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4 ingredients for business as a force for good
“Degrowth is not the solution I see for a more sustainable future. Instead, I really see the companies of the future as a force for good. Companies exist to create value. Unfortunately, in many cases, this is focused on just one kind of value-creation: financial value for shareholders. This might still be viable in the…
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Enriched in Costa Rica
Teaching in Costa Rica keeps me updated, challenged, refreshed, connected and practiced.
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Balancing science with art for sustainable change
“Can we make this analysis more scientific?”, a client asked the other day. And of course, there’s always more data and science that could be used for target-setting and analysis. But data and science aren’t always the best ingredients to create impact. Instead, art could be just what you need to drive positive change. Art…
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Sustainable leaders provide perspective
The transition to sustainable energy is central to both his job and his supervisory board role. The difference in scope of these two roles makes it so interesting, says Jan Engels: “In my job as policy manager cooling at the Climate Coalition Netherlands, I’m very focused on the content. As a supervisory board member at…
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Purpose and the art of long term value creation
To drive change towards long-term, societal value creation, corporate boards need more creativity and diversity, perhaps even an artist. Many artists are frontrunners in society. They look at the world in a different way and find different ways to express what they see. Their perspectives may challenge us and cause fierce reactions. And that’s exactly…
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Supervisory board member serving young and old
In the supervisory board portfolio of Afien Spree, societal value creation is all about people. She serves on the supervisory board of BrabantZorg senior care and regional education and training center ROC Midden Nederland. Purpose is key The purpose of BrabantZorg is to make every day as nice as possible. How does the supervisory board…
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Connection and diversity for long-term value creation and impact
When asked why she serves on supervisory boards, she is quick to answer. Petri Hofste wants to be involved with organizations in a broad strategic way, to have an impact, to make this world slightly better. After a role as supervisor of financial institutions at the Dutch National Bank, serving on supervisory boards was a…
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Sustainability requires change in the boardroom
How do you supervise long-term value creation and societal impact? Earlier blog posts shared tips to bring sustainability into the boardroom and the conclusion that sustainability belongs in the boardroom. In the context of a course I am teaching to supervisory board members, I interviewed Fennemiek Gommer, vice-chair of the supervisory board of care provider…
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Driving change at Unilever through the power of purpose and film
What do Unilever Executive Hanneke Faber and documentary filmmaker Renée Scheltema have in common? For starters, they’re both Dutch women, with a journalism degree from an American university. They both have a strong conviction on how to create a better world. And the two of them met at the Ivy Circle sustainable movie night hosted by…
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Bursting social media bubbles for social change
What if you could use the power of communications to drive change for a better world? Meet Kajsa Rosenblad, a Swedish-Dutch communications student at the University of Amsterdam. Over a cup of tea at my dining table, here’s what she shared about the better world she wants, the role of politics and her generation. …
