WCD Europe Institute
May 26–27, 2025
Amstelveen, Netherlands
THIS YEAR'S THEME
Visionary Boards Leading Innovation: Sustainability in Technology, Culture, and Companies
Join us for a Regional Institute covering corporate governance issues focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship and technology in the boardroom.
- Innovation & the Company Life Cycle
- Technology Change and Innovation
- Leading Family-owned Businesses & Boards
- Women Entrepreneurs: Female Founders & Their Investors
- Innovation Enablers: Financial Services Innovation & Transformation
- Innovation and the military
Keynote Speakers

Manon van Beek
CEO, TenneT
As a European grid operator, TenneT owns and manages more than 25,000 kilometres of high-voltage lines and cables. As such, TenneT supplies electricity to 43 million domestic and business users in the Netherlands and much of Germany. Together with more than 8,500 employees in two countries, Manon is driven by our mission to ensure a better energy future – energy secure, affordable and sustainable.
To meet the European target of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030, TenneT, together with partners, designs, builds, maintains and operates a high-voltage grid that extends over land and sea. This transports electricity from where it is produced – including a rapidly increasing share of wind and solar power – to where it is used. This makes TenneT one of the largest investors in the energy transition in the Netherlands and Germany.

Cristina Monteiro
Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Organization, ASML
Cristina joined ASML in September 2023 as Executive Vice President, bringing extensive experience after more than 8 years at Dutch Royal DSM, spending the last 3 years as CHRO, as the company went through significant organizational change and transformation. Previously, she held senior HR management positions focusing on Talent Management and Leadership Management at global companies such as Philip Morris International and Cargill.
Italian and Swiss by nationality, Cristina has lived and worked in Italy, the US, Portugal, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Mrs. Monteiro holds a Master’s degree in Political Science, specialized in Industrial Relations from LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome.

Mario Nava
Director-General, Department of Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Mario Nava is the Director-General of DG EMPL of the EU Commission. Previously, he was the Director-General of DG REFORM and has held Director and Head of Unit posts in the DG for Financial Services. He was also President of Italian Financial Market Authority. He teaches at Bocconi University and at Solvay Business School. In 2023, he was awarded the title of Bocconi Alumnus of the year.

Dr. Mirjam Storim
Head of Strategy & Technology Relations, Foundational Technologies, Siemens
Speakers

Giuseppe Aridon
Head of Strategy, Leonardo Space Division, Leonardo S.p.A

Jenny Bofinger-Schuster
Member, International Sustainability Standards Board, Former SVP, Siemens

Marie-Louise Bots
SVP Corporate and Business Development, Turn Biotechnologies, WCD Netherlands
A veteran executive and dealmaker, Marie-Louise has helped companies develop license and distribution agreements and partnerships to boost sales and profitability. She has worked with multinational corporations like Royal Philips Electronics, Reed Elsevier and Aon Risk Solutions, as well as venture-backed biotechs. Her learning agility and networking enabled her to work successful in different industries and environments, family companies, multinationals, PE backed companies and ventures. Currently she holds a position at the executive Board of a Silicon Valley Startup Turn Biotechnologies.
She serves on the supervisory boards of BOM ( Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatscshappij, Royal Asscher Diamond Company ,Plasmacure, a medical startup and Delta Life sciences.
Marie-Louise received her Economics degree from Fontys University and completed executive leadership studies at Harvard Business School, Babson College and the Rotterdam School of Management.

Jackie Daylor
Global Audit Leader – Consumer & Retail, KPMG LLP and Board Member, WCD

Karin Dorrepaal
Chairman, LTS Lohmann Therapie-Systeme AG, Non Executive Director, Vaneeghen, Non Executive Director, Almirall

Yvette van Eechoud
Deputy Director-General Foreign Economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of The Netherlands
August 2023 to present: Deputy Director General Foreign Economic Relations
2020-2023: Director Department Western Hemisphere, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2016-2020: Director, European and International Affairs Department, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
2013-2016: Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Doha
2009-2013: Head, Economic and Development Cooperation Section, Netherlands Embassy Egypt, Cairo
2005-2009: Royal Household | dep Private Secretary to TTRRHH Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands
2003-2005: European Integration Department, coordinator of NL 2004 EU Presidency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1999-2003: Senior Policy Officer Development Cooperation, Netherlands Embassy in South Africa, Pretoria
1997-1999: Policy Officer Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) and Police and Judicial Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1994-1997: Policy Officer Enterprise Policy, European Commission, Brussels

Cristina Finocchi-Mahne
Economist, Board Member, De Longhi, Maire Tecnimont, Dexelance. Global Advisory Council Member, Fordham Gabelli School of Business NYC. Scientific Committee Member, CSEA, research center for applied economics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Natascha Geraedts
Senior Office Partner Netherlands, Head of Real Estate Netherlands, Eversheds Sutherland Netherlands
I am Senior Office Partner and Head of the Real Estate practice at Eversheds Sutherland Netherlands. With over 20 years of international experience in complex jurisdictions, I provide strategic advice to clients. My career is shaped by a global perspective, having lived and worked in DR Congo, Egypt, Reunion and Greece. I am a frequent speaker at international events and conferences, leading the conversation on sustainability, digital infrastructure and technology.

Christa Gyori
CEO & Co-Founder, Leaders on Purpose


Christa Gyori is CEO and Co-Founder of Leaders on Purpose, a global platform supporting board directors and executives in building future-fit organisations and driving innovation. She has worked closely with Fortune 500 CEOS, global institutions, and policymakers across more than 100 countries. Christa advises organisations on navigating complexity, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable growth in an evolving global landscape. Recognised by Forbes as one of 11 Women Leading Change and shortlisted for Thinkers50’s Ideas into Action Award, she serves on the board of Space4Girls and contributes to Harvard’s Executive Education programs. She is a TriBeCa Disruptor Award winner and an advocate for long-term value creation, strategic transformation, and leadership innovation.

Angelika Huber-Straßer
Regional Head South, KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

Lisa Ittner
CEO, LionAvis

Lisa Ittner is CEO of LionAvis and serves companies and investors as an interim executive, board advisor, or non-executive director. As founder and former CEO of a mobility subscription company, she scaled the business from idea to €30m+ in revenue and structured over €100m in equity and debt financing for an asset-heavy model. With a background in strategy, finance, restructuring, and ecosystem growth across mobility, healthcare, and infrastructure, she brings hands-on leadership and board-level perspective. Lisa is known for her entrepreneurial, collaborative style and strong focus on execution and long-term value. She holds a CEMS MIM & MSc in International Management from WU Vienna & ESADE Barcelona and is a YPO member. She is passionate about shaping future-fit business models and diverse governance.

Diane Janknegt
Founder, WizeNoze

Jan Koors
Senior Managing Director, Chicago, Pearl Meyer
Ms. Koors is a senior managing director with Pearl Meyer and head of consulting services for the firm. She has over 30 years’ experience in executive compensation and governance, and has consulted to companies of all sizes and industries. She advises company boards and management teams on all aspects of strategic human capital decision-making. As an advisor, she helps companies deconstruct their long-term value creation objectives into tailored HR strategies that go beyond simple competitive parity—designing programs that consider a company’s specific business strategy, management talent, and corporate culture.
Ms. Koors is an NACD Governance Fellow and serves as faculty for the NACD’s director education programs and she is a member of WCD’s Compensation and Human Capital Peer Exchange Steering Committee.

Emmanuela de Lucchi
Chief ESG, IR & Communication Officer, ERG

Born in Genoa on 18th December 1975, graduated in Economics from the University of Genoa in March 1999.
In ERG Group from February 2008 where she is currently Chief ESG, IR & Communication Officer. Her mission is to develop/monitor the ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) Plan’s implementation and to ensure the development of integrated communication strategies + solutions to guarantee the extensive promotion of the Group with the financial community and all stakeholders, maximizing the value of its reputation and protect ERG’s company image.
Other positions held in the past
In ERG:
– from June 2020 to April 2021 Head of IR and CSR, reporting directly to the Corporate General Manager & CFO;
– from February 2011 to June 2020 Investor Relations Manager.

Lynn Maxwell
Chief Commercial Officer, S&P Global Ratings
Lynn is the Chief Commercial Officer for S&P Global Ratings. In this role, she leads the global relationship management, business origination, commercial strategy, marketing, product and commercial operations teams. Her teams are focused on providing high quality customer coverage and product development services for ratings and non-ratings credit products, including sustainability and cyber risk products, data and models.
Before joining S&P, Lynn spent 20 years in debt capital markets as MD, Global Head of Structured Finance Strategy and Global Head of Securitisation at HSBC and EMEA Head of Flow Securitisation at BNP Paribas. Prior to her banking career, Lynn was a finance law solicitor at Clifford Chance in London.

Eveline Otten
CEO, Afvalzorg

Faiza Oulahsen
Associate Director Sustainability, KPMG Netherlands, Former Program Director, Greenpeace Netherlands
Expertise in the field of sustainability, climate, energy transition, industry and trade. Developing strategy, leading campaigns, public affairs, networking, negotiating and engagement with corporations, governments, political parties and NGOs. Leading teams up to 40 professionals. Experience with (international) project management and crisis management. Very broad network in the business community at C-level, ministers, MPs and top government officials. Spokesperson, extensive media experience with national and international outlets and public speaking.

Mylena Pierremont
Founder, Investor, CEO, Connected Circles, President, French Tech Amsterdam, WCD Netherlands Co-Chair
My life took me on a global professional journey, spanning three continents and eight countries, with the latest chapter being Amsterdam. Across these years, I had the privilege to develop renowned international brands of 10.000+ employees such as P&G, Coty, and Philips, and drive meaningful innovations in beauty, durable goods, and services and lately Tech.
I lead in business by combining emotional intelligence with numbers, thanks to my background in mathematics, econometrics, and financial strategy. By devoting my knowledge to innovation, digitization, and purposeful visions, I was able to have a positive impact on healthy and profitable businesses. The key is to be obsessed with consumer or end-user insights.

Frank van Praat
Partner, Responsible AI, KPMG in the Netherlands

Gerfried Promberger
Commander, Austrian Air Force & Air Chief, Austrian Air Force

Major General Gerfried Promberger has served as a pilot, instructor pilot, staff officer, and commanding officer. His key assignments include: Commander Air Surveillance, Chief of Staff Air Force HQ, Wing Commander Fighter Wing (Eurofighter), Director of Division A3 & Air Operations Centre Director; Deputy Commander & Chief of Staff Aviation & Air Defence School, and Chief of Operations ISAF Joint Command in Kabul, Afghanistan. He also served in various positions in the Ministry of Defence. In May 2016, Maj Gen Promberger graduated with academic distinction from the U.S. Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, AL. In April 2024, he was inducted into the International Honor Roll by the 23rd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, General David W. Allvin. Maj Gen Promberger has flown more than 2,800 hours.

Sarah Russell
Supervisory Board Member of ABN AMRO
Sarah Russell is a member of the supervisory board of ABN AMRO Bank (since 2022), (chair audit committee, member risk and capital and nominations committees. She is also vice chair of the supervisory board of APG Group NV (member audit and risk committee), and of APG Asset Management NV (vice chair, chair of remuneration committee, member of the finance committee), since 2021. In addition, she is a vice chair of the supervisory board of The Currency Exchange Fund NV (chair remuneration committee and chair audit and compliance committee) since 2019. Sarah has over 30 years’ experience in international finance and investment management.
Born and educated in Australia, Sarah worked for Toronto Dominion in Melbourne from 1981 to 1994. In 1994, Sarah joined ABN AMRO in Sydney, Australia, before moving to The Netherlands in 2000.

Kim Smit
Commissioner, BDO Nederland




Kim Smit is an experienced Non-Executive Director and built a portfolio of NED roles since 2019. Her current non-executive roles across a broad portfolio of supervisory boards underscore her expertise in governance, strategic oversight, and principled decision-making. Serving as an independent supervisory board member and chair of audit committees at organisations like B&S Group, NRG/Pallas, and Naturalis Biodiversity Center, she brings a disciplined, integrity-driven approach to her governance roles. She is also a member of the Remuneration and Appointment Committee in three companies, and she is a non-executive director in BDO, where she sits on the Quality and Public Interest Committee. Her experience spans industries from biotech to energy and consumer goods.

Leslie Stephenson
Board Member, APS Bank Plc., WCD London

Elisabeth Stheeman
Non Executive Director, M&G plc, Independent non-executive Director, Deloitte, Non Executive Chair, Edinburgh Investment Trust PLC, WCD London Co-Chair
Elisabeth Stheeman has been on the board of FTSE100 listed financial services company M&G plc as well as its Audit and Risk Committees since 1 August 2024. Elisabeth is the Chair of FTSE 250 listed Edinburgh Investment Trust plc and a Non-Executive Director of S&P 500 listed W. P. Carey Inc. She is an External Member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
She served on the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee until February 2024 and the Bank of England’s Financial Market Infrastructure Board until December 2023. Prior to this, Elisabeth was Global Chief Operating Officer for LaSalle Investment Management and prior to that worked at Morgan Stanley for almost 25 years.

Serpil Tascioglu
Director Top Sectors and Industrial Policy, Ministry of Economy, Netherlands
Serpil Tascioglu is an internationally recognized senior leader with over 20 years of executive experience at Unilever alongside board and non-executive roles. She currently serves as Director at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, where she leads strategic initiatives shaping the future of the Netherlands. She built Unilever’s global innovation center ‘Hive’, led global business strategy and M&A, forged breakthrough partnerships focused on inclusive growth and technology. Named one of the Top 10 international leaders shaping the future, she is known for her ability to unite CEOs, ministers, and changemakers around bold ideas. She brings a rare combination of visionary leadership, operational excellence, and purpose-driven strategy.

Elise Teuben
Director of Knowledge and Innovation, Command Equipment and IT, Dutch Ministry of Defence

Mary Beth Vitale
WCD Interim CEO, Chair of the Board, Empire Cyber Group, Board Member, LUNA Innovations
Mary Beth Vitale is CEO and Principal for Pellera, LLC., a consulting firm that provides board training in cyber security and governance education to public, private and large not-for-profit firms.
Ms. Vitale currently serves on Luna Innovations (NASDAQ: LUNA) and G.E.H.A., a 501C9 VEBA association board. Formerly, she served on the board of Pareteum (TEUM) where she served as Chair of the board, Chair of Nominating and Governance. She was also a member of the Audit, Compensation and Strategy committees. She restructured the company and sold it in 2022.
She also served on the board CoBiz Financial, a $3.8 Billion publicly traded financial that was sold in 2018. She was Chair of Nominating and Governance and Risk and Audit committee.

Marnie Wilking
VP Chief Security Officer, Booking.com, Board Director, Robert Half
As Chief Security Officer, Marnie Wilking leads Booking.com’s global CyberSecurity, Safety and Fraud programs. Over the course of her career she has built and led Cybersecurity and Enterprise Risk Management programs to meet business and regulatory needs for Financial Services, Healthcare Technology, and E-Commerce companies worldwide. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Robert Half International; and non-profit organizations RH-ISAC and CyberCrime Support Network.

Anka Wittenberg
Senior Vice President, Global HR, SAP

Anka Wittenberg, economist and former Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at SAP, has championed social sustainability in business and society for over 30 years.
With deep expertise in the economic impact of diversity, she has driven inclusive change across global organizations. Anka has served as Head of People Sustainability at SAP and is a Supervisory Board Member, Certified Coach, and Angel Investor. Recognized as one of Germany’s 25 most influential women, she advocates for companies to align their strategies with human needs and social openness.
Her leadership continues to shape equitable, forward-thinking workplaces committed to lasting impact.

Inge van Zon-Zeilstra
Insurance Sector Lead, KPMG in the Netherlands
What To Do
Institute Agenda
17:30 - 19:00
09:00
Euronext N.V.
09:30
10:15
10:30
Panel
11:15
11:30
Keynote & Panel
12:15
Panel
13:00
14:00
Keynote & Panel
14:45
Panel
15:30
15:45
Keynote & Panel
16:30
Panel
17:30
17:45
18:40
08:30
09:00
09:15
Keynote
10:00
Panel
11:00
11:30
Fireside
12:00
Keynote
12:45
13:00
WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND
An Opportunity to
Make meaningful connections with other women corporate directors and business leaders from around the world
Get leading-edge insights and learn from governance experts and visionaries
Increase your influence and impact as a board director
Ignite innovation in your boardroom
Champion WCD and our global community of women
Location
Meet us in the heart of Amstelveen
KPMG Amsterdam
Laan van Langerhuize 1
1186 DS Amstelveen, Netherlands

Hotel Options

Bilderberg Garden Hotel
Dijsselhofplantsoen 7, 1077 BJ

Hilton Amsterdam
Apollolaan 138, 1077 BG
FAQS
Additional information on the Europe Institute
QUESTIONS?
Contact Us
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