Having an effective board is essential for scaling ventures. 63% of scale-ups have a supervisory board, versus 46% of ventures that stall. It is important that board members of scaling ventures support instead of intervene, coach instead of advise, and inspire rather than simply motivate. In other words, it is not easy being a good board member. And those who are, deserve some credit. Therefore, in collaboration with the ROMs and Golden Egg Check, ScaleUpNation has launched the annual Board Impact Award.
The winners
Proudly we present the three winners of the first edition of the Board Impact Award: Eline van Beest (Board member at LivAssured), Jeroen Cammeraat (Board member at Plasmacure, Cassini technologies), and Anouk ter Laak (Board member at The Greenery, OneThird, etc.). The three winners were announced during the ceremony on March 23, 2023 at the Social Impact Factory in Utrecht, where they presented their learnings. Winner Eline van Beest shares: “Being a board member is a whole different ball game. I had to learn many things, first of all to continuously consider my contributions carefully. That may involve listening more than speaking, asking questions instead of making statements, and recognising when to let others take the lead in discussions that are going in the right direction. You are trying to understand the situation in a very short timeframe. I had to learn to listen carefully to the background story, to other opinions and perspectives, and to ask clarifying questions to ensure I fully understand and grasp the situation before steering a process”. Aside from the three winners, there was also an honorable mention for Daan Kersten (Board member at Cadac Group, LeydenJar technologies) for his propelling board membership at several ventures.
The nominations
The quality of the nominations for the first year of The Board Impact Award has been truly The 5-headed jury of the Board Impact Award -consisting of Rob Becker (Becker MCI); Prof. Natalia Blagburn (Mercia); Matthijs Ingen-Housz (INGEN HOUSZ); Pauline Wink (4Impact Capital); and Menno van Dijk (ScaleUpNation)- was challenged in choosing the top 3 nominees. Chair of the board Rob Becker states “The jury was very impressed by the quality of the nominations received. It was not easy selecting the top 3, but after some comparative analysis and insightful calibration discussions, the jury has chosen three hugely impressive board members.” All three, the jury believes, will inspire other board members to be even more effective while having fun along the way.
The intention of the Board Impact Award
The Board Impact Award was brought into existence to inspire good board membership in the scale-up ecosystem, and celebrate those who put their best foot forward to do so. The goal of the award is to broaden the pool of supportive board members and boards that propel scale-ups, as well as support the growing ecosystem of impact scale-ups in the Netherlands (and beyond). Please get in touch with us if you want to stay up-to-date on the Board Impact Award or further initiatives around the topic.
About ScaleUpNation
At ScaleUpNation we are on a mission to significantly increase the number of impact-oriented scale-ups in the world. We know that only those that scale can move the needle in terms of impact. We specialize in helping companies transition from start-up to scale-up, through research, digital tools and tailored venture support. Over the past 3 years, we have worked with over 125 scale-up teams across Europe. Through carefully crafted interventions and tools, we help them make the transition to full-scale professional – every step of the way.