Vlerick Alumni Women in Leadership Club: Fix the system, not the (wo)men!

Please use the code VLERICKALUMNUS if you would like to join as an alumnus. If you are a paying member, however, please use the code MEMBER when registering.

Diversity, equity and inclusion have come a long way in the past years, but there's still work to be done. While discussions around individual actions are important, we also need to shift our focus towards the system.

How do we move our focus from fixing the individual to fixing the overarching system?

But before being able to change anything, we must first examine the current state of the system and identify the key dynamics that are keeping it in place. And it is only by disrupting the status quo - creating cracks in the system - that we can start to fix it…

There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.

Leonard Cohen.

The goal? Creating working environments that are more inclusive where everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, or other factors, can feel equally included.

Join the Vlerick Alumni Women in Leadership Club on campus or online for a thought-provoking afternoon on equity and inclusion. It will feature keynote speeches of experienced and successful professionals, followed by a taboo-breaking panel discussion and a choice of “out of the ordinary” interactive sessions.

Following keynote speeches and a lively panel discussion, you can choose to attend any of these tracks:

• Negotiate from different perspectives, with Professor Katia Tieleman (hybrid)

• Improv: Learn to speak your truth, with Professor Ralf Wetzel

• Intervision: Discuss a real-life challenge in a safe space, with Marika Gysel

• Systemic work: Dive into the feminine and masculine in organisations, with Lieve Van de Walle and Timmie de Pooter

• Inclusion and its impact on work relations, with Laurens Polfliet and Professor Smaranda Boros

Programme

1 PM : Welcome

1.30 PM : Introduction by Marion Debruyne and Ralf Wetzel

1.50 PM : Keynote speeches by Anna Van Acker (President of MSD China & Senior Vice President of MSD) & Dirk Oosterlinck (Partner at Minds&More)

2.30 PM : Panel discussion between Ralf Wetzel (Professor at Vlerick), Katia Tieleman (Professor at Vlerick), Gratienne Sioncke (Founding Director BORGinsole), Anna Van Acker (President of MSD China) and Dirk Oosterlinck (Partner at Minds&More), moderated by Charlotte De Metsenaere

3.15 PM : Interactive sessions

5 PM : Sharing experiences and reception

Speakers

• Marion Debruyne

Dean of Vlerick Business School. Professor in Marketing Strategy & Innovation

• Ralf Wetzel

Associate Professor of Organisation and Applied Arts at Vlerick Business School

• Katia Tieleman

Professor of Management Practice at Vlerick Business School

• Smaranda Boros

Associate Professor of Intercultural Management and Organisational Behaviour at Vlerick Business School

• Dirk Oosterlinck

Partner Minds&More

Seasoned General Manager and change leader, convinced by the benefits of diversity, collaboration and partnerships in organizations. Board member Women on Board and Wit-Gele Kruis Oost-Vlaanderen

• Anna Van Acker

President of MSD in China and Senior Vice President of MSD

• Gratienne Sioncke

Founding Director BORGinsole

Steerco Member of the Vlerick Alumni Women in Leadership Club

• Charlotte De Metsenaere

Founder ZEGGEDIS

Communication Coach, Improviser, Public Speaker. Founder of Zeggedis, combining improvisation theater with communication expertise.

• Marika Gysel

Intuitive Coaching Connector at White Waves

With a background in sales and marketing, Marika helps people and organisations move forward through coaching.

• Laurens Polfliet

Team & Leadership Coach at White Waves

Laurens is an experienced coach and mentor who helps teams to collaborate better and embrace leadership.

• Lieve Van de Walle

Managing Partner at Sugarloaf

With 25 years’ management experience, Lieve helps people, teams and organisations maximise their potential.

• Timmie de Pooter

Founder at True Calling Consultancy

Timmie develops SMEs and family business leaders so that they can have a positive and lasting impact.

Event sponsor:

Alumni partners: