RSM Leadership Summit: a decade of leading thought and action

Every year, RSM invites the business community to an event that engages everyone in a debate about issues and challenges in business and leadership, and presents inspiration and answers from international business leaders and thinkers.

The RSM Leadership Summit is a lively platform for all kinds of business practitioners to engage in a day of high-level networking and the sharing of knowledge and experiences. Discussions and question panels are inspired by the unique presentations from leading thinkers. The audience – which includes the business community, alumni, RSM’s top academics, students and staff – are invited to contribute to the exchange in facilitated networking sessions.

RSM’s focus on being a force for positive change in the world means that the theme of each year’s event presents a new viewpoint for business and management in the 21st century, and is an opportunity for participants to become part of that positive change.

Since its launch in 2009, the RSM Leadership Summit has become recognised as a unique way to deepen the connection between this leading European business school and the business community. It also marks the start of RSM’s annual reunion weekend for its MBA alumni.
 

Previous speakers

Prominent business leaders speaking at the summit have included:

  • Feike Sijbesma (CEO Royal DSM)
  • Frans van Houten (CEO Philips)
  • Guus Dekkers (CIO Airbus)
  • Søren Hansen (VP IKEA Group);
  • Rene Hooft Graafland (CFO Heineken)
  • Michiel Muller (CEO of Picnic, Tango)
  • Shaun Tomson (entrepreneur, author, world-champion surfer)
  • Marlies Dekkers (entrepreneur, author, fashion designer)

Feike Sijbesma

CEO Royal DSM

Feike Sijbesma

Frans van Houten

CEO Philips

Frans van Houten

Guus Dekkers

CIO Airbus

Guus Dekkers

Søren Hansen

VP IKEA Group

Søren Hansen

Rene Hooft Graafland

CFO Heineken

Rene Hooft Graafland

Michiel Muller

CEO of Picnic, Tango

Michiel Muller

Shaun Tomson

entrepreneur, author, world-champion surfer

Shaun Tomson

Marlies Dekkers

entrepreneur, author, fashion designer

Marlies Dekkers

Past summits

RSM Leadership Summit 2019

Change is the only constant

More than 600 people joined the biggest ever line-up of speakers, including Hanneke Faber (President Global Foods & Refreshment at Unilever), Rolf Dauskardt (Owner, Rebel Group) and Felicity Aston MBE (the first woman to cross Antarctica alone) at Rotterdam’s iconic Van Nelle Factory on 4 October 2019.

In a volatile world, the business landscape of the 21st century will be characterised by ever changing trends and events. Participants were challenged by the speakers to look at this changing world from three perspectives; innovation, disruption and philosophy in a variety of breakout session. 

Participant in RSM Leadership Summit 2019

RSM Leadership Summit 2019 - Aftermovie

RSM Leadership Summit 2018

The power of purpose

Academics and top speakers Michiel Muller (founder and CEO of Picnic), Marlies Dekkers (entrepreneur and fashion designer), Vincent van den Boogert (CEO of ING Nederland), Shaun Tomsom (entrepreneur, author, world-champion surfer) and Prof. Daan Stam shared their purpose-led approaches – from the disruptive to the innovative – at Rotterdam’s iconic Van Nelle Factory on 12 October 2018. Find out how participants explored how business can be a force for positive change.  

Speaker in RSM Leadership Summit 2018

RSM Leadership Summit 2018 - Aftermovie

RSM Leadership Summit 2017

Business: a force for positive change

Academics and top speakers including CEO Feike Sijbesma (Royal DSM) and Corien Wortmann-Kool, chair of the board at ABP Pensionfund, shared their perspectives on how business can help tackle inequality, poverty, and climate change at the RSM Leadership Summit 2017. Find out how participants explored how business can be a force for positive change.  

Speaker in RSM Leadership Summit 2017

RSM Leadership Summit 2017 - Aftermovie

RSM Leadership Summit 2016

The culture of ‘we’ and how to get there

Ideas, experience, research and inspiration for creating an inclusive community in businesses and organisations came out of the 2016 RSM Leadership Summit. They were delivered by an international fashion CEO, by academics who gave their observations from research, and by a satirist who used engaging humour to show the necessity for trust. And why is it important? The concept of inclusiveness and a ‘we’ culture can improve the productivity and opportunities of success for all kinds of organisations.

If you missed the event, we’ve summed it up in our reports, photos and videos of all the presentations, break-out sessions, debates and networking.

Speaker in RSM Leadership Summit 2016

RSM Leadership Summit 2016 - Aftermovie

RSM Leadership Summit 2015

‘Staying human’ is part of the leadership survival kit

Speakers:
  • RSM Dean Professor Steef van de Velde
  • Marijn Dekkers, Bayer AG
  • Rob van Tulder, RSM
  • Dutch TV journalist Twan Huys
  • Dorothee van Vredenburch, NN Group
  • Joep Cornelissen, RSM
  • Merel van Vroonhoven, AFM
  • Lucas Meijs, RSM

RSM Leadership Summit 2014

Big data: data scientists have the ‘sexiest job’ of the 21st century

Speakers:
  • RSM Dean Professor Steef van de Velde
  • Ulla Kruhse-Lehtonen, Sanoma
  • Riikka Turunen, Sanoma
  • Peter Vervest, RSM
  • Jens-Peter Seick, Fujitsu
  • Roland Schütz, Lufthansa Passage
  • Eric van Heck, RSM
  • Dutch TV journalist Twan Huys

RSM Leadership Summit 2013

Leadership Summit sees business leaders showing how to re-invent the future

Speakers:
  • RSM Dean Professor Steef van de Velde
  • Lodewijk Hijmans van den Bergh, Ahold
  • Pieter van Oord, CEO at Van Oord
  • Dutch TV journalist Twan Huys
  • Frans van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips
  • Paul Smits, CFO at Port of Rotterdam Authority

RSM Leadership Summit 2012

Value Creation at the Edge of Technology

Speakers:
  • RSM Dean Professor Steef van de Velde
  • Four high-profile senior decision-makers from the worlds of strategy and technology, innovation and governmental affairs made impressive and remarkable keynote presentations about working at the interface between value creation for business and for people.

RSM Leadership Summit 2011

The Road to Re-invention

Speakers:
  • RSM Dean Professor Steef van de Velde
  • Guus Dekkers, Airbus
  • Doug Baillie, Unilever
  • Christoffel Hiltermann, MSc General Management
  • Søren Hansen, IKEA
  • Abe de Jong, RSM
  • Raoul van Engelshoven, IBM NL
  • Meiny Prins, Priva BV
  • Sukhbir Jasuja, ITpreneurs
  • Diederik Laman Trip, ING Netherlands, Postbank and RVS insurance
  • Johan H. Andresen Jr, Ferd Norway

RSM Leadership Summit 2010

Big data: data scientists have the ‘sexiest job’ of the 21st century

Speakers:
  • RSM Dean Professor Steef van de Velde
  • Ulla Kruhse-Lehtonen, Sanoma
  • Riikka Turunen, Sanoma
  • Peter Vervest, RSM
  • Jens-Peter Seick, Fujitsu
  • Roland Schütz, Lufthansa Passage
  • Eric van Heck, RSM
  • Dutch TV journalist Twan Huys

Contact

For all your questions about the RSM Leadership Summit, please contact: