The INSEAD Directors Network NL

IN-BOARD Module - Corporate Governance - Houthoff
2026-01-12 15:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Amsterdam)

AI with SparkOptimus
2026-01-27 15:00 - 18:00 | SparkOptimus, Obrechtplein 1, Amsterdam, 1071 KS, Netherlands
Generative AI has moved beyond the lab, impacting functions from legal and HR to marketing and supply chain. Yet many organizations are still grappling with how to scale use cases and ensure AI delivers tangible, sustainable value. What role should boards play in this transformation?
Because of the success July 2nd, 2025. We have a second session. We invite you to join our next alumni session, hosted by Matti van Engelen, Associate Partner and GenAI lead at SparkOptimus. Drawing from SparkOptimus’ work with leading organizations, Matti will share practical frameworks, success stories, and insights on how boards can navigate AI responsibly, while accelerating innovation and performance.
There will be ample space for discussion, peer reflection, and sharing your own boardroom challenges.
Program – January 27th, 2026
SparkOptimus Office – Jacob Obrechtplein 1, 1071KS Amsterdam
16:00 – 18:00 – Interactive session with Matti van Engelen
18:00 – 19:00 – Informal drinks & networking
Doors open at 15:45.
This session is open to all IN-Board and IDP alumni.

Sustainable Value Creation – A Core Topic for Board Members - hosted by Russell Reynolds
2026-02-06 15:00 - 17:30
Sustainability has moved in and out of boardroom priorities—first driven by climate urgency and ESG regulations, more recently dismissed by some as “woke.” In this workshop, we will make the case that sustainability can, in fact, become a powerful driver of long-term value creation.
Realizing this value requires boards to understand the specific risks and opportunities of their business and to clarify how sustainability can be translated into customer value and competitive advantage.
Hans Reus (MBA’90D), Managing Director at Russell Reynolds Associates, will again be our host. Jenny Wassenaar (bio below) will share her perspectives as a practitioner, drawing on her experience at both board and executive level in developing sustainability as a source of value.
Following a short introduction, participants will work together on a concrete case. We will conclude by sharing lessons learned and discussing how these insights can be applied in your own board role.
We hope you will leave inspired and even better equipped to drive sustainable value creation in your organization.
Register HERE (limited seats available)
Program:
14.30h Welcome
15.00h Program
17.00h Drinks
18.00h Closing
Address:
Russell Reynolds Associates WTC Tower One, 18th floor
Zuidplein 148
1077 XV Amsterdam
Jenny Wassenaar is the Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Trivium Packaging and a seasoned board-level advisor shaping sustainability
strategy and innovation in global industrial supply chains.
As a member of Trivium’s Executive Committee, she partners with boards and investors to drive
profitable sustainable transformations across a USD 3B business with nearly 50 production locations and 7,000+ employees, producing more than 100 million recyclable metal packaging items daily.
Previously, in leadership roles at Avery Dennison and Shell, Jenny has led P&L organizations and
global procurement portfolios. She also serves in multiple governance and advisory roles—including
with the UN Global Compact Netherlands (former Supervisory Board Vice Chair, now Advisory Board Member)—and is recognized for elevating sustainability from compliance to a core lever of competitive and financial performance.

IN-BOARD Module - Private Equity and Family Business - Gwynt
2026-03-09 14:00 - 19:00 | Gwynt Esch, Den Eikenhorst, Hal 13, Esch, 5296 PZ, Netherlands

INSEAD Governance Forum - The journey of becoming a respected board member!
2026-03-26 15:00 - 19:00 | Capital C, Weesperplein 4b, Amsterdam, 1018 XA, Netherlands
The Netherlands Governance Forum 2026, taking place in Amsterdam is tailored to enhance your board career by learning from some of the most successful board members in The Netherlands.
Theme: “Journey of becoming a respected board member!”
This forum is expected to bring 60-70 (active and aspiring) board members together, to discuss topics such as

What do you need to learn and unlearn to transition from an executive role into a non-executive directorship
What are the best approaches to self development (mentors, networks, reading material, board education programs, a.o.)
How to deal with success, failures as a board as well as a board member
How to determine which board positions fit you best and when it is time to leave

The format will be a moderated discussion with three experienced board members followed by a Q&A session and smaller sessions for further discussions.
The moderator of the Governance forum will be: Jeroen Smit (Journalist and author of Het Drama Ahold (about Ahold), De prooi (about the fall of ABNAMRO) and Het Grote Gevecht (about Paul Polman and Unilever)
The panelists will be:

Marguerite Soeteman-Rijen (Siemens Nederland, MN, Kelp Blue, NautaDutilh a.o.)
Jolande Sap (Former political leader of Groenlinks, Board member of University of Amsterdam, KPN, Renewi, Administratiekantoor aandelen Triodos Bank and the Dutch Emissions Authority (Nea) a.o.)
Kuldip Singh (Board member at KPMG Nederland, Tennet Holding, Kyndryl Nederland, ROM InWest, InnoSportLap and lecturer at Governance Academy)

Why Attend?

Engage with experienced board members and learn from their experiences and career as a board member
Network with these board members and board member attendees

Register Today as there are limited number of places available

Family Entrepreneurship and Growth Capital: Marriage Made in Heaven?
2026-04-14 15:00 - 18:30 | Boer & Croon, Boer & Croon Hoogoorddreef 5, Amsterdam, 1101 BA
Family businesses form the backbone of the global economy. Yet many face a defining tension: how to accelerate growth and professionalise, without losing the long-term identity and control that make them distinctive.
So the real question is this: can patient growth capital and family entrepreneurship reinforce each other?
Join us on 14 April 2026 for an interactive afternoon, organised by the INSEAD Directors Network Netherlands in partnership with the INSEAD Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise and kindly hosted by Boer & Croon in Amsterdam.
The session opens with Professor Balagopal Vissa, Academic Director of the INSEAD Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise, sharing key findings from a recent research-practice study with 65 Equity Partners (Temasek) on patient growth equity and emerging governance models.
This is followed by a panel moderated by Fennemiek Gommer, Non-Executive Director (NED) in family businesses, featuring perspectives from different angles:
• Heleen van Gulik – Independent Non-Executive Director in family businesses
• Bastiaan Hoogendoorn – Managing Partner, Boer & Croon
• Ernst-Jan Koziolek – Investment Director Navitas Capital (Investment arm of the Zeeman family)
• Pascal Piepers – External CEO, Ridder (family-owned company)
Roundtables then follow to exchange cases and challenges with peers.
Why attend?
• Learn what the latest INSEAD research means in practice
• Hear from CEOs, board members and investors navigating these trade-offs
• Connect with alumni and share best practices
Register HERE (limited seats available)
Program:
15:00 – Welcome
15:30 – Programme
17:30 – Networking drinks
18:30 – Closing
Address:
Boer & Croon
Hoogoorddreef 5
1101 BA Amsterdam
Warm regards,
INSEAD Directors Network Netherlands
Jeroen Koot
Fennemiek Gommer
INSEAD Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise
Sonia Tatar, Executive Director

IN-BOARD Module - Communication, crisis and reputation management - Hill & Knowlton
2026-04-16 14:00 - 18:30 | Hill & Knowlton, Amsteldijk 166, Amsterdam, 1079LH

IN-BOARD Module - Board Effectiveness - Egon Zehnder
2026-05-11 14:00 - 18:30 | Egon Zehnder, Gustav Mahlerlaan 1041, Amsterdam, 1082 MK, Netherlands

IN-BOARD Module - Control & Audit - KPMG
2026-06-08 14:00 - 18:30 | KPMG, Laan van Langerhuize 1, Amstelveen, , 1186 DS
