, or is it riding the tiger?
Governance and the extraordinary stakeholders. An organization with a ‘Nobel Prize winner’, a powerful pater familias or a brilliant inventor. Stakeholders with extraordinary, but informal power. How their brilliance and their autonomy cause issues for trying to keep an organization on the supervisory ‘straight and narrow’.

Roundtable

Roundtables are smaller events on a specific subject (e.g. sustainability, AI, Board dynamics) organized where experienced directors share their insights and experiences. They are typically organized around a lunch or dinner with a duration of 1 to 1.5 hours.

Board practices across different cultures where an experience international board member shared particular differences in countries and how culture has an impact on board dynamics.