Executive board programme for member companies of DFA – agricultural
companies and suppliers

Aarhus BSS is providing an executive board programme together with Danish Farmers Abroad
(DFA) tailored to strengthen board work in member companies – both for agricultural companies
and suppliers.

The world is constantly changing and this places great demands on the strategy work and the organisation
of the future. At the same time, considerations as to efficiency require a strong focus on
finance and risk management. This places increased demands on the work of the board. During this
programme, you will obtain knowledge and tools that can strengthen your board work.

The aim is that you will strengthen and develop your own board during the programme, and therefore
we recommend that minimum two members of your board participate. In this way, your board
is ensured a common frame of reference for its future work.

As an example, during the topic of strategic business development the setup of module 1 allows the
boards to use tools and knowledge to map their own business model and discuss the different
unique strategic challenges based on their own company.

A visual tool (Business Model Canvas) which the Centre for Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises has
used and tested in three large research projects will form the basis for your work.

During the programme, you will work with the following topics:

The legal obligations, rights and responsibilities
Strategic business development, including specific strategic themes such as digitalisation,
UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals as well as relevant strategic challenges and possibilities
Matching of expectations between ownership and board
Division of work between management and board
The board’s work on ensuring the right organisation of the company
The financial responsibility of the board: reporting and risk management
The effective board work: rules of procedure, annual cycle of work, dynamic agenda etc.
The dynamic board work: collaboration within the board and the chairman’s role as board
leader
Competence assessment and recruitment
Evaluation of the value creation of the board
Generational succession / sales preparation

See the program for the 5 modules here

Theory in practice / practice in theory

The programme couples research‐based knowledge with best practice. The participants obtain specific
tools they can use to translate the acquired knowledge into their own board practice. Company
cases – including those of the participants – are continually included to ensure interaction between
theory and best practice.

Network

The executive board programme not only gives you the chance of gaining greater and more relevant
knowledge about board work, it also provides you with the opportunity to share knowledge
and discuss issues with other boards.

Target group

The executive board programme is aimed at boards that are affiliated to companies under DFA –
both agricultural companies and suppliers.

Length of the programme and participants’ preparation

The executive board programme is taught at university level and comprises 5 modules of which the
first module is held at Aarhus BSS and the last 4 modules are held as two separate residential
courses at Comwell Keller Park in Børkop, Denmark in order to strengthen the network and
knowledge sharing of the participants.

It is expected that the participants be prepared for each module. A curriculum of approx. 50‐60
pages in Danish per module must be expected. The curriculum includes chapters from the book
“SMV‐bestyrelsen – hele vejen rundt” (2018) and other material. The book is included in the participation
fee and is forwarded to the participants prior to the first module.

Educational responsibility and lecturers

Mette Neville

Mette Neville
Professor, Ph.D., Department of Law
Centre Director for Centre for Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises
Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University
E-mail: men@law.au.dk
Tlf.: +45 87 16 49 17

Mette Neville is a professor and Centre Director for Centre for Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises
at Aarhus BSS. She conducts research into value creation of boards, among others, and is responsible
for the different executive board programmes at Aarhus BSS, including Executive board programme
with focus on small and medium‐sized companies and Executive board program for co‐operatives
and other democratic companies. In addition, she works with board development of co‐operatives.

Together with Carsten Fode, she is the author of the book “SMV bestyrelsen ‐ hele vejen rundt”.

Carsten Fode

Carsten Fode
Lawyer, Kromann Reumert
Honorary Professor, Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University
E-mail: CF@kromannreumert.com
Tlf.: +45 38 77 43 44

Carsten Fode is a strategic sparring partner for the executive board programme and is considered
one of the leading specialists in Denmark within e.g. corporate law, corporate governance and
board work. He is a certified judge at the court of arbitration and holds a number of board seats for
instance at ARoS and Carl Hansen og Søn A/S.
Scientifically, Carsten Fode is closely associated with the corporate law environment in particular at
the Department of Law at Aarhus BSS from where he graduated with a Master of Laws in 1973. He
has e.g. published a textbook on corporate law, made a wide range of contributions to books and
articles as well as a number of popular science and debate‐creating articles.
Together with Mette Neville, Carsten is the author of the book “SMV bestyrelsen ‐ hele vejen
rundt”.

Lecturers
The team of lecturers consists of professors and practitioners who are specialists in board work and
have knowledge of small and medium‐sized enterprises such as agricultural companies. Thus, the
interaction between latest theory and best practice is ensured.

The executive board programme is developed in cooperation with Danish Farmers Abroad.

Time, place, price and registration

The five modules are held accordingly:

Module 1:

Aarhus BSS
Fuglesangs Allé 4
8210 Aarhus V

Module 2‐3 and 4‐5 as two separate residential courses at:

Comwell Kellers Park
H. O. Wildenskovsvej 28
7080 Børkop
See appendix: Educational programme

Tidspunkt:

Module 1: The 25th January 2021 in Aarhus BSS

Module 2-3: The 10.-11. February 2021 in Comwell Kellers Park

Module 4-5.: The 3.-4. March 2021 in Comwell Kellers Park

See further informations under the program for the 5 modules

Price:

The participation fee is DKK 32,000 excluding VAT but including the book ”SMV‐bestyrelsen – hele
vejen rundt, material and 2 separate two‐days residential courses at Comwell Kellers Park.
Registration deadline: 1 December 2020

Registration

The maximum number of course participants is 25.

The programme will be taught in Danish.

Certificate

Document your board competences

The executive board programme is taught at university level. At the end of the programme, you will
receive a certificate with a description of the length and content of the programme.