Purpose

How do you create even more growth and success in fintech companies with global ambitions? What are the keys to unlocking the massive potential in fintech? Some of the decisive factors are high-performing boards and sound corporate governance principles.

To be a board director of a fintech startup is an important and inspiring, yet challenging task. Company interest and value creation are challenging to keep in focus in boardrooms when there is ambiguity regarding strategy, uncertainty for future financing, and dilemmas in the roles of the board of directors, founders, investors, and the executive team.

Copenhagen Fintech and CBS Board Education have co-created a board education for fintech startup board members, company owners, and members of the executive management team. This board education is based on knowledge and experience from fintech board rooms and provides models and tools regarding the board’s role, best practices, dilemmas, and challenges – all aimed at promoting value creation and sustainable growth of fintech startups. The participants will take part in case-based learning processes in a peer-to-peer teaching format where faculty composed of professors, experienced board members as well as advisors will inspire and challenge participants on their experience, knowledge, and considerations.

Studies show that companies with professional board work and focus on the interaction between owners, board, and management can grow faster, increase yield and realize more relevant market opportunities. It is an essential competency for fintech startup board members to gain knowledge about the corporate governance system, value creation, company law, and board dynamics.

This board education program is developed by CBS Board Education in close collaboration with Copenhagen Fintech and experienced CBS Professors, board members, Fintech startup investors and founders, and partners from EY and Kromann Reumert.

On the first day, a welcoming reception will take place. On the second day, after the completion of the program, diplomas will be presented.

Topics

• Corporate law and corporate governance
• Dilemmas and lack of alignment in the roles of the board of directors, founders, investors, and the executive team
• The board’s role and responsibilities in strategy, market and business development, and value creation
• Board composition, competencies, and evaluation
• Board leadership and board dynamics
• Supervision and assessment of the balance sheet financial performance
• Risk governance and crisis management
• Growth financing

Profile of participants

This program is primarily aimed at fintech startup board members and investors from Danish and Nordic fintech companies, but is relevant for everyone who has the ambition to work professionally with board work in fintech startups, e.g. founders, venture capital managers, family offices, as well as advisors closely related to the environment.

Participants typically aim at improving their tools and knowledge for enhancing value-creating board work, which they can combine with their own experiences from the fintech startup environment.

Teaching approach and faculty

Led by world-class faculty team of 8-10 experienced professors, board chairmen and advisors, participants will work with 7 cases during the two days focusing on the most important issues and challenging dilemmas faced by board of directors of fintech startups. Each case discussion is initiated by a short introduction of the topic, followed by breakout group discussions whereby groups act as boards of directors. The boards’ decisions are summarized and challenged by the faculty team during the concluding classroom discussion. The program is in English.