This interactive networking session is designed to discuss the role of women in company boards where policy impact decisions are taken. Current female directors will share their experiences, and the lead speakers will share thoughts on the benefits and challenges of women’s inclusion in the board of directors’ group. The...
Venezia
08:00
to
09:00
Women Board Directorship [Networking & Coffee Session] – Powered by INSEAD Alumni Association (INSEAD’s International Director Network)
08:00
to
09:00
Women Board Directorship [Networking & Coffee Session] – Powered by INSEAD Alumni Association (INSEAD’s International Director Network)
Venezia
This interactive networking session is designed to discuss the role of women in company boards where policy impact decisions are taken. Current female directors will share their experiences, and the lead speakers will share thoughts on the benefits and challenges of women’s inclusion in the board of directors’ group. The session will be attended by female directors and the aspirants.
The key discussion points include:
- Benefits and challenges as a female director
- The path to getting a board seat
- Being an effective female director
- Key topics of interest for future connection / mentoring opportunities
FORMAT: Networking session with a moderated Q&A and the opportunity to connect with other women directors
The session will be led by Dr. Christiane Schloderer and Vanessa Eastham Fisk.
(Sessions and schedules are subject to change without prior notice)

Dr. Christiane Schloderer
Board member and CFO NEXSYS-ONE and chairwomen, German International School Abu Dhabi
Dr. Christiane Schloderer serves as Board member and CFO to NEXSYS-ONE, a SaaS company based in Dubai. NEXSYS-ONE provides software solutions (SaaS) for the Telecom's and other related industries globally. She is contributing to the company’s scalable and international growth with financial, strategic and governance experience.
She is Chairwomen of the Board of Trustees of the German International School in Abu Dhabi and Board Member and interim CFO for an international SaaS company.
Christiane has founded Growth Partners, a niche consulting company, focusing on strategy, governance, and financial performance. Growth Partners works with Owners, Boards and Management, particularly of family businesses and owner led businesses. Projects covered include trading, e-commerce, software, manufacturing, and project management companies in various industries from telecom, food and beverage, digital marketing, fashion and cleantech. This included a transformation project at a family business in KSA.
Christiane was a board member of Rolaco Group, a Saudi based family company. Christiane worked closely with the family in bridging between family mission and company’s needs. She was involved in major restructurings of the governance structure.
Prior, she was the CFO at Nokia Al Saudia, a Riyadh based Joint Venture of Nokia and a Saudi family. Part of her role was to align strategy and governance between the two partners. During her tenure the company grew from 500 to 1000 employees. She held further positions as turnaround manager and senior advisor structured finance in Nokia Siemens Networks.
Christiane is the UAE ambassador of INSEAD’s global International Director Network (IDN), a network of around 30 qualified directors locally and 1000+ globally. She is a certified INSEAD International Director (IDP-C) with INSEAD Alumna status, received a doctoral degree from the University of Federal Armed Forces Munich in Germany (thesis on innovation management), and holds a master-equivalent degree in business administration with specialization in corporate finance and tax from the European Business School in Germany.

Vanessa Eastham Fisk
Independent Non-Executive Director, Board Advisor, Fintech Mentor, and Business Enabler
Vanessa Eastham Fisk is a full time Independent Non-Executive, currently sitting on boards at ABC International Bank plc, UK; ila Bank, Bahrain; Almarai Company, KSA; Banque Saudi Fransi, KSA; Special Advisor to the AlOmran family KSA and Independent supervisory board member of the family office, Narmo Capital and most recently she has joined the board of TPL REIT Management Co Ltd, Pakistan.
Vanessa focuses on companies which have a strong innovation and/or transformation agenda, with her current portfolio spanning both traditional and new digital enterprises. In particular she has a keen interest in those businesses deploying newer technologies to gain competitive advantage and is an active Board Advisor and Mentor to a number of the Middle East’s emerging Fintech and Regtech start-ups.
Prior to pursuing a non-executive career, Vanessa spent over 20 years in a wide variety of Senior Executive Director positions across multiple geographies. During 18 years at Barclays Bank PLC, Vanessa undertook roles of Chief Operating Officer & Chief Risk Officer for the Middle East; Director of Strategy & Transformation at Gerrard Investment Management Ltd; Chief Risk Officer for the Corporate Bank and Head of the Regional UK Leveraged Finance businesses. More recently Vanessa spent 5 years as Wholesale Banking Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer for Standard Chartered Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan.
Vanessa graduated with a BA Hons in Accountancy and Finance from Huddersfield University, undertook her post grad in Leadership Studies at Exeter University and after leaving Standard Chartered completed the International Executive Programme in Global Corporate Governance at Insead Business School, Fontainebleau, Paris. For the last 3 years, Vanessa has also been a visiting guest speaker on the Insead Executive MBA program, Corporate Governance module.

Dr. Christiane Schloderer
Board member and CFO NEXSYS-ONE and chairwomen, German International School Abu Dhabi
Dr. Christiane Schloderer serves as Board member and CFO to NEXSYS-ONE, a SaaS company based in Dubai. NEXSYS-ONE provides software solutions (SaaS) for the Telecom's and other related industries globally. She is contributing to the company’s scalable and international growth with financial, strategic and governance experience.
She is Chairwomen of the Board of Trustees of the German International School in Abu Dhabi and Board Member and interim CFO for an international SaaS company.
Christiane has founded Growth Partners, a niche consulting company, focusing on strategy, governance, and financial performance. Growth Partners works with Owners, Boards and Management, particularly of family businesses and owner led businesses. Projects covered include trading, e-commerce, software, manufacturing, and project management companies in various industries from telecom, food and beverage, digital marketing, fashion and cleantech. This included a transformation project at a family business in KSA.
Christiane was a board member of Rolaco Group, a Saudi based family company. Christiane worked closely with the family in bridging between family mission and company’s needs. She was involved in major restructurings of the governance structure.
Prior, she was the CFO at Nokia Al Saudia, a Riyadh based Joint Venture of Nokia and a Saudi family. Part of her role was to align strategy and governance between the two partners. During her tenure the company grew from 500 to 1000 employees. She held further positions as turnaround manager and senior advisor structured finance in Nokia Siemens Networks.
Christiane is the UAE ambassador of INSEAD’s global International Director Network (IDN), a network of around 30 qualified directors locally and 1000+ globally. She is a certified INSEAD International Director (IDP-C) with INSEAD Alumna status, received a doctoral degree from the University of Federal Armed Forces Munich in Germany (thesis on innovation management), and holds a master-equivalent degree in business administration with specialization in corporate finance and tax from the European Business School in Germany.

Vanessa Eastham Fisk
Independent Non-Executive Director, Board Advisor, Fintech Mentor, and Business Enabler
Vanessa Eastham Fisk is a full time Independent Non-Executive, currently sitting on boards at ABC International Bank plc, UK; ila Bank, Bahrain; Almarai Company, KSA; Banque Saudi Fransi, KSA; Special Advisor to the AlOmran family KSA and Independent supervisory board member of the family office, Narmo Capital and most recently she has joined the board of TPL REIT Management Co Ltd, Pakistan.
Vanessa focuses on companies which have a strong innovation and/or transformation agenda, with her current portfolio spanning both traditional and new digital enterprises. In particular she has a keen interest in those businesses deploying newer technologies to gain competitive advantage and is an active Board Advisor and Mentor to a number of the Middle East’s emerging Fintech and Regtech start-ups.
Prior to pursuing a non-executive career, Vanessa spent over 20 years in a wide variety of Senior Executive Director positions across multiple geographies. During 18 years at Barclays Bank PLC, Vanessa undertook roles of Chief Operating Officer & Chief Risk Officer for the Middle East; Director of Strategy & Transformation at Gerrard Investment Management Ltd; Chief Risk Officer for the Corporate Bank and Head of the Regional UK Leveraged Finance businesses. More recently Vanessa spent 5 years as Wholesale Banking Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer for Standard Chartered Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan.
Vanessa graduated with a BA Hons in Accountancy and Finance from Huddersfield University, undertook her post grad in Leadership Studies at Exeter University and after leaving Standard Chartered completed the International Executive Programme in Global Corporate Governance at Insead Business School, Fontainebleau, Paris. For the last 3 years, Vanessa has also been a visiting guest speaker on the Insead Executive MBA program, Corporate Governance module.