ABN AMRO gives future generations a voice at the bank with Future Generations Board

News article
Article tags:
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Sustainability

ABN AMRO has set up a Future Generations Board, active from Monday 30 January. The bank wants the board to give the interests of future generations more weight in decision-making and to anchor its purpose, ‘Banking for better, for generations to come’, even more deeply in the organisation.

Future generations as a stakeholder group

The Future Generations Board was initiated by the bank’s younger employees based on a desire to make the purpose more meaningful and make long-term thinking the norm. Previously, future generations didn’t have a place at the table, so it was important to create structures and a culture that factor in their interests. ABN AMRO’s Executive Board recognises this need and supports the initiative. Alongside the bank’s four current stakeholder groups – its clients, employees, investors and society in general – these future generations will now stand as a fifth group.

Generations test

The board’s first project will be to develop and implement a ‘generations test’. The test is a tool to identify the impact that decisions will have on the world of generations now and in the future and so help us ensure that projects and choices contribute to general wellbeing. ABN AMRO will be the first big corporate to develop and implement this test. In doing so, the bank is following the lead of the Dutch government, which is developing a generations test in line with the 2021 coalition agreement to assess its own policy and legislation.

Seven young employees

The Future Generations Board consists of seven employees working in different parts of the bank. They will carry out this role in addition to their regular work, collaborating closely with the Chief Sustainability Officer, Solange Rouschop, who reports directly to CEO Robert Swaak. The chair of the new board will have a permanent seat on the Group Sustainability Committee. The board members will be in office for a period of eighteen months. The age limit of 35 was chosen to promote age diversity at the top of the bank.

FGB members

On top of this page you can see the Future Generations Board members with Chief Sustainability Officer, Solange Rouschop. From left to right: Anna Hendriks, Bernice Razenberg, Kuvanya Pillay, Milda Bagdonaite, Solange Rouschop, Dean Kappen, Jennifer Paffen and Lucrezia Zito.