Mother of three sons | Married | Cat Saartje | Amsterdam | Sister & Brother | Born in the Philippines | Economics | Arthur Andersen | Het Consulaat | Reconsulting | Vrije Universiteit | Boxing, Running & Hiking & Socializing
Marilieke Engbers (1969) earned her PhD in 2020 at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on the subject of "The unsaid in the boardroom and its impact on strategic decision-making." With more than 20 years of experience, she advises CEOs, executives, directors, and their consultants in the areas of strategy, culture, leadership, and change. Since 2019, she has primarily focused on facilitating self-evaluations of boards (one-tier and two-tier), with an emphasis on making governance more congruent. Her goal is to ensure that what is said is also put into practice. Additionally, she supports external supervisors, inspectors, and policymakers in training programs to help them achieve their governance objectives.
Her approach is both critical and empathetic, recognizing that people are often unaware of their blind spots. Her mission is to make these blind spots, along with the complacency that often unintentionally accompanies power, visible and open for discussion. Marilieke also acknowledges that she herself has blind spots and continuously strives to address the “unsaid” in her collaborations with clients, colleagues, and others.
In addition to advising executives and supervisors, Marilieke conducts academic research on governance from a behavioral perspective. As an action researcher, she focuses on how governance can be improved by concentrating on behavior, and she also studies the influence of management control systems on leadership and culture as part of governance. She is also a lecturer in the controller training program at Vrije Universiteit, where she teaches strategy realization and leadership.
Writing plays a crucial role in her work, as it helps her examine and refine her thought processes. She publishes her scientific insights in books and academic articles, including Onder Commissarissen (2021) and Eenzaam aan de top: over het ongezegde, macht en denkfouten (Lonely at the Top: On the Unsaid, Power, and Cognitive Biases), which she co-authored with her husband Pim Bouwman.
