Jetse Frederik de Vries

Member Association: Volt Netherlands

Gender: Male

What strategy would you implement to recruit and retain highly specialised volunteers for the functional teams, for example in communications, policy, or data, over a full Board term? 

Describe clear requirements, not just technical, but also personality traits; create a vast pool of potential talents and pick the very best (regardless background and networks); 'give' them something that creates value, such as training, job rotations, special assignments; ensure that they meet with future colleagues; show that the organisation is fun to work for.

Non-executive Board members must both support and challenge the executives. Describe a situation where you would publicly back the Co-Presidents, and one where you would publicly dissent. What guides your choice?

Guiding my choice would be if the topic involves Volt's core values and my own. What I would never support is any executive who acts against the law, is immoral or corrupt, even when, for instance,  a little bit of corruption would help Volt as an organisation. I would support anyone who makes honest mistakes, because everybody is entitled to make mistakes.

What would you do if you believed the Board was making a decision that conflicted with Volt Europa's core values?

I would: Try to understand well what has happened; Talk to the Board and point out that they act against our values. If nothing changes, I may well stop my job. If we don't stick to our own values, we don't have values.