RSM Transforming Business: Forward Faster Together

Willem Ferwerda is the Founder of Commonland, a nonprofit foundation pioneering long-term, landscape-scale solutions for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, regenerative agriculture, community well-being, and economic resilience. He developed the 4 Returns framework in 2012, a holistic model for integrated landscape management, delivering inspirational, social, natural, and financial returns over 20 years, inspired by the Ecosystem Approach under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

With a background in biology, tropical ecology, and agriculture from the University of Amsterdam and Universidad Nacional Colombia, Ferwerda has extensive experience in ecological systems and the socio-economic challenges of tropical regions. His early career included leading rainforest conservation programs at IUCN Netherlands, overseeing ecosystem grants in over 40 countries, and fostering global dialogue between CEOs and conservationists.

In 2013, he founded Commonland to implement the 4 Returns framework, now active in over 20 countries. In 2024, Ferwerda transitioned from CEO to focus on policy, landscape finance, and advising governments, foundations, and initiatives. He is an executive fellow at the Rotterdam School of Management, advisor to IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, and serves on boards like Future for Nature Foundation. Recognized for his visionary work, Ferwerda has received accolades such as the Dutch Sustainable 100 (2016) and the Wubbo Ockels Brandaris Oeuvre Prize (2023).

Muriel is a thought leader in sustainability strategy, value creation, innovation, and implementation. The hallmark of her approach is the ‘triple win’ of simultaneous value creation for companies, customers, and planet and society. 

She co-hosts a weekly radio show, BNR Sustainable, and writes scientific articles, gives keynote presentations, and leads leadership journeys. Muriel began her career at Unilever and became Chief Marketing Officer of Royal Grolsch before joining telecom and media to become Business Development Director of Talpa Media Netwerk and CMO and CSO of KPN. She co-founded Talent naar de Top, a Dutch foundation that aims to make the senior management of companies more inclusive.

Steve is the Scientific Director of ERIM’s Centre for Eco-Transformation and has experience of collaborating on sustainability in a wide variety of sectors including finance, construction, agriculture, electronics, and chemicals. His research approaches how systems and resilience thinking can help organisations to tackle grand societal challenges such as climate change and loss of biodiversity, and has featured in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He has taught on sustainability issues at all levels including bachelor, master and executive education. 

Fleur Osté is Head of Marketing for Unilever’s ice cream division in the Benelux and oversees Magnum and Ben & Jerry's. She has a passion for sustainability, marketing, and the arts. She gained international experience in Brazil and Ireland during internships at AkzoNobel, Unilever and Procter & Gamble. Her career with Unilever has included marketing and commercial roles around the world, and her innovative marketing strategies have earned her industry awards. Fleur serves on the supervisory board of Social Enterprise NL, where she contributes to the social enterprise sector in the Netherlands. Fleur's multifaceted career and personal passions highlight her commitment to making a difference in both business and society.

Before he founded Seenons, a platform for helping large enterprises with circular waste management, RSM alumnus Joost Kamermans honed his skills as a strategy consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. He has a strong foundation in strategy and a vision for sustainable solutions, Joost is committed to transforming the future of waste management. He graduated from RSM with an MSc Finance & Investments and a BSc International Business Administration. He’s passionate about global perspectives studied at Wharton School in the US, Torcuato di Tella in Brazil, and Rollins College in Orlando.

Merei Wagenaar is the Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Netherlands. With more than 20,000 participating companies and 60+ country networks, the UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. Merei previously worked for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Economic Affairs. She aims to unite various stakeholders to increase and accelerate the impact on the SDGs. She has an MSc in chemical engineering from the University of Twente and an Executive MBA from RSM.

Dr. Jochem Kroezen is an Associate Professor in Organisation Theory at RSM and Academic Director of the full-time MBA. Jochem earned his PhD from RSM in 2014, and was an Assistant Professor in International Business at the Cambridge Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge in the UK. He specialises in the sociological side of organisation and management theory. His current research focuses on ‘craft’ as an alternative approach to organising work in the 21st century.

Malou uses her skills in learning development, stakeholder management, business development and ecosystem innovation to design and deliver innovative and impactful initiatives for the energy transition and society. She helps to co-create research and programmes to tackle the complex and urgent challenges that need to be addressed using new knowledge, skills and perspectives. The Centre supports impactful and enriching education programmes, and encourages transdisciplinary research to support long lasting and valuable relationships to unite the quadruple helix of business, government, society and citizens.

Derk was among the first researchers to develop the concept and approach of transition management as new form of governance for sustainable development. In 2004 he started the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (Drift) at EUR, together with Jan Rotmans. He has been successful in bringing in funds for experimental applied transition projects, and has over 100 publications in this area and has researched numerous transition processes with government, business, civil society and science. He is a frequently invited keynote speaker in and outside Europe. 

Isidora is a Senior Advisor for Sustainable Business at Nature’s Pride, Europe's leading importer of exotic fruit and vegetables. Since its establishment almost 25 years ago, Nature’s Pride has been working from the conviction that enjoying the tastiest fruit and vegetables today, can contribute to a better world tomorrow. From social wellbeing to responsible water use, climate and biodiversity, Nature's Pride is a frontrunner in the sector.

Isidora leads (public-private) projects aimed at reducing environmental impact in the food industry, focusing on issues such as climate change, food waste, and promoting biodiversity. Isidora also serves on the steering committee of SIFAV (Sustainable Initiative Fruit and Vegetables), which brings together stakeholders from the supply chain to improve sustainability practices across the industry.

She will share her experience in making the food supply chain more sustainable and the role businesses can play in shaping the future of agriculture.

Dr Piero Morseletto teaches circular economy at RSM. He has worked at the UNESCO Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences and PwC, and was the founder of a biotech company that applied sustainability and circular economy principles. Early in his career, Piero participated in the Executive Training Programme Japan of the European Commission, working for the Japan External Trade Organization and Kajima Construction. He holds a PhD in Environmental Policy and Analysis from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, an MPhil in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge, and bachelor and master degrees in Economics from the University of Trento, Italy.

Helene advises on internal and external compliance, which includes anti-bribery, corruption, competition law, sanctions, privacy and human rights. Her recent experience is in risk and compliance and conducting investigations for major pharmaceutical companies, as advisor on competition law and issues like behavioural issues and merger control. She was a senior associate advising on EU and Dutch competition law at Amsterdam law firms Stibbe, and at Clifford Chance. She has a MSc in Compliance and Integrity Management, a post-graduate degree in European Law, and a Master’s in Law.

Jenny, a seasoned global leader with experience from big brands, believes sustainability is an imperative for the success of any company. At Trivium she is committed to positively impacting the lives of millions of people through sustainable and circular products that have won awards for designs that make products stand out. Trivium (Latin for three roads converging) holds people, planet and customers as the foundation to its success in delivering high quality, innovative and sustainable packaging that protects and promotes its partners’ brands. She has an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology.

Tommaso Troiani is a serial entrepreneur and the cofounder and CEO of Byewaste, a circular economy start-up transforming recycling and sustainable living in the Netherlands using technology, community engagement to build a scalable, zero-waste future. He’s an industrial engineer with a systemic approach to innovation and extensive expertise in recycling and circular economy from working in TU Delft's Resources & Recycling department. He extended his entrepreneurial skills with courses at MIT Sloan School of Management where he specialised in scaling impactful ventures. He has founded and led initiatives in waste management, including managing European projects and co-creating online courses on recycling.

Maurice is the Global Head of Sustainability at Signify, a company producing smart energy-saving lighting products, systems and services. He is responsible for its programmes to improve the company’s positive impact, and has more than 23 years of experience in the lighting industry with Philips and Signify. He was Signify’s Head of Sustainability Strategy and Reporting and its Director Collection and Recycling, and an international supervisory board member for four e-waste collection and recycling organisations across Europe. He began his career in IT program management and pricing. He has an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management Science and a BSc in Electrical
Engineering from the Technical University of Eindhoven.

Rob Zuidwijk’s research and teaching focuses on synchronising transportation networks, connecting the port to global supply chains, and coordinating global supply chains for sustainability. He’s an active participant in Rotterdam’s SmartPort collaboration between universities and the port community for smart logistics and sustainable, reliable and efficient transport chains, and in Topsector Logistics for innovating Dutch logistics. His work has been published in top academic journals for operations and transportation.

Els is a researcher, designer and teacher with extensive experience in academic research projects and in design practice in the urban environment. She focuses on a sustainable, smart and shared future built environment, and in particular how societal actors, notably citizens, play a role in the production of spaces. Els is an experienced lecturer and speaker and is author of a number of published articles, blogs, and books. She has a PhD in urbanism and urban governance from TU Delft, after which she researched circular processes in the built environment as a research fellow.

Hievda Elgersma is a Programme Manager at the UN Global Compact, focusing on both environmental and social topics. This year, her focus has been on the SDG Ambition and Target Gender Equality accelerator, DEI peer learning group and reporting. Previously, she interned at the Principles for Responsible Management Education in New York and holds a Master’s in Global Business & Sustainability from Rotterdam School of Management.

Diana is an advocate for fair and equitable workplaces, serving as a People (HR) Project Manager at Philips, where she specializes in corporate sustainability (ESG) reporting and scaling Diversity, Inclusion, and Wellbeing initiatives. With a passion for fostering inclusive environments, Diana has led efforts to implement diversity, work-life balance, and social protection metrics within the organization.

Currently, Diana works on embedding the new European Sustainability Reporting Standards at Philips, with a focus on social sustainability. Her academic background includes a Master’s research on the Limits of Corporate Diversity Work, nominated for the David van Lennep Award.

As a panel speaker on gender equality, Diana brings valuable insights into the critical role of policymaking, public-private cooperation, measurement metrics, and inclusive discourse in driving equitable workplaces for all genders.

Tom Boertjes is a Sustainability Officer at Eneco, where he specializes in carbon accounting, policy development, risk assessments, and both voluntary and compulsory climate reporting. With a strong academic foundation in Environmental Economics (BSc) and Climate Studies (MSc), focusing on Environmental System Analysis, he brings deep expertise to his role.

Prior to Eneco, Tom worked at Louwman Group in Corporate Social Responsibility and non-financial reporting, contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives.

Marco Swan is a seasoned sustainability professional with expertise in driving climate action within the corporate and financial sector. He is the Financial Institutions Engagement Manager for the international Science Based Targets initiative and co-leads the development and implementation of strategies to engage financial institutions for a net zero future. 

He has years of experience managing the United Nations Global Compact’s Climate Ambition Accelerator in the Netherlands, and a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges of aligning corporate and financial strategies with the goals of the UN’s Paris Agreement. 

Vivian Hartlief’s work focuses on integrating creative fundraising, operational frameworks, and strategic collaborations to achieve living wages and decent work on a global scale. She played a key role in the publication of WageIndicator's living wage estimates earlier this year. She also manages a labour law compliance tool based on workers' voices with projects in Ethiopia and Bangladesh, called Decent Work Check. 

Vivian brings extensive experience from international NGOs, where she has led strategic plans that strengthened partnerships, enhanced project sustainability, and delivered impactful results. Her work has spanned gender equality, combatting gender-based violence, and circular economy.

Rob van Tulder is emeritus full Professor of International Business-Society Management, co-founder of RSM’s Department of Business-Society Management, and Academic Director of the Partnerships Resource Centre. He is a Fellow of the Academy of International Business and the European International Business Academy, and a member of the Academia Europea for creating value for society. He advises international organisations, governments, multinational enterprises and international NGOs on issues of sustainability and strategy. His latest books include Principles of Sustainable Business and Frameworks for Corporate Action on the SDGs. www.principlesofsustainablebusiness.nl www.robvantulder.nl

Marjolein Scheerders leads the integration of Responsible Wage Practices (RWP) at IKEA, supporting the company’s commitment to providing decent work and fair incomes for all contributors to its business. As a global compensation specialist, she co-developed the Living Wage methodology within the RWP Framework, starting in 2018, with integration beginning in 2021.

Previously she held several Compensation & Benefits roles at IKEA and Unilever over the past 20 years.

Chrysoula specialises in research strategy and policy. She leads a multi-expert team supporting and enabling research excellence at RSM’s research institute ERIM. 

She has a transdisciplinary research background in earth sciences and integrated water resources management, and is passionate about systemic approaches that contribute to a sustainable future. 

Her international career includes research and research management in Greece, the UK and the Netherlands. She is affiliated with H2O People that focuses on the societal impact of the water sector, and manages international capacity building programmes for the Wetskills Foundation.

Nathan is Director of RSM’s Erasmus Platform for Sustainable Value Creation and a researcher who covers a wide array of legal issues related to finance and the environment, particularly financial regulation, monetary policy, and corporate governance. He was a postdoctoral associate and lecturer at Yale University, and a visiting scholar at Stanford University, Duke University, and Queen Mary University of London. Prior to his PhD, Nathan clerked for the EU law unit of Conseil d'État, France's highest administrative court and legal advisor to the government. Nathan has a double doctoral degree as an LDE fellow from Erasmus University Rotterdam and Leiden University.

As the Global Strategist Energy Transition, Susan Hansen is responsible for developing Rabobank's research portfolio of Energy Transition analyst team that she has founded. The team focuses on topics ranging from grids and networks to renewable energy production, storage, and waste management, to name a few.

Susan has got a long-standing career within Rabobank. During her many years in research, Susan has developed thought leadership in many sectors that range from vegetable oil commodities to packaging and renewable energy. Susan has also held several high-profile roles in Rabobank, for example as the Head of the global Clean Tech Research team and as Strategist Supply Chains where she was responsible for the global research team focused on the food packaging and food logistics sectors. Susan had set up and managed both teams.

In between, Susan also had a sting in financing where she was working on complex international transactions in various fields, including acquisition finance, asset-based financing, export finance as well as trade & commodity finance. Prior to working at Rabobank, Susan gained experience in research, analysis, project management and complex contract negotiations in the global telecom and staffing industries.