Board Member Cecile Cluitmans about the Quarterly Meeting in France

04 mei 2018

The Lovinklaan Foundation – the largest shareholder in Arcadis – is led by employees of Arcadis. The board consists of seven Arcadians from different business lines and countries around the globe. The board members combine their day-to-day Arcadis responsibilities with different tasks for the Foundation; contributing to the continuity of Arcadis and helping Arcadians grow and reach their full potential. During the quarterly board meeting the Board meets face-to-face to discuss important developments and make decisions regarding the different employee programs sponsored by the Foundation. The quarterly meeting takes place in one of the Arcadis offices around the globe and gives them the opportunity to interact with local participants and create awareness for the foundation and different programs.


Cecile Cluitmans acts as board member of the Lovinklaan Foundation, she is leading the Workgroup Communications, theWorkgroup Global Shapers and the Workgroup Research & Development, and is Sector Leader Rail, Public Transport & (Air) Port Authorities and Member of the Leadership Team Infra Arcadis Europe North at Arcadis. She shares her experiences about the board meeting in the Paris, which took place in April 2018.

 

GENERATE AWARENESS FOR THE FOUNDATION AND ITS EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS

Cecile Cluitmans: “We decided to meet in Paris, France for the second quarterly meeting of 2018. The local team was very supportive and made sure we had the chance to learn more about our business in France. We had the opportunity to visit two offices during our stay, had interesting learning sessions with experts and had the chance to visit an impressive project. Together with the Leadership Team of France, we visited the Grand Paris Express, an exceptional project with state-of-the-art technology.

 

During our stay in Paris we had a mind-blowing moment when meeting with the France Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) team. We were amazed by their sophisticated approach and got a better understanding of the differences between diversity and inclusion between the different Arcadis entities, due to local regulations and legislation. Because of strict regulation in France, the local French team had become best-in-class in terms of D&I. We acknowledged the team is a great example for other Arcadis entities, stressing the importance to include people with disabilities and explicitly prevent age-, gender- and ethnic bias.

In only four days we were not only able to interact with a huge number of Arcadians and generate awareness about the different employee programs sponsored by The Lovinklaan Foundation, but also had profound conversations which will have an impact on the future direction the foundation is heading. Overall, we look back at a very fruitful, productive and inspiring week.”

GETTING READY TO LAUNCH OUR PILOT PROGRAM: Expedition DNA

“One of the most prominent goals for us as a Board is to encourage Arcadians to explore their boundaries and go beyond their comfort zone. We continuously invite Arcadians to take advantage of different opportunities offered, and recently decided to invest in a new pilot program Expedition DNA, to spark the interest of even more Arcadians around the globe. This new pilot program seamlessly connects with our – as well as Arcadis’ – ‘People First’ ambition and shows our commitment to diversity and inclusion. The new program is accessible for all employees, from different backgrounds and levels of experience and expertise.

Later this month Expedition DNA will be launched. The program enables Arcadians – from different levels and backgrounds – to take part in the digital transformation through an innovative mindset and developing digital capabilities. It contains a virtual online learning platform as well as face-to-face experiences to encourage Arcadians to exchange knowledge and interact with international colleagues.”

PRIORITIZE NEXT STEPS

“In Paris, we looked at key decisions made in the past months and came up with new priorities for the upcoming period. We spent time to prioritize our next actions, but also had conversations about how our role as the largest shareholder of Arcadis can be utilized best. For us it is of utmost importance to remain a trusted shareholder and invest in programs that are at the heart of the organization, including the principles of Sustainability, CSR, Integrity, and Diversity & Inclusion.”

 

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