Organizations must restore the balance between business continuity and concern for people, nature and society, according to Prof. Albert Plugge in his inaugural speech on June 14. Plugge is professor of ESG Transformation & Digital Innovation at Nyenrode Business University. "Financial interests have prevailed since the industrial revolution, but that concept is no longer tenable."

The way we govern our enterprises is under pressure, according to Prof. Dr. Jeroen Veldman in his inaugural lecture on May 29. “Organizations are increasingly confronted with expectations from various quarters. These expectations often pertain to mitigating systemic risks such as climate change. This development affects how we implement corporate governance."

Prof. Dr. Albert Plugge has been appointed as Professor of ESG Transformation & Digital Innovation at Nyenrode Business University as of September 1. He is part of the Expertise Center Entrepreneurship, Governance & Stewardship.

There is an urgency to incorporate human rights policy into your business operations, as stated by Yulia Levashova, Assistant professor at Nyenrode Business Universiteit. Besides a moral duty to take good care of your employees and ensure that your company respect human rights, it also makes a ‘good business sense.’

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) dominates discussions in the boardroom. The reason for the growing importance attached to ESG is that it will significantly affect the landscape in which companies and boards operate.

Major social issues continue to have an increasing impact, also on the business community. And these issues increasingly require corporate involvement. Remko Renes (member of the Nyenrode Corporate Governance Institute) and Auke de Bos (associated with the EUR and EY) elaborate on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors. They think about the meaning and the importance of ESG, and the influence of this topic’s focus and transparency on organizations and directors and the roles of supervisors and audits. Based on their insights, they give recommendations to directors, supervisory directors, advisers and accountants.

Ronald Jeurissen looks back on 25 years Nyenrode: “My first day was hilarious. In the first hour I managed to get into a tiff, twice, and my career at Nyenrode hadn’t even started yet”.

It is taking too long for companies to put well-being before profit. That is why a social duty of care must be enshrined in law. This is what Leen Paape says in his farewell speech as Professor of Corporate Governance at Nyenrode.