Governance

The governance structure of TNI is set up as follows:

  • The Supervisory Board, which is responsible for supervising the management of the Foundation and the general course of affairs, and to provide the Management Board with advice.
  • The Management Board (Executive Director), which is responsible for the realisation of the objects of the Foundation, the strategy, the policy and the results thereof.
  • The Fellowship consisting of recognised international experts in the substantive areas that are relevant for the work of TNI, which also advises the Supervisory and the Management Board on issues of substance.
  • The Board of Advisors, composed of eminent international experts, which renders assistance to the organisation in more general terms.

The structure is set out below:

The composition of each of these organs is based on a careful balance to ensure participation of the various stakeholders relevant for TNI and to reflect its international composition and orientation as well as its ambitions. This includes considerations of gender, continental representation, scholarly capacity, engagement with social movements TNI seeks to serve, as well as the relevant disciplines and skills required by TNI.

Composition of the Supervisory Board in 2019

The Supervisory Board is selected on the basis of the criteria laid down in the by-laws, and profiles which are regularly reviewed and revised. A committee – comprised of one Supervisory Board member, one staff member (usually the Executive Director), and one fellow – interviews candidates and makes a recommendation to the Supervisory Board, which makes the final decision.

The Supervisory Board members serve a four-year term, once renewable, and are not remunerated. The Supervisory Board meets at least three times per year to discuss the progress of the organisational activities. Detailed information about the Supervisory Board members can be found on the TNI website here.

Susan George has served as President of TNI since 2015, which is an honorary position.

The composition of the Supervisory Board in 2019 was as follows:

Gisela Dütting 15/04/2016–29/03/2019 (2nd term)
Pauline Tiffen 12/12/2014–11/12/2022 (2nd term)
Frenk van Enckevort 15/06/2018–14/06/2022 (1st term)
Ruth Kronenburg 29/10/2018–28/10/2022 (1st term)

There were some changes to the Supervisory Board in 2019, all formalized at its meeting of 29 March 2019. Gisela Dütting, the Chairperson, stepped out of the Board. This resulted in a reshuffle of portfolios among remaining Board members. Pauline Tiffen took on the role of Chairperson, Ruth Kronenburg that of Audit Committee, and Frenk van Enckevort that of Secretary.

The Board serves voluntarily and is not remunerated.

Composition of the Management Board

The Management Board consists of one person – the Executive Director, Fiona Dove. The following staff report directly to her: the Personnel Officer, Programme Coordinators, Communication Coordinator, Evaluation Officer and Community Builder.

The leadership expected from the Executive Director is to provide vision and to help staff think strategically. She is supported in the daily management by a Management Team comprised of the Personnel Officer, Programme Coordinators and Communication Coordinator, which meets weekly.

The Supervisory Board determines the remuneration of the Executive Director. The remuneration complies with both the guidelines of Goede Doelen Nederland as well as those of the Dutch Government (Wet Normering Topinkomens).

Remuneration of the Management Board/Executive Director:

2018 2019
Gross salary 80.608 82.713
Holiday pay 6.405 6.520
End of year payment 500 500
87.513 90.733
Taxes and premiums paid by TNI 9.702 10.402
Pension contribution from TNI 9.800 10.354
107.015 110.489

Composition of the International Fellowship

Fellows work with the TNI programmes closest to their specific areas of expertise, producing relevant analyses and commentaries, often linking TNI to broader scholarly communities. They meet together at least once a year for the annual Fellows’ Meeting. These meetings take stock of the implications of recent global developments, enabling TNI to assess the context in which it is working. We also explore emerging questions, bringing in additional expertise where necessary, helping TNI ‘stay ahead of the curve’ and to think openly and critically about the big issues.

Fellows serve a four-year term, renewable once. Detailed information about the current Fellowship can be found on the TNI website. The current composition of the Fellowship is as follows:

Achin Vanaik (India) 3 December 2015 31 December 2019
Ben Hayes (UK) 30 September 2015 31 December 2019
David Fig (South Africa) 21 September 2015 31 December 2019
Phyllis Bennis (USA) 15 April 2015 31 December 2019
Hilary Wainwright (UK) 15 April 2015 31 December 2019
Daniel Chavez (Uruguay) 15 April 2015 31 December 2019
Edgardo Lander (Venezuela) 15 April 2015 31 December 2019
Jun Borras (Philippines) 15 April 2015 31 December 2019

Former Fellows join the ranks of TNI Associates, which may also include other researchers and scholars who make substantial ongoing contributions to the TNI community. Together, they constitute the ‘think tank’ dimension of TNI.

The current term of office of the Fellowship expired at the end of 2019. TNI has been undertaking an extensive process of evaluation and consultation with a view to reconstituting the various structures of TNI, including the role of Fellows and Associates, from 2020 onwards.

‘Futures Labs’ were introduced as an innovation in 2019. These are conceived as working groups on key issues of the future which TNI needs to understand better. The three key subjects identified include the trend away from multilateralism and towards multistakeholderism; the advent of the data capitalism; and the globalisation of Chinese corporations. The first took the form of a special seminar, which is now feeding into new work being developed by one of our existing programmes. The second took the form of commissions of a series of articles, the identification of knowledgeable scholars and activist organisations with whom TNI might cooperate, and the beginnings of a new area of work which all our programmes are considering how to integrate. The third has involved proactive identification of knowledgeable scholars, particularly Chinese scholars, analysing the Belt and Road Initiative and developing a framework paper to help TNI and its allies rise to the challenges posed.

Composition of the International Advisory Board

The International Advisory Board, and its composition, is under consideration. It was not operational in 2019.