We have been in motion since we exist, the only constant is change. Transitions are fundamental changes in the structure, culture and practices of societal systems. Two current transitions are the sustainability (green) transition and the digital transition.
Transitions require a reconsideration of existing behavior and patterns. European and national legislators help determine the behavior of companies and the playing field within which they develop activities. The legislator sets standards, regulates who is responsible for what and provides the parties involved with instruments to fulfill their responsibilities. The translation of this within a company is challenging. It is that dynamic where you as a group, as a system and as an individual can make a difference. First of all, this means understanding social developments, the resulting legal and regulatory framework and the stakeholders involved. It also means making choices; what must the company comply with, what is expected of us, what do we do and how do we do this and when or in what order?
Technology plays a crucial role in this. On the one hand as a tool within the organization to support the implementation of changes and legislative requirements, on the other hand technology is increasingly self-regulated. Insight into the effects of technological innovations and the discussion about how to deal with them within the organization is necessary. Partially this means complying with laws and regulations, but it also means thinking about how the organization wants to deal with ethical aspects of emerging technologies and what governance is appropriate. The same applies to sustainability and ESG issues. There, too, financial institutions are seeing an enormous increase in the amount of rules coming their way. At the same time, the question arises of how the organization wishes to deal with these aspects of entrepreneurship in addition to the legal requirements and how to subsequently implement this in the organization.
At ACE I am involved in regulatory change and regulatory strategy in the field of technology and sustainability. With my expertise, I can support financial institutions in mapping the impact of these social developments and the resulting laws and regulations for the organization and subsequently implementing them within the organization.
In my spare time I enjoy being with my family, you can find me on the tennis court, the hockey field or in the garden and I like to create things where it doesn’t really matter what this is.
Iris in short
In addition to her position as a partner at ACE, Iris is professor of Corporate Law at Leiden University. In her research, she focuses on governance issues surrounding artificial intelligence. She is also, a member of the editorial board of the Corporate Governance Yearbook, a member of the editorial board of the Tijdschrift Ondernemingsrecht (Journal of Corporate Law) and a board member of the Harry Honée Fund.
- Previously: Lawyer at Stibbe and COO at Plugwise
- Expertise: Responsible AI | Corporate governance | Technology & law | Sustainability
- Education: Economics (Management & Organization specialization, Erasmus University Rotterdam) | Law (Corporate law specialization, Erasmus University Rotterdam) | Ph.D in the field of Business Law and Legal Economics (Erasmus University Rotterdam) | Mediation (Center for Conflict Management, Haarlem)