FloraHolland is going to try out working with a Members Council before the end of this year. Jacques Goossens, chairperson of the auction, announced this during FloraHolland’s General Members’ Meeting.
“As a Supervisory Board, we understand that a Members Council could strengthen FloraHolland’s governance model. Of course, there’s a long list of arguments against having a Members Council as well as a long list of arguments in favour of having a Members Council. At the end of the day, you’ll only know how it works by actually trying it out”, said Goossens.
That’s why the Supervisory Board has decided to start a trial. They’re going to regard the Advisory Boards for flowers and plants as a Members Council. This means that the relationships of the Advisory Boards with the members, the Supervisory Board and the Management Board are going to change. And the topics discussed by the Advisory Boards are also going to change. “We’ll develop frameworks in advance and there will be professional guidance. We’re going to take things one step at the time”, said Goossens.
Goossens pointed out that a recent survey among the members showed that 80% of the respondents was in favour of changing the auction’s governance structure. During the trial in 2017, the General Members’ Meeting remains the highest decision body. “We’re going to gain experience and we’ll come with further suggestions at a later stage. It might result in a proposal to establish a Members Council at the next General Members’ Meeting.”
Goossens also emphasised that the auction needs to change. But he’s noticed that within the cooperative, not every person among the management, employees and members handles change well. Goossens is concerned about this. “The biggest threat for FloraHolland 2020 is insufficient change. That could even jeopardise Royal FloraHolland’s existence altogether.”
Goossens: “If we don’t keep changing, we’re basically scaling down FloraHolland. If that’s our plan, we need to be aware of it and have a proper exit strategy in place. Give everybody their money back and say it’s every man for himself from now on. But that’s not the scenario that I, the Supervisory Board and the directors believe in. If we want FloraHolland to remain relevant, we, as members, will have to take responsibility. We need to strengthen, improve and support the changes, rather than think of arguments why a certain change doesn’t suit us on that particular day.”
