Joanne Kellermann joined the Supervisory Board of Aflatoun International in 2018. She has over 20 years of experience as a lawyer within the financial sector, working closely with international clients – from central banks to insurance companies, spanning from the Netherlands to London and New York.

Joanne is the chair of Pension Fund Zorg & Welzijn, the pension fund for the care and welfare sectors of The Netherlands. She also chairs the supervisory boards of NWB Bank NV and of Utrecht University. She previously was a member of the Single Resolution Board, the European Authority for Bank Resolution in Brussels, and prior to that, she was a member of the executive board of De Nederlandsche Bank NV in Amsterdam. Before her current roles, Joanne was a partner in the international law firm NautaDutilh. Her previous additional positions include a seat on the Board of trustees of the Van Gogh Museum and of the Netherlands National Opera and Ballet.

Why Aflatoun International?

Because every girl and boy deserve a chance to become financially independent in order to be able to fulfil their dreams in the future.

What is your focus as a board member?  

I focus on the general governance of Aflatoun International to make sure it is being managed in the best possible way. 

Why is social and financial education important? 

All aspects of education are important, but often social and financial education is not part of what children learn at schools. Social education makes them aware of their rights and possibilities to develop as independent individuals, while financial education encourages them to become economically independent. 

What do you like most about Aflatoun? 

I love the passion that the people who work for Aflatoun put in their work. I also think that the way in which we work together with our partner network is uniquely powerful in helping us to realise our mission. 

How do you see the future of Aflatoun International? 

I see tremendous opportunities for Aflatoun, in particular, in the area of digital learning. If we can continue to expand our partner network and build a digital learning platform, we will be able to reach every child in the world within the next decade. 

Who is a hero of yours? / A motto or quote close to your philosophy of life? 

The African saying: “It takes a village to raise a child” is so true; it means we cannot just be bystanders but we must all take an active role, and work together to shape the future.