Who we are
In the LEAD (Leadership, Evidence, Advice & Data) is the centre of expertise at the University of Groningen in the field of leadership. The centre of expertise provides organisations with state-of-the-art research on the effectiveness of leadership. We also deliver tailored advice and present lectures and talks to professionals and organisations.
Our professors and researchers are experts in the area of leadership within organisations, regions and countries. Below you can read more about the expertise of the directors of In the LEAD. Your organisation could benefit from their scientifically grounded knowledge. Please contact us for more information.
In the LEAD directors
Prof. Janka Stoker
Janka Stoker has been Professor of Leadership and Organisational Change at the University of Groningen since 2003. In her work she has always combined academic research with practice. For many years she combined her role as senior managing consultant at Berenschot with her professorship, and as Vice Dean at the Faculty of Economics and Business she has had five years’ of first-hand experience of what it means to be a manager. Her research focuses on questions that are both relevant to the academic world and of immediate interest to organisations. She works also on behalf of third parties, such as in projects with Ahold, De Nederlandsche Bank and Aedes. In her advisory role, she has advised large private and public organisations – such as ProRail, MeesPierson, the municipality of Groningen and Unilever – on issues of leadership and change. She was also a member of the commissie Ottow, which did an evaluation of the review process of DNB and AFM. Since August 2018 she has been appointed by the AFM as external expert for these evaluations. As a member of the Advisory Board at the University of Twente, as chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Economic Board Groningen and as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Groningen, she has gained substantial practical experience of the ins and outs of leadership. She is a sought-after speaker at conferences and on courses for managers and administrators. She also makes regular media appearances. See, for example:
Prof. Dennis Veltrop
Dennis Veltrop has been Associate Professor of Corporate Governance at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Groningen since 2020. His research lies at the intersection of corporate governance, leadership, and behavior. Central to his work is the question of how governance is shaped by the behavior and relationships of executives, supervisory directors, and other actors.
His primary focus is on top management and boards of directors. He studies, among other things, boardroom dynamics, the interaction between management and (supervisory) boards, and leadership at the top of organizations, as well as how these dynamics influence decision-making and the effectiveness and governance of organizations. He also studies relationships with other governance actors, such as auditors and external regulators.
The connection between academic research and practice runs as a common thread throughout his work. Before entering academia, Veltrop worked as an auditor. He is also co-founder of BoardResearch.org, a foundation dedicated to strengthening the quality of governance and oversight and to advancing academic research on boardroom dynamics. He is regularly involved in evaluations of supervisory boards.