Meet the Startup Board Member: Misha Kuys

Meet… Misha Kuys!

What is your headline? 

Analytics | Results | People

For me this means get your facts right, work hard to deliver and start with the people!

What are you passionate about professionally?

I am passionate about helping organizations grow using creativity and technology. My most memorable experiences are when plans came together and became a reality. In these moments you realize that all the hard work has finally paid off and you can really celebrate this with the team. It’s magical.

Which sessions of the ScaleUpBoard program did you find the most insightful? 

I really enjoyed the case study and the challenging discussions we had in the learning circle. We were a diverse group and the different viewpoints really helped me understand the impact you can have as a board member.

As the program ScaleUpBoard offers is really broad, it is difficult to choose. The insights provided by Dr. Natalia Blagburn that all scale-ups face similar issues and that you can plan the board agenda ahead of time accordingly were really valuable. The same goes for the importance of board dynamics and the questions: Is your board fit for purpose? When are you effective as a board? To be able to openly discuss these questions with a peer group really helped me understand things better.

How do you want to add value to a board?

I have a broad background in Finance, HR and IT that help me approach challenges with a holistic view but most importantly I bring focus to the board. What is our purpose? Do we have the right people? How do we execute? Coming from a big corporate organization, I am especially focused on how to bridge the gap between scale-ups and corporations to nurture a mutual partnership.

If you are on or have been on a board or in an advisory position, how did you encounter the opportunity? If not, what type of board role are you seeking?

I am currently advising several scale-ups and am fascinated by the creativity and learning curve of the founders. Helping them with putting their energy where it makes the difference makes me proud. Also, I’m especially keen on helping companies develop a good relationship with their partners as I believe that nobody has all the answers, and we need to work together to be able to solve the biggest problems. That’s why I get a lot of energy from setting up new partnerships and making sure they bring what all parties expect.

What is the best piece of advice some gave to you?

“Learning goes faster when you’re out of your comfort zone.” I love to learn new things and gain new insights. This goes faster when you step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Don’t be afraid that you might fail. All skills require you to try first before you master them.

What do you want your impact to be through your work?

I love bringing people together and seeing them grow individually and together as a team. In my experience, when you work together as a team you can have a really big impact, no matter the area. I believe that we should not wait for others to make the world more sustainable. Small steps matter! Therefore, I hope that people approach problems more holistically and take responsibility for their actions. We need start-ups to come with innovative and disruptive solutions to solve our biggest problems. Through my work I help these start-ups deliver.

Learn more about Misha and his experience in the ScaleUpBoard program below!