For two years now Rutger van der Leeuw has been CEO of Enexis, the grid operator responsible for the construction, management, and maintenance of the gas and electricity grids in the south and northeast of the Netherlands. In a sector that is almost constantly under scrutiny, he strives to achieve a balance between social impact and business results. ‘It is our job to be flexible at the front end and to maintain as much calm as possible at the back end.’

Mark Rutten has been CFO and a member of the executive board of brewer Royal Swinkels since 2024. He came over from competitor Heineken, where he worked abroad for many years. His ambitions at Swinkels? To think more internationally and be a little bolder when it comes to investments. ‘Yes, that is probably the opposite of what you would expect from a CFO.’

Political developments on a global scale are happening rapidly, and not all in a favorable direction. To adapt is essential, but outdated thinking on feasibility and efficiency hinders bolstering our resilience. Rob Bauer, former chairman of the NATO Military Committee and currently an Edge Fellow at Deloitte, emphasizes, together with Deloitte partner Kim Vrielink, that the current security crisis requires enormous effort from both government and the business community. ‘Societal resilience does not depend solely on military strength.’

After a long stay abroad, Mirjam van Thiel is back in the Netherlands as group CFO of Acomo, a holding company of ten companies focused on plant-based foods. Van Thiel's goal: to establish roots in her own country and grow with her organization. ‘People want healthy and tasty food, food security, and sustainably produced food. We are working on all these themes and see many opportunities for our companies to grow autonomously.’

Portuguese Maria Montenegro has been chief strategy officer (CSO) at data supplier/tech company Wolters Kluwer ‘since Valentine’s Day 2022.’ Starting out with ten employees, she now leads a department of seventy people. ‘We are more than ever a tech company. I, together with others, work closely on fostering an innovative culture.’

The Ministry of Defense is facing an unprecedented scale-up. How is the organisation doing it, what are the challenges they face and what is the role of the business community? Sjoerd van der Smissen of Deloitte says: ‘The business community needs to take on its role.’ He is in conversation with Secretary General of Defense Maarten Schurink. ‘Businesses can be of help to both society and Defense.’

Bas Brouns has been working in various financial positions at KLM for almost 30 years. As CFO since April 2024, he is ultimately responsible for the finances of the Dutch airline. Brouns took his seat in the financial cockpit at a crucial moment. KLM needs to invest billions in fleet renewal, while profitability is lagging behind that of sister company Air France. But, ‘KLM seems not made for quick growth.’

In 2025, hastening the energy transition is not only necessary to stop climate change. A green economy also strengthens Europe’s strategic autonomy. Under the leadership of Willemien Terpstra, Gasunie is building a future energy system. ‘We are at a tipping point, and we want to keep the industry on board.’

In the report Life science and healthcare predictions 2030, Deloitte, based on ten trends, sets out what the Dutch healthcare system could look like in 2030. Reflecting on the Dutch healthcare sector, it proves to be confronted with challenges including, but not limited to, rising costs, staff shortages and increasing health differences between population groups. It has become crucial to organize and accelerate the transition to a future-proof and resilient healthcare system.

The world will, by 2070, have almost 10 billion people who will need to be fed, without placing an irresponsible burden on the environment. The technological and economic possibilities are available – but now is the time to translate them into concrete action. Deloitte's new report, ‘Turning point: Feeding the world sustainably’, offers a roadmap to this end.

Half of employees familiar with generative AI frequently use GenAI tools without the explicit employer approval. This is the conclusion of large-scale research by Deloitte, Trust in Generative AI. Currently, only a third of Dutch companies actively encourage the use of AI tools. Deloitte advises them to develop clear guidelines and policies around the use of GenAI in the workplace.

According to Mohamed Bouker, partner at Deloitte, the question every chief financial officer should be asking themselves is how, in a world filled with economic uncertainties, the smart use of artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to meet sustainability obligations and future-proof their organizations. The CFO who best connects the three lines of the CFO triangle will be tomorrow’s winner.

There seems to be consensus on remuneration policy in the boardrooms of the Netherlands' largest companies. From time to time, however, the remuneration of executive directors and supervisory directors does still provoke differences of opinion, as evidenced by the publicly expressed concerns of ABN AMRO's supervisory directors questioning whether the bank should increase CEO compensation to attract a better candidate. Roel van der Weele, director of executive compensation at Deloitte, writes that rewarding according to strict frameworks is everything but ideal.

In recent years, businesses have set bold sustainability goals, but optimism is now being tempered by a more realistic understanding of the complexities and costs involved in the transition to sustainable models, says Mohamed Bouker, partner at Deloitte. His advice: prioritize transparency and honesty with stakeholders, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Women operate in a fundamentally different context from men. When female leaders see other women facing similar challenges to what they themselves are facing, it becomes easier to distinguish between personal obstacles and obstacles which are systemic. This said, a program specifically for men could be a good idea too, according to Maartje Laterveer.

Navigating towards sustainability and innovation? It falls on the CFO to redirect the company's course. The financial leader faces a multitude of responsibilities: from CSRD reporting obligations and monitoring economic and geopolitical uncertainties to exploring sustainability and technology opportunities. Embracing this means letting go of some of the established ways of working. A leap into the unknown, was the theme at Deloitte's CFO Dinner in the Kerkzaal of H’ART Museum in Amsterdam. But, who dares wins.