These leaders really make BV Netherlands more inclusive

Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance. It is a well-known statement about the domain that has come to be called D&I or DE&I (diversity, equity & inclusion), which succinctly summarizes what it is about. The latter term is our preference. Because let’s not forget the E for Equity: dancing along is one thing, being seen as an equal dance partner is another.

After all, that’s what it’s all about: equal opportunities for everyone. Whoever you are, whatever your name is, wherever you come from, whoever you love and what you believe in. DE&I is actually not more complicated, although the reality appears to be more difficult. Not everyone is or feels welcome on the dance floor that is the Dutch business community. Not everyone gets an invite to the party.

Better leaders, better world

For the fourth year in a row, MT/Sprout looked for leaders who will change this. We present the fourth edition of our Inclusive30, the annual list of thirty people who demonstrably make the business community more diverse, inclusive and equal. Who are the trailblazers who ensure that everyone can dance along? We like to give those people (m/f/x) a platform.

That’s how you should view the Inclusive30. Not a competition or ranking, but a platform for their story and vision, in the belief that they in turn can inspire many others. Because we believe that better leaders make a better world. And in order to accelerate (more) towards organizations in which everyone flourishes and which better reflect society.

‘Business case for D&I’

What is often forgotten in the debate surrounding DE&I, these leaders agree, is that it is essential for the future-proofing of companies. How do you move forward as an organization if everyone looks at things with the same view? Representation leads to multiple perspectives, and multiple perspectives lead to dialogue. Neuroscientist Marcia Goddard aptly calls this the “business case for D&I.”

Our Inclusive30, Class of 2024, also approaches the theme from multiple positions and angles. They are the authoritative experts and thinkers, the leaders with vision within organizations, the entrepreneurs who advocate more inclusive ways of recruiting and working. As Karim Akhlal puts it succinctly: ‘The approach should be: as long as you have the skills and talents to move our organization forward, you are very welcome.’

With HR tech company Recrout, Akhlal is pioneering objective recruitment technology. So that people who might otherwise be overlooked get a fair chance. That is also the mission of Jemuel Lampe (Pure Coffee) and Raphaël Nouwen (Untapped Talents). The first supports ex-detainees with its coffee roasting company in a successful return to society, the second helps residents in asylum seekers’ centers in their search for work.

Throwing open doors

Then there are the people who open the doors in ‘their’ sector. Like Johanna Spiller, who with tech startup Alyx puts an end to an outdated but persistent myth in the tech industry: we want to hire women, but we can’t find them. Mélanie Bosboom wants to get more women into the financial world with recruitment platform Female x Finance, and lawyer Soeradj Ramsanjhal aims for more diversity in the legal profession with Bridges Network.

We circle back from being invited to the party to being asked to dance. Because diversity means nothing without equality and inclusion, these leaders know. Without an inclusive corporate culture, talents will quickly leave. That is why they are strongly committed to this. For example, by fully focusing on psychological safety, as CEO As Tempelman of Eneco does, with a ‘laundry list of interventions’ to anchor this in the organization.

A safe organization is an organization where people can be themselves. Where no one has to shy away or code-switch (constantly adapt to prevailing corporate standards, ed.), a phenomenon that Shenin Lebrun personally wants to eliminate as founder and CEO of Hustle & Heart Consultancy. And where people can be open about their sexuality, a space that tech entrepreneur Matthijs Welle wants to create both inside and outside his growth company Mews.

Ambassador, role model and mentor

Some simply make an impact by being who they are: an example worth following. For example, Faisal Setoe, as the new general manager of HDI Global Netherlands, as of June 1, 2024, is a striking appearance in the insurance landscape as one of the few non-white CEOs. As a director, you should let your results speak for you, he believes. ‘But I also want to act as an ambassador where I can.’

In this way, more leaders from the Inclusive30 ensure progress. By acting as a role model and mentor and supporting others. By showing that it is possible and opening doors for the next generation. “Because within every organization you need people who are on your side,” says Kobi Ampoma, head of talent acquisition at Heineken Netherlands and mentor in the Giving Back program.

Alien statistics

Then there are the people who direct money flows. Women entrepreneurs receive less than 1 percent of all venture capital. Shocking, says impact entrepreneur Willemijn Verloop, who founded Rubio Impact Ventures, among others. Of the portfolio companies of this impact investment fund, approximately one third have female founders. Investor Andy Lürling shows similar (and unfortunately still alien) statistics with Lumo Labs.

Not everything is so easy to measure, including the Inclusive30. We already noted: this is not a top 30 based on realized impact (that impact is also not always easy to quantify). The creation was not a mathematical exercise (see box) and MT/Sprout certainly does not claim to have compiled the definitive and complete list with the Inclusive30.

What it is, for the fourth time now: a deserved platform for leaders who make a difference in various roles, each with a strong vision for a fairer business community.

The 2024 Inclusive30 was made possible by Whyz Executive Search.

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