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"I am not under the illusion that there will come a time at which we can sit back and say: Right, there we are. Transformation done.”

Univé wanted to digitize whilst staying true to the organization’s DNA, tasking Ellen Peper to do just that when she was given a seat on the board as Chief Transformation Officer (CTO) in 2017. Since then, Peper has kickstarted a comprehensive transformation that will ultimately make Univé more attractive to its members. “We are harnessing the power of Univé, the power of cooperation.” Together with Frank Dijkstra, IT Director, she relates the story of how Univé is becoming a data-driven organization. “A transformation like this one touches on all layers of the organization: you have to convince everyone that a change is necessary.” One of Univé’s objectives is to develop an insurance brand with new services, most of which are linked to Univé’s insurance products. We want to move to an omni-channel service model, offering services digitally and in our physical stores, “in order to express our core values of ‘togetherness’, ‘closeness’, and ‘action’.”

Interview with Ellen Peper, Board Member and CTO of Coöperatie Univé, and Frank Dijkstra, IT Director

January 2021

Algorithms are more widely used than ever before and affect people and organizations alike on an even greater scale. Apart from algorithms being a useful way to optimize all sorts of operations, there is also a potential downside: they can potentially discriminate against certain people. The profiles used for fraud detection could for instance be questionable. Algorithms can also potentially influence hiring processes, mortgage applications and online targeting, and in all these processes, it is vital that people are treated fairly. The good news is that, although it is step by step, we can make algorithms fairer.

This article on Explainable & Fair AI is the third part of our series on Data and AI in the Boardroom and is powered by Rogier Emmen, Lead Consultant Data Science.

“Making mistakes is good, as long as you are fully committed to solving them and learning from them”

Chip machine manufacturer ASML is renowned for its progressiveness, due in part to technologies such as Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography. “ASML is one of the finest companies in Europe”, says CFO Roger Dassen. In his view, ASML was able to build this innovative reputation because it operates in a field where mistakes are accepted as necessary, provided that you learn from them and are 100% committed to solving them. “Everything goes, as long as the potential rewards outweigh the risk.”

The corona crisis has had far-reaching consequences for society. Not only with respect to the healthcare sector, as well businesses had to adjust its world view overnight. According to ORTEC’s Gerrit Timmer, mathematics can be of great value in turbulent, uncertain times. “Especially when it comes to significant disruptions, you need analytics to determine their effect. Only then you can calculate which measures will be the most effective.”

January 2021

Today’s wealth of available data and arsenal of analysis tools allow boardrooms to make more informed decisions, with AI and new technologies helping administrators to chart a course, get to the bottom line of scenarios and create value. However, Hans Spaan, Associate Director at ORTEC Data Science and member of Supervisory Boards, believes that technology alone won’t do the trick. Good governance and supervision require a keen eye from the outside-in, the ability to translate what is happening in the world to one’s own company, and cross-industry insight and understanding. First and foremost, however, they require vision.

This article on Governance & Supervision is the second part of our series on Data and AI in the Boardroom and is powered by Hans Spaan, Associate Director at ORTEC Data Science and member of Supervisory Boards.

Data can tell you a lot, but you have to be willing to listen, says Frans van Helden, managing director at ORTEC Consulting. This requires a mindset shift. Since the amount of data at disposal has increased significantly, board members should also continue to evolve in how they leverage data to make decisions. “You can’t automate everything, but you can scratch your head when you don’t have the data you need. In that case, you should ask yourself why you don’t have those data and what that says about the fundamentals of your decision.” Making better decisions is the essence of being ‘data-driven’, also in the boardroom.

This article on digital strategy is the first installment in our series on Data and Artificial Intelligence in the Boardroom and was made possible by Frans van Helden, Managing Director at ORTEC Consulting.

In 2019, ORTEC started a relationship with Amref Flying Doctors, owned by Amref Medical & Research Foundation. Amref is working on a healthy, strong Africa by educating medical professionals, offering basic care and counseling. ORTEC helps Amref to increase their impact on African health care by optimizing their business processes, making their projects quantifiable and the outcome of these projects more visible. Patricia Vermeulen, CEO at Amref Flying Doctors NL: “There are many parties that offer their help, but they don’t always fit.”

February 2021

Everyone wants to become data-driven and most organizations have realized by now that the transition revolves around acquiring the right data, technology, skills, and models. However, executives often seem to ignore the most important, and most exciting requirement: changing the corporate DNA. To facilitate a data-driven approach and to attract the new generation of digital talent, organizations will have to implement multiple mindset shifts. And not all of them are even directly related to data. What they do have in common, though, is that the board has a key role to play. Rianne Langenberg, Managing Consultant at ORTEC Consulting, takes us through several key requirements based on the five “Mindset shifts for organizational transformation’ published by ThoughtWorks. Such a philosophical and organizational shift starts at the top and requires a solid change plan.

This article on Mindset Shifts for Organizational Transformation is the last part of our series on Data and AI in the Boardroom and is powered by Rianne Langenberg, Managing Consultant.

“We jumped ten years into the future in one fell swoop. The change was not gradual: it was instant and disruptive”

TNO, the company for which Ellen Lastdrager serves as Managing Director of Traffic & Transport, has a variety of roles. TNO identifies new technological developments in the field of mobility for authorities and organizations. It furthermore supports organizations in developing products and services by making innovative technologies and methods available to them. According to Lastdrager, boards eager to introduce innovative ways of working now have the wind in their sails: “I’ve noticed that people have become a lot less fearful of digital technologies. It speeds up the rate at which new technologies are launched and adopted. I cannot see fully autonomous vehicles happening just yet, but these technologies certainly develop at a faster pace. As society’s adaptivity increases, organizations will have to speed up their innovation efforts too.”

Interview with Ellen Lastdrager, Managing Director Traffic and Transport at TNO

Zoetermeer, The Netherlands – ORTEC appoints Marijn Deurloo as Chief Product Officer (CPO). Deurloo will focus on the accelerated development of a market and customer-driven portfolio of scalable solutions.