Annelie Verstraaten steps down as Chair of the Executive Committee and becomes Past Chair

Mick Broekhof, Co-founder of LEAD Network, tells a bit of history in thanking Annelie Verstraaten as she steps down as Chair of the Executive Committee and becomes Past Chair, effective March 1, 2023.  "I remember well when and how Annelie Verstraaten joined LEAD Network, now eleven years ago. Unilever hosted our first strategy meeting at Weena in Rotterdam. We were a small group of 20, nineteen women and me. There was a clear need for someone to moderate the strategy discussion, and it was clear that Annelie had the gravitas, executive presence, and experience to do so. I approached her, tapped her shoulder, and asked, "Would you be willing to lead this group?" To my delight, Annelie said yes. She soon became Chair of the Executive Committee and held that role for ten years. Ten years of growth, ten years of 'Doing Not Trying,' and ten years to see our membership grow from 20 then to 18,000 now. More importantly, during those ten years, we also saw the needle move towards 50/50." 

Mick Broekhof describes Annelie as that rare breed that builds where nothing was before. She helped build a house we now call LEAD Network. Thanks to the blueprint developed in those early years, that house continues to expand. On a personal note, says Mick, "Annelie, we owe you a great debt of gratitude. Like other members of the Executive Committee, you are a volunteer, in your case a Super Volunteer, a role model for all volunteers that are the "secret sauce" that makes LEAD Network unique. You have shaped the LEAD Network culture into what it is now. You leave a great legacy for all of us. Also, a word of thanks to Roger, Annelie's husband, who has been our designer from the beginning. The LEAD Network logo is the brainchild of Roger's creativity." 

“Annelie has been with us since the beginning of LEAD Network and we are eternally grateful for her never-ending support. When we were just starting out, she rolled up her sleeves and did everything from building our website at her kitchen table to creating our first newsletter. As the Chair of the Executive Committee, she’s steered us through the highs and lows, and thanks to her drive, brought us to where we are today. A heartfelt thanks goes out to Annelie.”- adds Sharon Jeske, Executive Director, LEAD Network 

The press release can be found here.  

Please join us in thanking Annelie for her decade of dedication to our mission and wishing her much success in the next phase of her life! Check out the board of directors here.