Stacey Caywood (Wolters Kluwer): ‘AI gives us new energy’
Since February of this year, Stacey Caywood has officially been at the helm of data provider Wolters Kluwer. She is taking the helm during a challenging time. While outsiders and shareholders are sometimes skeptical about the impact of artificial intelligence on the data specialist’s revenue model, Caywood sees a huge surge of energy within the company and puts the threat into perspective.
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Analysis Top-100 Corporate Women 2026: Get Involved
Miriam van Dongen is once again the most influential woman in corporate Netherlands. What stands out is that ‘our’ 100 women are not very visible—which is sorely needed, given that progress on gender balance at the top of the business world is still lagging in our country. Apparently, corporate women feel little need to speak out publicly on certain social or even corporate issues. Or… are they not given the chance?
The five pitfalls of CEO succession
Finding the right CEO – not just for today, but also for tomorrow – is probably the most important and at the same time the most complex task facing the supervisory board, according to Victor Prozesky of The Board Practice. A successful succession requires a strategic, ongoing process. How does a board approach this effectively?
CEO NEO NL: ‘Nuclear power plants are long-term projects’
Since May 1, 2026, Jan Willem van Hoogstraten has been leading the Nuclear Energy Organization Netherlands (NEO NL), the state-owned company tasked with preparing, building, and operating two new large-scale nuclear power plants. He will most likely not see the completion of the project during his term. That does not bother him.
Why AI is also a governance issue
AI is developing so rapidly that waiting is risky, yet so unpredictably that no one knows exactly what to prepare for. This presents directors and supervisors with a dilemma: how do you make sensible decisions about a technology of which the full consequences are still unknown? The solution lies in agility, a well-considered balance between humans and machines, and an AI-savvy management and supervisory board.
Base your compensation policy on what really matters
The fear of lagging behind the market when compensating executives almost always wins out. Frederic Barge, founder of Reward Value, advocates for an active shift.
Marike Bonhof (Ymere): ‘Small investment, huge impact’
The CFO of the housing association Ymere faces major social challenges. 'Not everything can be done at once, even though it really should be.’
Janine Vos (Rabobank): ‘We need to recalibrate HR’
What must organizations do to survive in the digital age? Janine Vos, CHRO at Rabobank, talks about the enormous implications of the digital age for HR and the workforce.
Gender equality at the top: five lost years
Rosalien van ’t Foort-Diepeveen sees that the women's quota in the Dutch boardroom has not brought about the necessary change.
Marcel Beukeboom (Naturalis): ‘Our natural environment is in crisis’
Marcel Beukeboom, general director of Naturalis, advocates for greater attention to nature’s resilience.
Human judgement is the scarce resource of the AI era
AI investments consistently fall short of expectations. We are noticing this often in our conversations with executives, board members, and other experts.
David Knibbe (NN Group): ‘Leadership begins where analysis ends’
David Knibbe, CEO of NN Group, was in the running to become Young Captain in 2009. When asked what had gone wrong during the financial crisis and how to proceed, he lingered too long on his analysis. He did not win. That proved to be a lifelong leadership lesson. Plus: Knibbe on the war for talent, talent development, and AI at NN Group.
Joseph Kuling: 'A director and major shareholder actually wants you to be critical'
Supervisory board member Joseph Kuling talks about the lessons he learned on the supervisory board – in good times and in times of crisis. He cannot avoid the Sanderink case: ‘When we decided to suspend and dismiss Gerard Sanderink, I thought that no owner-manager would ever appoint me as a supervisory board member again.’
Jeroen Tiel (Randstad): ‘The labor market must be priority number one’
What must companies, organizations, and the government do to survive in the digital age? Jeroen Tiel, CEO of Randstad Group Netherlands, about the impact of AI on the labor market. ‘The speed of change is overestimated, but the impact is underestimated.’
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Leadership in turbulent times requires collaboration
How to lead organizations responsible for the future-proofing of critical infrastructure, while simultaneously scaling up, digitizing, and preparing for crises? The experts at our roundtable agree that leadership in these times requires a fundamentally different mindset.
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Ralf Knegtmans (De Vroedt & Thierry) on fifty years in executive search
On the fiftieth anniversary of executive search firm De Vroedt & Thierry, managing partner Ralf Knegtmans looks back on the far-reaching changes that have radically transformed his profession. He also looks ahead. AI is becoming increasingly important and will be able to take over large parts of the search process in the future.
Gavin van Boekel (Heijmans): ‘The CEO-CFO partnership has become more important’
At construction company Heijmans, Gavin van Boekel forms a tandem with the CEO. This creates a unique dynamic.
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‘Strategy is all well and good, but then it needs to be executed’
Building a diverse portfolio of supervisory board positions is, according to Peter Bommel, ‘a combination of what comes your way and what you seek out yourself.’
The relationship between CEO and CFO requires constant nurturing
Close collaboration between CEO and CFO is no longer merely a functional necessity but has become a strategic requirement, was the message at Deloitte’s CFO dinner.
Annemieke Roobeek: ‘Democratization, anchoring, and imagination’
Emeritus professor Annemieke Roobeek sees innovation shifting away from institutions, driven by the many who no longer wait for the few.
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A workforce budget for every organization
AI is set to transform the nature of work more deeply than most organisations realise. It is time for a new tool to navigate this shift: the workforce budget.
Dick Berlijn on the triangle of industry, investors, and defense
Defense is in need of innovative strength. A major shift is needed to capitalize on opportunities and possibilities, says the former Commander of the Armed Forces.
Ralph Hamers: ‘A CEO should never delegate strategy’
True innovation requires looking beyond your own sector. That is the key lesson Ralph Hamers took from his time as CEO of ING and UBS.
Why AI projects fail
Organizations invest a great deal of money, time, and effort into AI development, often with sky-high expectations. In practice, however, Dutch companies are still deriving limited real benefit from their investments.
Mirjam van Praag: ‘Innovation requires a systemic approach’
AWTI chair and professor Mirjam van Praag advocates for close collaboration within strong ecosystems centered on specific domains.
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Hans Honig (Deloitte): ‘The time for AI pilot projects is over’
AI applications have become a true CEO topic, says Hans Honig, CEO of Deloitte Netherlands. Deloitte wants to explore these possibilities with clients and tech partners.
Nienke Meijer on leveraging collective wisdom
For supervisory director Nienke Meijer, real progress begins with an open mind and genuine interest in others. She advocates for collective wisdom in the boardroom.
Strategic shock resilience
Strategic shocks are no longer the exception. They are the norm. But they are foreseeable — and those who recognize such shocks in good time can turn it into a competitive advantage.
Next50 Forum 2026: The supervisory director in 2035
What skills and knowledge must a supervisory board member possess to remain effective in 2035? That was the theme of the Next50 Forum.
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Han Kolff: ‘We are becoming sustainable too slowly with market forces alone’
As a supervisory board member of Agrifirm and Plus, Han Kolff sees the food sector as stuck in a stalemate.
Investors discuss the Wennink Report
What will it take to make Peter Wennink’s master plan a success? And how can investors contribute to the necessary growth and innovation?
Next50: The first millennials are joining the ranks!
The Management Scope Next50 Supervisory Board Members ranking is slowly but surely getting younger.
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Roelien Ritsema van Eck: ‘Public task, private context’
The chair of the board of housing association de Alliantie, no. 4 in the Next50, and her leadership team face numerous challenges.
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Lotte Hart (SeederDeBoer): ‘The human side is crucial’
SeederDeBoer is Management Scope's newest knowledge partner. Partner Lotte Hart discusses their ambition and unconventional approach.
A fundamental reorientation of investor relations
The Dutch capital market is facing a fundamental shift in the relationship between listed companies and their shareholders, write Daniele Vitale and Ivana Cvjetkovic from Georgeson.
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Wouter van Benten (DHL): ‘I am a tech optimist’
The CEO about his digital journey, about choices that differed from those of the competition, and about what will be needed for the next ten years.
Simone Huis in 't Veld on becoming a professional non-executive
Simone Huis in 't Veld felt she has fulfilled her role as an executive. After a sabbatical, she decided to become a professional non-executive.
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Kees van Kalveen: ‘Positive impact and intrinsic motivation’
We hear more and more often that the chief financial officer is increasingly becoming a strategist. Kees van Kalveen, CFO of Triodos Bank, has a down-to-earth view on this.
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‘I now have more compassion for supervisory board members’
Maarten Otto explains why a supervisory board role can be hugely beneficial for directors. ‘It is about experiencing what it is like to be on the other side of the table.’
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‘The humane economy is a matter of cooperation’
As chairman of the Goldschmeding Foundation, Bert Beun has big shoes to fill. His task is to ‘live’ the legacy of founder Frits Goldschmeding.
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Linde Jansen: ‘Finance is a frontrunner’
After a long career at brewer Heineken, Linde Jansen moved to postal company PostNL in the spring of 2025 for her very first role as CFO.
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Roos Slegers: ‘Critical thinking in a world smoothed over by AI’
In A&O Shearman's latest Management Scope interview, ethicist Roos Slegers argues that surviving the digital age takes more than AI.
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‘A little more of that can-do mentality, and it will be possible’
During a roundtable, participants discussed how the further development of (critical) infrastructure will determine the Netherlands’ position as a hub in the European economy.
These are the corporate governance trends in 2026
According to directors and supervisory board members, geopolitical uncertainty, AI, new legislation and regulations, as well as cybersecurity, will play a major role in 2026.
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More attention to trade, more economic security
Trade is a crucial means of addressing the current geopolitical tensions, writes Rem Korteweg of the Clingendael Institute.
‘NIS2 is an enabler, not a checkbox process’
The security requirements for network and information systems in essential sectors are becoming stricter. The responsibility now undeniably lies with management.
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Karen de Lathouder: ‘I bring parallel thinking, a kind of sidetrack’
She has been a supervisory board member at NS (Dutch Railways) since March and talks about her drive and approach.
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How Wennink's vision can become a workable strategy
Tough choices and substantial investments are needed to prevent falling further behind economically; the urgency of the Wennink report is undeniable.
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Digital resilience is a matter for top management
Digitization forms the basis of the economy and is rapidly changing how organizations function. But dependence on digitization increases vulnerability.
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Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse: Technology should be open for discussion, not considered a fait accompli
Boardrooms must prioritize moral friction over technical convenience to address the digital age's ethical challenges.
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Henk Rottinghuis: ‘Curiosity is more important than knowledge’
He may have a wealth of experience as member of both management and supervisory boards, but Henk Rottinghuis does not like routine.
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Karl Guha: ‘Zero risk means zero reward’
A conversation with the chairman of the supervisory board of ING, on risk-taking, (over)regulation, and the Dutch tendency to break ranks with Europe.
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Ready for the 2026 AGMs
Geopolitical risks, the rise of AI, and sustainability will dominate the agenda of the upcoming AGMs. What issues should company secretaries take into account?
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‘Investor engagement is a year-round activity’
The AGM season – the time of year when the general meeting of shareholders is held – no longer exists. The relationship with shareholders requires attention throughout the year.
Europe must defend its corporate governance values
Geopolitical tensions and the politicization of international business are forcing the management and supervisory board to reconsider good corporate governance.
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