Introduction to the Executive Board and the Executive Leadership Team

Roles, responsibilities and appointments

Executive Board

The Executive Board is entrusted with the management of Arcadis N.V. (Company). It is responsible for the development of the Company's strategy and culture, the realization of the Company's objectives, and the creation of sustainable long-term value. The Executive Board operates under the supervision of the Supervisory Board.

The Executive Board consists of the CEO and the CFO. The General Meeting of shareholders (General Meeting) appoints the Executive Board members. For every appointment, the Supervisory Board is entitled to make a nomination. The General Meeting can overrule a binding nomination by the Supervisory Board by a resolution adopted by a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes, representing more than half of the issued share capital. On a non-binding nomination, the General Meeting decides by simple majority.

The General Meeting can dismiss an Executive Board member. Such a decision, other than when proposed by the Supervisory Board, requires at least two-thirds of the votes, representing at least half of the issued share capital. The Supervisory Board has appointed the CEO as Chair of the Executive Board. In consultation with the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board determines the division of tasks. The composition of the Executive Board and information about its members is provided on pages 176 and 177 of this Annual Integrated Report.

Executive Leadership Team

The Executive Leadership Team has been established by the Executive Board to support with the management of the Company. The Executive Leadership Team advises and assists with the preparation, coordination and implementation of Executive Board decisions.

The CEO determines the number of members of the Executive Leadership Team with approval of the Supervisory Board. The members of the Executive Leadership Team who are not Executive Board members are appointed and dismissed by the CEO, subject to approval of the Supervisory Board. At least once a year, the Executive Leadership Team evaluates its own functioning as a whole and that of individual members. At least once a year, outside the presence of the Executive Board and the Executive Leadership Team, the Supervisory Board evaluates the functioning of the Executive Leadership Team, the Executive Board and that of the individual Executive Board members and discusses the conclusions that must be attached to the evaluation, also in light of succession planning. Periodically, an external expert facilitates the annual evaluation.

Per year-end 2024, the Executive Leadership Team consists of the Executive Board members (CEO and CFO) and seven other executives: the Chief People Officer, the Chief Delivery Officer, the Chief Growth & Digital Intelligence and Advisory Officer, the Global President for Places, the Global President for Resilience, the Global President for Mobility, and the Global General Counsel (since 1 September 2024). The composition of the Executive Leadership Team and information about its members is provided on pages 178 through 180 of this Annual Integrated Report.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Arcadis 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) are foundational elements of our strategy, Accelerating a Planet Positive Future. With over 35,000 employees spread across various regions and cultures, Arcadis embraces its role as a global leader by fostering an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive. This commitment is seen through comprehensive DEIB initiatives that aim to not only shape a workplace reflective of the diverse world around us but also to encourage the innovative spirit that diversity unlocks. DEIB at Arcadis is more than a set of policies; it is a shared vision and a commitment to creating lasting impact and driving equitable growth.

In line with the Dutch Corporate Governance Code, Arcadis has a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging policy statement (DEIB policy) for the entire company, diversity policies for leadership, and various diversity and inclusion (D&I) programs. The aim of the DEIB policy is to define Arcadis’ company-wide commitment to DEIB. Arcadis aims to create a culture of psychological safety, diversity, equity and inclusion, in which every Arcadian feels valued and respected. The DEIB policy includes D&I targets related to the composition of the Executive Leadership Team, senior management (Sub-Top) and the Arcadis workforce. In addition to the company-wide DEIB policy, D&I targets for the Executive Board have been set and are included in a separate D&I policy for the Executive Board.   

In line with Dutch diversity legislation and the Dutch Corporate Governance Code, the paragraphs and tables below summarize the targets and outcomes of both the company-wide DEIB policy and the separate D&I policy for the Executive Board for 2024.

Achieving gender parity in the workplace is a critical component of Arcadis’ mission to create an equitable and inclusive environment.

Our commitment to achieving over 40% representation of women in the workforce by the end of 2026 demonstrates our ambition to address the gender imbalance historically present in engineering and design fields. Pursuing this target extends beyond simply increasing numbers; it is about being led by data as we create a more inclusive culture, foster opportunities for women at every level, and remove barriers that have historically limited female representation in technical roles. With 39.3% women in the workforce at the end of 2024, we are on our way to achieving our 2026 target.  

Gender in the ELT – targets and outcomes

In 2024, we continued to achieve our targets to have at least one-third men and at least one-third women in the Executive Board and Executive Leadership Team of Arcadis. 

Nationality in the ELT - targets & outcomes

Arcadis is active in many countries worldwide. We therefore intentionally ensure our leadership reflects the different national backgrounds of our colleagues, clients and partners. Our focus is to build on the diversity of thought and experience across all our leadership teams, recognizing that we can also be more diverse in the nationalities and geographical regions we represent. Arcadis has the following targets in terms of nationality for the Executive Board and Executive Leadership Team.

In the Executive Board, at least two nationalities shall be represented. In the Executive Leadership Team, nationalities from at least three geographical regions where Arcadis is active shall be represented. Based on the composition of the Executive Board and the Executive Leadership Team at the end of 2024 these targets were met.  

Current members of the ELT

Former members of the ELT¹

Background: education and/or (work) experience in the ELT – targets & outcomes

We believe that Arcadis benefits from having people with diverse backgrounds within our Executive Board and Executive Leadership Team.

Regarding background, meeting the target for the Executive Board requires that at least one member shall have experience in the global design, the engineering and/or the consulting industry or experience in an industry adjacent thereto. In the Executive Leadership Team, at least 30% of the members shall have experience in the global design, the engineering and/or the consulting industry or experience in an industry adjacent thereto. Arcadis met these targets in 2024.

Current members of the ELT

Former members of the ELT

Ethnicity in the ELT: members of underrepresented ethnic groups - targets & outcomes

We strive to increase the representation of people who self-identify as being part of an Under-Represented Ethnic Group (UREG) across all levels of the Arcadis organization, including the Executive Board and the Executive Leadership Team combined and the senior management Sub-Top of Arcadis globally and the wider Arcadis employee group.

Currently, there are no members of the Executive Board and Executive Leadership Team who identify as being part of an UREG or background.