From Investment Management to the Boardroom: Evalinde Eelens on Leading With Purpose

For me, leadership means taking responsibility where you can make the greatest difference. That was one of the reasons I moved from investment management and advisory work into board roles.

I had spent nearly a decade advising pension boards and investment committees. Over time, I felt I could contribute more by helping shape decisions from the other side of the table.

There is still a need for board members with hands-on asset management experience, particularly when you consider the importance of diversity across the industry. But technical expertise is only part of what makes someone effective on a board.

In a supervisory role, you need to ensure sound governance, appropriate checks and balances, and sufficient independent challenge. You also need to be a strategic sparring partner for the executive board, bringing experience from other organizations to help examine long-term choices.

The balance matters. Good supervision is not simply about challenging management. It is about knowing how to combine constructive challenge with genuine engagement.

The people whose money we are responsible for are very present in Dutch pension governance.

Trustee boards traditionally include representatives of employers, trade unions, and retirees, alongside independent experts. There are also accountability structures that give participants a voice. That means you are working with people who may bring very different priorities and perspectives to the table. I've learned that listening is probably the most important skill in building agreement.

You can have a strong proposal, but that alone does not mean people will support it. The dynamics in the room matter. People need to feel heard and know their perspectives have genuinely been considered.

Once that happens, you can bring the conversation back to what everyone shares: the responsibility to act in the best interests of pension fund participants. That common purpose helps people move beyond their individual positions.
 

I believe leadership is something you have to develop deliberately.

People sometimes move into senior positions because they have been with an organization for a long time or because they are highly experienced in their field. But that does not automatically make them effective leaders. In governance, that can be a real vulnerability.

I often think about professional athletes. Even the most talented athletes do not stop training once they reach the top. Leadership should be approached in the same way.

I was interested in Columbia Business School's practical approach and the opportunity to examine my own leadership capabilities. The New York location was another advantage. I could combine the program with meetings in the city, making it an opportunity to invest in my leadership development while also strengthening my international network.

No matter how much experience you have, there is always something to improve.
 

The Myers-Briggs session made a particularly strong impression on me.

I had completed personality assessments before, but this discussion went deeper into how different personality preferences affect the way we use our energy. That was valuable because my schedule can be demanding. Some weeks involve long days of board meetings and travel. Others require hours of reading, preparation, and analysis.

Understanding what energizes me and what drains my energy has helped me become more deliberate about how I plan my time and maintain my engagement. It has also changed how I approach discussions.

I think more carefully about when to contribute my full energy, when to step back and listen, and when to give someone else more room to speak. In a boardroom, where judgment and collaboration are essential, those choices can make a real difference.
 

It has made me more intentional about how I contribute.

Board discussions require people to bring their expertise, but they also require people to recognize when their own perspective might not be enough.

Sometimes the most valuable contribution is asking a challenging question. Other times, it is listening carefully or creating space for someone who has not yet spoken.
The program helped me reflect on how I use my energy and how my approach affects the people around me.

That awareness supports greater balance and consistency, especially when discussions are demanding or when different perspectives need to be brought together.
 

The people.

The faculty provided an excellent foundation. Their frameworks and questions gave us a starting point for examining our own leadership approaches. But the other participants brought those ideas to life.

We came from different industries, countries, and professional backgrounds. People approached similar challenges from perspectives I might not have considered myself. Those conversations challenged my assumptions and made the learning richer.

What I particularly value is that some of those relationships have continued. I am still in touch with several people from the program, and we occasionally exchange insights, make introductions, or support one another's work. That is an important part of leadership development for me. The learning does not necessarily end when the program finishes.
 

Adaptability and the ability to build agreement.

Pension funds face changes in markets, regulation, technology, sustainability expectations, and what members expect from their funds. Boards have to be willing to reconsider assumptions and adjust their approach while remaining focused on their long-term fiduciary responsibilities.

Another challenge is polarization. When people bring different interests and values to a discussion, finding common ground can become more difficult. That makes listening, transparent communication, and the ability to explain trade-offs especially important.

I think this is where continued leadership development has real value. It helps directors examine how they make decisions, how they communicate, and how they respond when others disagree. I continue taking programs across leadership, strategy, technology, and regulation because I want to keep challenging my own thinking.

For me, learning is not about adding credentials. It is about remaining useful to the organizations and people I serve.
 

Arrive well-rested, know what you want to learn, and keep an open mind.

It is important to have clear objectives, but you should also be willing to question your assumptions. Some of the most valuable learning may come from being challenged or discovering something you did not expect.