Governance
Follow This is guided by a set of values that underpin our governance and operations. As a members’ association our members retain the rights to decide on the dissolution of the association, amendments to the articles of association, and approves the annual accounts. A Supervisory Board governs and oversees Follow This’ strategic direction and activities and a Management Board oversees the daily operation of the organization.
Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board is responsible for maintaining Follow This’ strategic direction through supervision of its approach, finances, operations and policies. The Board assesses the realization of plans and regularly reviews the operations and policies of Follow This to ensure impact and compliance with all legal requirements.
Brynn O’Brien
Director of our Australian sister organisation ACCR, introduced Follow This to her international network of like-minded fighters against climate change.
Brynn O’Brien is director of the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR), which, like Follow This, seeks to persuade listed companies to be socially responsible.
Before joining ACCR in 2017, O’Brien worked as a consultant to companies and in the field of human rights. She also practiced as an (international) corporate lawyer. She has degrees in Medical Science and Law from the University of Technology Sydney and a Master of Laws from Columbia University.
Brynn’s experience in rapidly growing a similar organisation as well as her strategic thinking are invaluable to Follow This.
Rens van Tilburg
Chairman
While the financial world looked at Follow This with scepticism in 2015, Rens van Tilburg, director of the Sustainable Finance Lab at Utrecht University, immediately supported our mission. His support and advice were an important stimulus to continue in the first lonely years. Rens is a thought leader on the role of finance in the transition to a sustainable economy. He previously worked in the European Parliament and in the Dutch House of Representatives and as an advisor to the government at the Innovation Platform and the Advisory Council for Science and Technology Policy and as a researcher for civil society at SOMO.
Rens stewards Follow This from a financial and academic perspective.
Rob Hulsman
Treasurer
Rob was one of our pioneering volunteers to write the very first climate resolution for Shell. Since then, he has continued to think about improving Follow This’ climate resolutions and strategy; he also occasionally takes a few days off to attend BP shareholders’ meetings or other meetings with BP in London on our behalf.
He has witnessed the growth of Follow This from an organisation that relied entirely on volunteers to an organisation of volunteers and paid employees.
Rob studied Economics in Groningen and works for ING. As a business controller, he is well equipped to audit the annual accounts of Follow This. As a former volunteer, he can guard the foundation of Follow This as a grassroots organisation, together with the mission and the strategy.
Management Board
The Management Board is responsible for the execution of Follow This’ mission and strategic approach and oversees all activities pertinent to this execution. The Management Board is accountable to the Supervisory Board.
Mark van Baal
Founder/Executive Director
Mark, after seeing Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth in 2006, became increasingly convinced that the fossil fuel industry would have to change and transition to renewables to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Fatigued by oil major Shell’s lack of response to external pressure and concerns regarding climate change, Mark saw an opportunity to revolutionize the oil and gas industry from within by becoming a shareholder and together with volunteers founded Follow This in 2015.
Prior to Follow This, Mark – a trained mechanical engineer – was a climate and energy journalist, an account manager in Europe and the Middle East and a conscript navy officer.
Maarten van de Weijer
Finance and Operations Manager
Maarten has held finance roles for 25 years in international companies providing services such as leasing and treasury.
He joined the Follow This team in 2019 as a volunteer, taking responsibility for the finance and accounting tasks. Recently he has undertaken the role of finance and operations manager, and is looking forward to contributing further to the success and growth of Follow This. He believes that shareholders are best positioned to support corporations in becoming more sustainable.
Remuneration
The members of the Supervisory Board are entitled to an attendance fee for preparing and attending meetings. Other expenses incurred are reimbursed on request.
The Management Board are paid employees of Follow This. All employees, board members and non-board members receive fair compensation for their work. Employees receive a decent salary in keeping with market norms based on performance and training.
Follow This is registered as an organization for public benefit (ANBI) under Dutch law (kvk number: 62049933). We are a not for profit organization registered with the tax authorities under fiscal number (RSIN) 854617425.
Follow This began as a volunteer movement and was born out of these volunteers’ dedication and commitment. Their support has nurtured Follow This into the organization it is today. They will continue to remain a vital part of our organization in pursuit of our mission.
Organisation chart
