Full Slidedeck of presentations

Do you have a company with more than 50 employees? Then, as you know, you have until December 17 to comply with the Belgian Whistleblower Act. To help you do so, Transparency International Belgium and IBR-IRE invites you to participate in a special event dedicated to whistleblowing and whistleblowers. Transparency International Belgium is proud to partner with IBR-IRE to collaborate in the organisation of this event. The event will take place on December 6, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the offices of the IBR-IRE. Please note that speakers will speak English. The purpose of this special day is to provide an overview of the steps needed to implement the new whistleblower obligations, identify the potential implementation issues your company may face and propose concrete solutions to overcome them, as well as anticipate the reactions that the arrival of this new system is likely to bring within your organization to help you respond. Among the many speakers on Wednesday, Dec. 6, will be Delphine Reuter, data journalist and researcher, Thomas Vermaerke, director general of Transparency International Belgium, and Ann De Roeck, secretary general of the College of Supervisory Auditors. Speakers will be invited to share their expertise in presentations, debates and question-and-answer sessions.

Registration is possible via the website of IBR-IRE at the following link: https://www.ibr-ire.be/fr/evenements/event-detail?eventId=0e0570e1-fd34-ee11-b8f0-000d3ac244b7

The full program for the day and the names of all speakers can be found here:
https://www.ibr-ire.be/fr/actualites/news-detail/loi-sur-les-lanceurs-d-alerte-tes-vous-pr-ts

08:00-8:30

Registration and welcome coffee

08:30– 08:50

Welcome by the President of IBR/E

Introduction by Patrick van Impe – President of the IBRE 
“Importance of Whistleblowing for IBRE”

Introduction by the Executive Director of Transparency International Belgium 
Introduction by Thomas Vermaerke – Executive Director Transparency International Belgium –“Why does whistleblowing matter so much to TI-BE?”

08:50-09:15

Keynote speaker Delphine Reuter, Data journalist and researcher
“Whistleblowers: when democracy’s defenders are under attack”.

09:15 – 10:45     Part I: Implementing whistleblowing

— Deploying whistleblowing

    • Reminder of the specific legal obligations:
      → Michaël Fernandez-Bertier, Board member of Transparency International Belgium
    • Local versus group-level reporting: how to effectively manage
    • Are discrimination and harassment in the scope and if so how to deal with them?
      → Gautier Busschaert, Senior Attorney, Van Olmen & Wynant

— External whistleblowing:

  • Euronext, Speaker to be confirmed

— Legal & strategic pitfalls after blowing the Whistle: 

  • Joris Lambrecht, Manager Compliance & Forensic – FinVision

— Data Privacy aspects: Data protection focal points to be considered for the private sector.

  • Florine De Ridder, Senior Associate – Affluo

10:45 – 11:15 Coffee Pause

11:15 – 12:00: Panel and Q&A session moderated by Michaël Fernandez-Bertier

Panellists

  1. Ann De Roeck, Secretary General – The College de Supervision des Réviseurs enterprises / Belgian Audit Oversight Board
  2. Joris Lambrecht, Manager Compliance & Forensic – FinVision
  3. Gautier Busschaert, Associate – Van Olmen & Wynant
  4. Johan Vandendriesche, Partner – Affluo and Professor UGhent

12.00 – 13.00   Part II: Getting whistleblowing functioning: the human challenges

This segment will focus on the human challenges associated with the implementation of whistleblowing in an organisation, such as:

  • Possible side effects of whistleblowing: how to anticipate and manage
  • How to deal effectively with the ethical aspects of whistleblowing, including the conflict between loyalty to an organization and loyalty to a colleague or a friend.
  • Emotional challenges faced by whistleblowers, such as stress, anxiety, and fear of reprisals/retaliation.
  • Role of leaders and trust within the organization to place the “common interest” as a priority consideration.             

12.00 – 12:20   Collective labour relations in a whistleblowing era: 

  • Bruno Aguirre, Lawyer, Senior Associate Employment & Benefits at Liedekerke

12:20 – 13:00   Panel and Q&A Session: Moderator by Dominique Dussard, Chair Transparency International Belgium

Panellists

  1. Bruno Aguirre, Senior Attorney – Liedekerke
  2. Barbara Giskes-Widmer, Speak Up expert, Euroclear
  3. Marie-France De Pover, KBC Group – General Manager Compliance
  4. Eric Van Hoof, vice-president – IBR-IRE
  5. Corentin Hericher, Assistant Professor UCLouvain

13:00 – 13:10   Concluding remarks from Dominique Dussard, Chairman of Board of Directors of Transparency International Belgium 

13:10 – …  Networking and lunch