The context in which directors and supervisors operate has become more complex: expectations are shifting, societal pressure is increasing, and implicit differences become apparent more quickly. I see the impact this has on people and how easily precisely what needs to be discussed slips from view. In my guidance, I help explore the conversation: where does it require further in-depth analysis, and where does it not? Preparation is part of that search, both individually and collectively. I return what becomes visible to the group so that ownership remains there. I am a passerby, but one who wants to help in a context that demands role clarity, strategic dialogue, and carefulness in how we interact with one another. Because I regularly share stories and discuss case studies in books and on LinkedIn to raise awareness about supervision, the impression might arise that my critical eye also defines my role as a facilitator. I make a sharp distinction between the two. In my publications, I take a position to advance the profession; in the boardroom, I am supportive and process-oriented. I provide questions, structure, and reflection – no judgment. The Board always retains control over the pace, format, and outcome.
Through interactive sessions, I offer more than just knowledge transfer. As a speaker, I facilitate a dialogue on topics that matter but are often difficult to discuss. My lectures and workshops focus on reflection, recognition, and conversation—at a strategic level while also paying attention to human dynamics. Depending on the specific request, I work with specially designed simulations and methods that help to experience the unspoken: implicit assumptions, tensions, power, and counter-power. This makes my sessions interactive, insightful, and directly applicable in practice. I speak the language of executives, supervisors, and leaders, connecting academic insights with recognizable practical experience. Themes I regularly speak about: Governance paradigms and changing context; Dilemmas, silent conflicts, and the unsaid; Power and counter-power; Risks associated with long-serving directors; Cultures of speaking and silence; Leadership and chairmanship styles; Dealing with differences and conflicts; Diversity and dynamics in the boardroom; Strategic dialogue and strategy realization; Paper power and what it masks. My lectures are suitable as keynotes, interactive lectures, or in-depth sessions for leadership development programs, boardrooms, governance training, and gatherings where reflection and dialogue are central.
My passion is research. I consider everything I do a form of research, but formally, I'm a researcher when I write scientific papers. It took me years to get my first scientific publication accepted in a top international journal in my field. I'm now working on several papers that are well advanced, although I know it will take time to get them published, if at all. Investigating the unsaid also brings with it a confrontation with the philosophy of science, and thus with the fallacies that exist not only in the boardroom but also within science itself. Including my own. This makes it not only an intellectual challenge but also a fascinating reflection on the relationship between science and governance.
