Alexander van de Putte

Professor Alexander van de Putte is the founding director of the Sustainable Foresight Institute, a small think-tank active in scenario development and strategic foresight, and since 2016, the founding director of Corporate Governance 4.0 to promote sound corporate governance to contribute to the sustainable long-term success of companies. At IE Business School, one of Europe’s top business schools, he is Visiting Professor of Strategy and Strategic Foresight and of Corporate Governance. In December 2020, he was awarded with the high state award – the order of Dostyk of Degree II by decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Previously, Professor van de Putte was Chief Strategy Officer, Chairman of Corporate Governance & Stewardship, and Chairman of the Academic Council of the Astana International Financial Centre, and an independent director the AIFC Authority, a Member of the Board of the National Investment Corporation of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, a Managing Director with the Kazakhstan Development Bank, Principal Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Senior Director and Head of Global Practices (scenario planning, global risks and competitiveness) with the World Economic Forum. From 2007 until 2014, he was an associate with the US National Intelligence Council. At Shell, Alexander was the Senior Strategy and Portfolio Advisor to the Chairman and the Committee of Managing Directors. Prior to Shell, Alexander was Executive Director and co-leader of the shareholder value practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. At McKinsey, Alexander was an Engagement Manager and core team member of the European Corporate Finance and Strategy Practice.

Alexander is an economist and engineer by training. He holds advanced degrees in Management and Decision Sciences from Boston University, was a BAEF Fellow at Harvard Business School, holds a PhD in Applied Economics (Strategy & Finance) from the University of London, a Doctorate in International Relations from the Geneva School of Diplomacy, and an MSt in Sustainability Leadership and a PhD in Engineering (Complex Adaptative Systems) from Cambridge University.

He is a Chartered Director and Fellow of the Institute of Directors, a Chartered Governance Fellow with The Chartered Governance Institute, and a NACD Board Leadership Fellow from where he also holds the cybersecurity board oversight certification. He is also a Senior Accredited Director with the Singapore Institute of Directors, an academic member with the European Corporate Governance Institute and also holds the Financial Times Non-Executive Director’s Diploma and the Stanford Directors’ Consortium Certificate.

His research has been published in the Business Environment Review, the California Management Review, The CISI Review of Financial Markets, the European Risk Management Review and the Journal of International Financial Analysis.

He has published eight books on finance, strategy, leadership, and corporate governance.

CORPORATE EXPERIENCE

• Co-founder and Chief Knowledge Officer, TrendBend Board Services, 2025 - Present

• Executive Chairman, Sustainable Foresight Institute, Global, 2001 - Present

• Executive Chairman, Corporate Governance 4.0, Global, 2016 - Present

• Visiting Professor of Strategy and Strategic Foresight, IE University, Spain, 2009 - Present

• Chief Strategy Officer & Chairman of Corporate Governance and Stewardship, Astana International Financial Centre, Kazakhstan

• Chairman of the Academic Council, Astana International Financial Centre, Kazakhstan

• Independent Director, AIFC Authority, Kazakhstan

• Board Member, National Investment Corporation of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan

• Managing Director, Kazakhstan Development Bank, Kazakhstan

• Principal Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister, Government of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan

• Senior Director and Head of Global Practices, World Economic Forum, Switzerland

• Associate (Scenarios & Global Risk), US National Intelligence Council, USA, 2007 - 2014

• Senior Strategy and Portfolio Advisor to the Chairman and CMD, Shell International, Global

• Executive Director and Co-Leader, Shareholder Value Practice, PwC, Europe

• Engagement Manager, McKinsey & Company, Global

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

• Visiting Professor of Strategy and Strategic Foresight, IE University, Spain, 2009 - Present

• Co-Director, Executive Master in Energy & Sustainability Leadership, The Graduate Institute, 2010 - 2016

• Visiting Professor of Scenarios and Corporate Strategy, INSEAD, 2005 - 2007

• Visiting Lecturer, Cambridge University, 2004 - Present

• Fellow and Visiting Professor, Energy Delta Institute, 2004 - 2019

• Dean and Professor of Finance, Rouen School of Management, 2001 - 2004

• Visiting Lecturer, Boston University, 2001 - 2002

• Adjunct Professor, Solvay School of Management, 1995 - 2002

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

• PhD in Engineering (Complex Adaptive Systems), University of Cambridge, UK

• PhD in Applied Economics (Strategy & Finance), University of London, UK

• Doctorate in International Relations, Geneva School of Diplomacy, Switzerland

• MSt in Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge, UK

• BAEF Fellow, Harvard Business School, USA

• Advanced Degrees in Management and Decision Sciences, Boston University, USA

• National Association of Corporate Directors, Cyber-risk Board Oversight Certification, USA

• The Chartered Governance Institute, Chartered Governance Professional and Fellow (FCG), Global

• National Association of Corporate Directors, NACD Board Leadership Fellow, USA

• Institute of Directors, Chartered Director (CDir) and Fellow (FIoD), UK

• Singapore Institute of Directors, Senior Accredited Director (SID-SRAD), Singapore