The Companhy Secretary: a professional development program

Increase your impact in the boardroom and strengthen your role as a trusted advisor

As organizations become more complex and expectations of senior leadership continue to rise, the corporate secretary is taking on an increasingly visible and strategic role. In addition to supporting effective decision-making and being the guardians of good governance, company secretaries are increasingly becoming trusted advisors within their organizations.

This academically rigorous program helps company secretaries further develop their knowledge, skills, and personal effectiveness. You will learn how to support executives, supervisory board members, and other stakeholders more professionally, while increasing your impact in the boardroom.

What will you gain from this program?

Key areas of development are:

• A strong foundation in governance: insight into corporate governance, and the role of the corporate secretary across different types of organizations.
• Understanding of executive leadership and oversight: knowledge of the roles, responsibilities, and relationships between executives, supervisory board members, and stakeholders.
• Your role in decision-making: with a focus on preparing, facilitating, and following up on decision-making processes and meetings.
• Your advisory and trusted advisor role: enabling you to engage more confidently and effectively with executives and supervisory board members.
• Personal leadership and influence: with a focus on boardroom dynamics, stakeholder management, and influencing without formal authority.

Who is the program designed for?

This program is designed for corporate  secretaries who support executives, supervisory board members, and governance bodies and who want to perform their role with greater confidence, professionalism, and impact.

The program is also suitable for academically trained professionals with relevant work experience, such as lawyers who have successfully completed the professional training program for the Dutch Bar or civil-law notarial practice and who want to move into the role of company secretary.

Participants are expected to have an academic background or equivalent professional experience. The program is particularly suited to:

• Corporate, board and company secretaries or their deputies;
• Secretaries to supervisory boards;
• General counsels;
• Corporate lawyers with governance responsibilities;
• Professionals with considerable governance experience moving into these roles.

Outcomes

After completing The Company Secretary, you will:

• perform your role as corporate secretary with greater professional expertise and confidence;
• have a stronger understanding of the roles and responsibilities of executives, supervisory board members, and the corporate secretary;
• take greater ownership of decision-making processes;
• demonstrate stronger leadership in preparing for and following up on decisions;
• build stronger support among internal and external stakeholders;
• increase your impact as an advisor, trusted confidant, and governance professional.

This program was developed in collaboration with Elise Stevens (author: Handboek Secretaris), Alice Lammerts van Bueren (De Nieuwe Secretaris), and Marye van der Grinten (CG Advisering). Drawing on their many years of experience as corporate secretaries, governance and recruitment specialists, the program is closely aligned with the day-to-day demands placed on today’s company secretaries.

Program structure

The program consists of five days that combine theory, best practice and personal development. Interactive lectures, case studies, peer consultation, and learning are key components of the program.

Topics include:

• the position and role of the corporate secretary;
• governance and internal organizational relationships;
• sustainable long-term value creation and strategy;
• stakeholder engagement and risk management;
• meetings and conflicts of interest;
• boardroom dynamics and influencing without formal authority;
• the advisory and trusted confidant role;
• trends and developments in the profession;
• career development for corporate secretaries.

Who are the faculty and speakers?

Throughout the program, Nyenrode professors and experienced corporate secretaries, executives, and supervisory board members address the various themes from their respective areas of expertise.

• mr. Elise Stevens-Fokkens – author of the Handbook for Corporate Secretaries.
  Elise Stevens-Fokkens contributes to this programme in an independent capacity.
  
  
• prof. mr. Geert Raaijmakers – lawyer and partner at NautaDutilh N.V. and Professor of Corporate and Securities Law at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
  Geert Raaijmakers contributes to this programme in an independent capacity.
  
  
• mr. drs. Suzanne van Nieuwenhuijzen – Corporate Secretary at Vebego.
  Suzanne van Nieuwenhuijzen contributes to this programme in an independent capacity.
  
  
• mr. Barbara van Koppen – owner of BVK Board Consultancy and (Interim) General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.
  Barbara van Koppen contributes to this programme in an independent capacity.
  
  
• mr. Jaap Kloppers – Head of Corporate Office & Deputy Company Secretary at ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
  Jaap Kloppers contributes to this programme in an independent capacity.
  
  
• Susan Dassen-Luhrman – owner of Buro Dassen, specialising in employee participation and governance matters.
  Susan Dassen-Luhrman contributes to this programme in an independent capacity.

You can apply for The Company Secretary: A Professional Development Program using the application button on this page. After you apply, you will take part in a selection process. You will be asked to submit your résumé and motivation which should include your personal learning goals. These will be assessed based on their fit with the program and your relevant professional experience.

If you do not yet have sufficient knowledge of corporate law, please indicate this in your application. Additional preparatory reading may be made available to which limited additional costs apply.

To facilitate active participation, interaction, and discussion of participants’ own cases, group size is limited to a maximum of 20 participants. Please note that the program is currently only available in Dutch. On the Dutch version of this page you will find the upcoming starting dates of the program.

If you have any questions about the program, admission requirements, or program structure, our program coordinator will be happy to assist you.

The fee for The Corporate Secretary: A Professional Development Program is €7,950 excluding VAT. This includes study materials, four overnight stays, meals, and access to the online learning environment. Upon completion, you will receive a certificate of participation.

The additional investment for the supplementary reading materials for the introduction to corporate law is €50.