AGM 2026 Chair’s report
Looking back and looking forward…
As we already covered much of 2025 at our AGM in October 2025, I will not take you through the earlier part of 2025 in great detail. In short, CADS had already shown itself at its best: well-attended lunches, a boat party, thoughtful speakers, new members, charitable engagement, and the warmth and goodwill that define our Society.
After the October AGM, the year continued with both substance and a fair bit of improvisation. In November, when our planned speaker had to cancel at short notice, Jean Louis stepped in and gave a fascinating unscripted talk on stable coins. It was a good reminder that at CADS, even when Plan A disappears, the conversation usually improves rather than collapses.
We also took time to remember our dear friend Mark Cunningham. The December Jokathon was dedicated to him, with members retelling some of his favourite jokes and celebrating the humour, warmth and fellowship he brought to CADS. The Jokathon itself was a memorable end to the year. It brought together members and guests in the best CADS tradition: laughter, informality and generous participation. Judith Hope was awarded the Mike Hayes trophy, and the evening gave us a fitting close to 2025, proving once again that CADS can take serious matters seriously, but does not always have to take itself too seriously.
Behind the scenes, there was also progress on the new CADS website. The aim is to make booking, payment and event administration easier for members, the Chair and the Treasurer, while keeping the personal CADS feel intact. In other words: less admin, more conversation.
Moving into 2026, the year began with an interesting and timely programme, including last month’s speech by the UK Ambassador. The first months of the year also marked an important leadership transition, as Jennie prepared to step down and I took on the role of Chair. My first official newsletter in April 2026 was therefore a moment of both continuity and fresh energy. CADS remains the same friendly Anglo-Dutch network, but we are also looking at how to keep the Society active, welcoming and relevant for the future. I am very conscious that I am taking over something with real history, real character and, occasionally, real opinions. The June 2026 AGM is another important milestone. It gives us the opportunity to formally ratify the Chair transition, approve the 2025 reports and discuss ideas that will shape how we move forward.
Looking forward
I see it as one of my ambitions as Chair to think about how CADS positions itself in a world that has changed considerably. The Anglo-Dutch relationship remains strong, practical and friendly, but recent years have also left some baggage: Brexit, Covid, economic uncertainty and changing ways of working. And, as we all know, baggage has a habit of turning up at the most inconvenient moments.
That makes it worthwhile to ask ourselves again: what is the purpose of CADS today? What role can we play in stimulating commercial Anglo-Dutch relationships? Why should people want to join us, why should speakers want to give their time, and what can we contribute to society? My sense is that many CADS members are people who build, consolidate and give back. They have built careers, businesses, networks and experience. They have reached respected positions in their professional lives. And they look for a society like CADS as a place that reflects that maturity: offering meaningful connections, interesting events and opportunities to keep building, consolidating and contributing. Of course, we should not make this too grand or too complicated. The main reason for being part of CADS is still to spend quality time together, to gain something from each meeting, and to have fun. Preferably all three, and preferably with a decent lunch, a 0.0 or the odd glass of wine.
But if we want CADS to remain viable and relevant for the future, we need to be more explicit about the value we offer. We need a programme that attracts good speakers, gives members something to take away, welcomes new people, and shows clearly why CADS still matters in the Anglo-Dutch business landscape. For me, that means combining tradition with renewal. We should keep the warmth, humour and personal character of CADS, while also looking actively at how we present ourselves, how we attract new members, how we support speakers, and how we make our charitable and societal contribution visible.
If we can offer friendship with purpose, good conversation with practical relevance, and enjoyment with contribution, then CADS can continue to play a meaningful role in strengthening commercial Anglo-Dutch relationships for the future. That is why I see it as my mission as Chair to help develop and implement a strategy for CADS that brings all of this together: our friendships, our commercial Anglo-Dutch purpose, our speakers, our charitable contribution and our future membership. But this cannot be done by the Chair or the Board alone. I will be looking to you, our members, for advice, ideas, introductions and active contribution, so that together we can make sure CADS remains relevant, enjoyable and strong for the future.
by Julia Heidstra,
Chair of the Commercial Anglo-Dutch Society
