QUARTERLY BOARD UPDATE: BOARD MEMBER GORDON BAXENDALE ON THE VIRTUAL QUARTERLY BOARD MEETING IN NOVEMBER

10 december 2020

 

Every quarter, the Lovinklaan Foundation Board members convene to discuss program developments and strategy. After the meeting, one of the board members provides an update on the outcome. This time around, departing board Treasurer Gordon Baxendale will share his thoughts on the virtual gathering. Gordon is also the Director of Program, Cost and Asset Management at Arcadis in Australia.

 “For the fourth time this year, the board of Lovinklaan met virtually to discuss the development and continuity of our valued programs. As we continue to navigate this new normal, we maintain health and safety as our top priority – which is why we will continue to hold our board meetings virtually for the foreseeable future.

Board updates

Our Q4 board meeting was a bittersweet one as it was my last. Marc Kefford is the newest addition to the board and will succeed me. In addition to myself, two of our valuable board members will be stepping down from their respective roles: Todd Bechtel and Holly Herner. I would personally like to thank Todd and Holly for their roles as Chairperson and Secretary – we could not have navigated this challenging time without you. Effective January, Marco Foo will take over my role as Treasurer of the Board, while Nora Taylor will take over as Secretary, and Cécile Cluitmans will step in as Chairperson. I have the utmost confidence that Marco, Nora and Cécile will continue to grow and develop the Lovinklaan Foundation.

COVID-19 & Programs

Going into the fourth quarter, we continue to see an impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on our programs. To protect the health and safety of our people, we will continue with the temporary suspension on our (global) programs which have a face-to-face element.

In terms of funding, Arcadis has made the decision to forego paying out its annual dividend as part of its cost savings measures to mitigate the impact from COVID-19. However, we do not foresee this effecting our programs, as we have already suspended many of the activities which had been planned over the last year.

Although the potential for a vaccine is on the horizon, we are still unable to determine how the pandemic will evolve going forward. Protecting the health and safety of our people is our number one priority. Despite being unable to meet face-to-face, we will continue exploring potential alternatives to our planning and development programs, on which we will share an update as soon as possible.

As we approach the end of the fiscal year, I cannot help but reflect on how well Lovinklaan has managed to navigate through this challenging period brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a potential vaccine is on the horizon, we must continue to be patient through these uncertain times. I am confident that we will persevere and come out of this crisis stronger.

I want to thank all the board members and fellow Arcadians for making my time as a Treasurer and board member so inspiring. I will never forget how rewarding this journey has been.”

The Lovinklaan Foundation – the largest shareholder in Arcadis – is led by employees of Arcadis. The board currently consists of seven Arcadians from different divisions and countries around the globe. They balance their day-to-day workload with their responsibilities for the Foundation; contributing to the continuity of the enterprise and helping Arcadians grow and reach their full potential. In addition to work on Foundation programs and communications by e-mail and multiple Skype calls, the board meets face-to-face each quarter to discuss developments, make strategic decisions and meet local participants.

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