The 2024 IFB Impact Day (Members and Invites only) · Events

After more than a year of Impact Finance Belgium activities, research, publications, events and the running of different working groups, we are eager to unite the IFB members and a select group of other people who continue to contribute to our membership organization.

This event is for members & invites only.

A large-scale Belgian Impact Day will be organized again in the year 2025, giving time to our members and our markets to develop. During the year 2024, IFB will organize a more specialized event, with an afternoon seminar and an evening dinner. This event will be on Tuesday 8 October; an IFB Members’ Impact Day.

This day will be a unique opportunity to meet peers and other experts to discuss how to “Deepen Finance as a Force for Good”. Among our members, we noted great examples, good experience and clear ambition. We also noted questions, the need to collaborate and to jointly develop and enhance impact in the finance offerings. The topics we will address on 8 October are central to IFB’s work this year. This includes place-based impact investing, impact weighted accounting, the role of institutions, also policy and advocacy.

This event is for members & invites only.

Agenda:

13.30 Doors open & Networking with Coffee

14.00 Opening Speech

14.10 Opening plenary with a Panel on “ What does it take to build a thriving National Impact Finance market in Belgium?”

Sarah Teacher, Executive Director of Impact Investing Institute UK

Sarah oversees relationships with external partners and manages programs focused on endowments and family offices at the Impact Investing Institute. Previously, she worked at Lendlease Europe and held roles intersecting social impact, sustainability, and private capital. Sarah has a first-class degree in Modern History from Oxford and an MPhil in Development Studies from Cambridge. She also serves as a Director of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Yvonne Bakkum, Chair of the Netherlands Advisory Board on Impact Investing

Yvonne is the Impact Investing Lead (ad interim) at SFNL, working on projects like the Social Innovation Fund and a social real estate fund with Kansfonds. She is the founder of her consulting and interim management business, YmpactBoost, and a member of the Supervisory Board of Incofin Investment Management. Additionally, she supervises several impact fund managers and chairs the Netherlands Advisory Board on impact investing. Previously, she led FMO Investment Management and held various roles at FMO and ABN AMRO Bank. Yvonne holds a master’s degree in business economics from Erasmus University. She is listed in the Dutch ‘Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance.’

Viet-Linh Nguyen, Head of Sustainable Finance at the French Market Authority (AMF)

Viet-Linh leads the Sustainable Finance Unit at the AMF, focusing on ESG issues and stakeholder engagement. He represents AMF in various international negotiations on sustainable finance. Previously, he held positions at Banque de France, the French Prudential Authority, and the French Treasury. Viet-Linh has a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris and has lectured at various institutions.

Steven Serneels, Co-Founder & Chair of Impact Finance Belgium

Steven is a serial entrepreneur and impact investor, co-founding S&V Management Consultants and Impact Finance Belgium. He has served as chair of Impact Europe and CEO of Impact Europe. Steven chairs Kampani, a social impact investment fund, and sits on multiple boards and investment committees. He co-founded Iristick and is involved in various initiatives in impact investing and democratic innovation.

Moderator: Hugues Pirotte, Professor at ULB, Solvay Impact Institute

Hugues is a professor at ULB, specializing in finance, and co-founder of FinMetrics. He has served as Academic Director for various finance programs and currently directs the Master in Business Engineering. Hugues is also involved in several administrative roles at ULB and holds positions on the boards of Erasme Hospital and Fondation Bernheim.

15.00 Break-out sessions first round

16.00 Coffee Break & changeover

16.10 Break-out session second round

17.20 Closing Plenary

17.30 Networking with drinks & small bites

18.30 End

Breakout Session Speakers

TO1 – Optimizing Impact Management: The Benefits of Valuation and Monetization

Is impact valuation the key to better managing your impact? In this breakout session, we’ll provide a concise overview of impact monetization and share real-world examples from Triodos and the social impact organization Plinkr (part of the SI3 fund portfolio). We’ll explore the benefits they’ve realized and the challenges they’ve faced.

Additionally, Astenor and Social Value International will introduce their new initiative, the Impact Valuation Hub, designed to promote and advance impact valuation practices.

Speakers:

Arjan Went, Co-Founder of Plinkr

Arjen Went (1977) is one of the co-founders of Plinkr. Arjen was trained as a designer at the Design Academy in Eindhoven and has spent the past 20 years as an entrepreneur in (visual) identities and image-making. He now applies his creative expertise, curiosity, and vision daily at Plinkr, where he is responsible for the validation, implementation, and impact of the social enterprise.

Plinkr is a social enterprise focused on empowering Dutch citizens to achieve financial literacy. They combine methodology, (fin)technology, and impact measurement to enable various stakeholders within the entire chain of financial assistance to collaborate more effectively, efficiently, and swiftly, helping residents move towards a life free from financial worries.

Thomas van Craen, Director of Triodos Bank

Thomas Van Craen (°1972) is heading Triodos Bank Belgium since 2016. In 2015, after an international career of 20 years in a leading European bank, he became director of Business Banking at the head office of Triodos Bank in The Netherlands.

Thomas is a member of the Standards Advisory Committee of B-Lab, the non-profit organization behind the B-Corp certification. He has also the Chairman of the Board of Solifin, a network of financial actors active in the Belgian impact economy, and a board member of Trividend, a Flemish impact investment fund.

Thomas holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a postgraduate degree in International Finance.

Leslie Kapin, Partner at Astanor

With eighteen years of experience in delivering ESG analysis, setting up SRI investment processes, and reporting and communicating on ESG, I work on a wide range of investment strategies. These range from mainstream funds performing ESG integration to full-scale sustainable strategies, both in equity and fixed-income. In the past, I developed an ESG country rating model for SRI funds investing in sovereign debt. Recently, I have been more involved in developing investment approaches for impact funds in listed investment universes.

Moderator: Bonnie Chiu, Managing Director of The Social Investment Consultancy (TSIC)

Bonnie Chiu is a Hong Kong-born social entrepreneur and gender equality advocate, leading The Social Investment Consultancy (TSIC) and founding Lensational, which empowers marginalized women through photography. She also launched Humanity Data Systems, using AI to enhance humanitarian aid. Recognized globally for her impact work, Bonnie holds governance roles in multiple organizations and champions sustainable development.

TO2 – Institutional and Long-Term investors: Opportunities on the road towards more impact

Jointhis session to hearfrom the Dutch NAB, AG, and DPAM on how theydefine long-termstrategies for greater impact. We’ll explore topics such as transition plans, engagement strategies, and deal flow, as well as ambition, intentionality, and governance. Weaim to answer key questions, including: Whattools and frameworks can beused to measure impact, and how can weharmonizetheseapproaches?

Speakers:

Jack Julicher, Former CEO of ASR Asset Management and Board Member of the DutchNAB

Jack Julicher is a non-executive board member of various organizations and the former CEO of ASR Asset Management. He is currently the interim chairman for the Dutch financial sector’s climate agreement and serves on several supervisory and advisory boards, including the one of the Netherlands Advisory Board on impact investing. With deep expertise in asset management and impact investing, Jack continues to influence key areas such as sustainable finance. His extensive career reflects a commitment to innovation and governance in the financial sector.

Wim Vermeir, CIO of AG Insurance

Wim is the Chief Investment Officer at AG Insurance, where he oversees the company’s investment portfolio. Born in the late 1960s, he studied civil engineering in physics at Ghent University and later earned an MBA from Vlerick School of Management. He began his finance career in 1995 at BACOB, then moved to Cordius Asset Management in 2000. He joined Dexia Asset Management in 2003 as CIO and a management committee member. In 2011, Wim took on his current role at AG Insurance and Ageas, reporting directly to the CEO of AG Insurance.

Florent Griffon, Senior Responsible Investment Specialist at DPAM

Moderator: Peter De Decker, Investment Manager at SFPIM

Peter joined the Federal Holding and Investment Company, SFPIM, in 2021 to further develop the impact investing practice. The impact investing portfolio consists of fund and direct investments in sustainable agriculture, resource management and social impact. Previously, Peter was an investment associate at the VC fund Inventures and gained expertise in the energy sector by developing onshore wind projects at Eneco.

TO3 – Place based impact investing: Combining finance approaches to jointly achieve much more impact

Discover how the Social Impact Fund Rotterdam (SIFR) serves as a catalyst for change in a city rich with challenges and opportunities. For five years, SIFR has collaborated with the Rotterdam Impact Coalition to address major social issues through sustainable solutions. Linda Boer, Director of Impact Management & Operations, will share insights into the fund’s foundation, unique strategies, financing models, and innovative projects. You will also learn about the challenges SIFR faces and how they overcome them.

In this session, you will gain valuable practical examples and insights. A panel of experts from the King Baudouin Foundation, Impact Capital, and KBC will offer reflections on the fund’s operations from a Belgian perspective.

Speakers:

Piet Colruyt, Founder & CEO of Impact Capital

Studied philosophy, civil engineering, architecture & corporate finance

Started his career as an architect… to make supermarkets more sustainable & less energy-consuming. Became investor and board member in many Impact Organizations in mainly 4 domains, “RE4”: REtail, Real Estate, Renewable Energy, Re-thinking Economy.

Angel supporter of system-changing non-profit initiatives like Ashoka, G1000, Klimaatzaak, Impact Finance Belgium,…

Became the promotor of Social Entrepreneurship & Impact Financing in Belgium.

Sybren Devoghel, Investment Manager at King Baudouin Foundation

Sybren works as investment manager for the King Baudouin Foundation, where he is responsible for co-managing the portfolio of the foundation and assisting his colleagues on impact (first) investing.

Within its International Program, the KBF mobilises the resources of some one hundred philanthropic funds that it manages to support general interest projects led by local civil society actors in several domains, including agriculture and agri-business.

Sybren has vast international working experience having executed assignments in Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, the USA and Australia. He has worked both in non-profit as well as for-profit environments where he has been mainly involved in operational roles.

Sybren holds a Master degree in Applied Economics from the University of Ghent and an Advanced Master degree in Development Evaluation and Management at the Institute of Development Policy (UAntwerpen) .

Catherine Vangilbergen, Account Manager Real Estate Investments at KBC Bank

Catherine is a hands-on real estate professional, who joined the sector in 2018 after previous experience in site, project- and tender management on marine and construction projects. As a development manager she became intrigued by the challenge of making sustainable housing accessible. She worked on several affordable housing initiatives; each time based on alternative business models. One of these initiatives led to the award “bouwvrouw van het jaar” in 2022. Her passion and interest in the financing aspects of these models resulted in a shift towards the finance sector when she joined KBC end of 2023.

Linda Boer, Director Impact Development & Operations at Social Impact Fonds Rotterdam (SIF-R)

Linda Boer is the Director of Impact Development & Operations at Social Impact Fonds Rotterdam (SIF-R). She has extensive managerial experience in both profit and non-profit sectors, including social impact, media/publishing, and the cultural sector. Specializing in building and leading teams, Linda develops innovative programs and fosters partnerships that drive growth and impact. She is known for her strategic vision, action-oriented approach, and ability to motivate teams and organizations.

Moderator: Anneleen De Bonte, Consultant for We are Impact Collective

Anneleen has developed a unique expertise at the intersection of health, urban development and fair finance. As a project manager, entrepreneur, advisor and board member she works for initiatives that foster resilient communities where health, belonging, real estate and money go hand in hand. Rethinking the role and dynamics of money by working on concrete alternatives is her preferred approach.

TO4 – Policy and Regulation: Insights from Abroad and Proposals for Belgium

IFB has released a new report, “How Policy and Regulation Can Unlock Billions for Impact,” analyzing best practices from neighboring countries and integrating input from various stakeholders. With technical support from Freshfields, the report outlines four concrete proposals to unlock public and private capital for sustainable and impact investments in Belgium. This is the first report of its kind in the country and aims to initiate a broader conversation with government, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders.

Speakers:

Steffie De Backer

Steffie De Backer is a senior attorney at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. She leads the Brussels financial regulatory practice. She advises a broad range of clients on financial services and regulatory matters. She also advises financial institutions and non-financial corporates on sustainability matters, including ESG reporting.

Koen Schoors: Economics Professor at The University of Ghent

Koen Schoors is a Belgian economist and professor at Ghent University. In the past, he also taught at the Catholic University of Leuven, at the Vlerick Business School and at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.

Schoors studied economics at Ghent University and the Catholic University of Leuven. He received his PhD, dealing with the rise of the commercial banking system in Russia in the early 1990s, from Ghent University in 1998 and continued with postgraduate studies in Oxford. He is ranked in the top 10% in the IDEAS top economists worldwide.

Bertrand Bernier, Head of Asset Management at Ethias, Belgium

Bertrand has extensive experience in financial management. He has been instrumental in creating Ethias’ impact investment policy that addresses environmental issues, prevents inequalities, and promotes a just transition to a sustainable economy. As the lead on deploying the impact investment strategy at Ethias, he ensures the company considers a broader range of impact considerations beyond ESG factors in their investment decisions.

Loïc de Cannière: Chair of the Supervisory Board at Incofin Investment Management and Member of the Board at IFB

Loïc De Cannière is Founder of Incofin Investment Management, an impact fund management company operating in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He has been the company’s CEO for more than 20 years and became Chair of the Supervisory Board.

Incofin IM’s combined total assets under management amount to 1.4 bn USD. The managed funds invest in financial institutions, the agricultural value chain, agri-food companies and safe drinking water enterprises.

The company has a team of more than 90 dedicated professionals. Its offices are located in Belgium (Antwerp), Colombia (Bogota), India (Chennai), Kenya (Nairobi) and Cambodia (Phnom Penh).

Loïc is also Chair of the Board of Directors of the Social Performance Task Force (SPTF) and a Board member of Finance Trust Bank (Uganda).

Moderator: Géraldine Bourguignon, Independent Lawyer

Géraldine is an independent lawyer with corporate, finance and sustainability expertise. Previously, she practiced as a business lawyer at Clifford Chance and Cleary Gottlieb in Brussels and New York. She is also currently involved with Ashoka Changemaker Companies, and in several organizations and initiatives, including the Ligue des Droits Humains and Kaya-Ecopreneurs.

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