GFCE Foundation Board Candidates

The GFCE Foundation was established in December 2019. The Foundation Board has so far consisted of 3 members. To diversify the Board and add new core competencies, we intend to expand the Board, at least initially, to five members.

The GFCE is looking for candidates to expand the Board and, for purposes of succession planning, replace existing Board members as appropriate. Below you will find more information about the role.

About the GFCE and GFCE Foundation

The GFCE is a diverse, multistakeholder, global community of over 200 members and partners (“Community”), devoted to promoting, coordinating and knowledge sharing with respect to cybersecurity capacity building. It was established in 2015 and its members and partners include nation-states, international organizations, private sector entities, civil society, and academia. Its work is aimed at developing countries’ needs but serves both the developed and developing world. More information about the GFCE and its activities can be found at www.thegfce.org.

Stichting Global Forum on Cyber Expertise Foundation (“Foundation”) was established in 2019 to support the GFCE Community in their Cyber Capacity Building efforts. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organization (a ‘Stichting’ under Dutch law), funded through several donors from all over the globe. It does not seek to make profit from the total of its activities. The Board facilitates cyber capacity building activities of its donors, in line with the mandate and strategy set by the GFCE community.

Board Composition

GFCE Foundation Board members are responsible for governing the Foundation, with all duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of governing an organization with a budget of a few million Euro. Because of their governing role in the organization, Board members should have broad professional experience and are required to be ethically beyond reproach. Members should also understand the cyber capacity-building field and collaborate in a diverse and global multistakeholder group.

Ideally, the Board will be composed of:

1. Several members with expertise in the Cyber Capacity Building or Development fields.
2. Several members with experience in organizational leadership.
3. Diversity in gender, age, cultural background, and origin.
4. At least one member with experience in not-for-profit organizations.
5. At least one member with financial experience.
6. At least one member with a background in the private sector.
7. At least one member with fund raising experience.
8. At least one member who is fluent in Dutch, given the legal status of the organization.

Board members prime responsibility is governing the foundation. This includes:

• maintaining a strategic relation with (potential) donors and major contributors;
• approving the foundation’s budget and reporting;
• providing general supervisory oversight of the GFCE Secretariat which acts as main executive entity for the foundation’s activities;

• ensuring the Secretariat’s activities and the Foundation as a whole are within the Foundation’s overall budget and resources; and
• aligning the foundation’s priorities with the strategy set by the community.

Candidate Profile

We aim to have expanded the Board to 5 persons by the end of Q2 of 2024. As a result, we are looking for members that combine multiple of the qualities mentioned above. Candidates should be able to allocate sufficient time to engage with the Board and be willing to travel. Time commitment will vary depending on the role within the Board, but on average, a Board member should allocate 0.1 FTE. The Board is expected to meet four times a year, twice in person, one of which will take place at the GFCE Annual Meeting. Other meetings will take place online.

Further details

• Appointment of Board members will be for up to 4 years after which they can be re-appointed for up to another 4 years. To get a staggered reappointment schedule, initial appointments may also be held for 2 or 3 years.
• Board members do not get compensated for their work. Costs of flight and accommodation will be covered for attending Board meetings and the GFCE Annual Meeting.
• New Board members will be selected by the current Board of the GFCE Foundation at the time of their selection.
• If you are interested in becoming a member of the Board, please send a CV and cover letter that indicates which competencies you bring to the Board to foundationboard@thegfce.org.
• The Board may ask selected members of the GFCE community to assist in screening and evaluating Board applications. Applications will be treated confidentially and will not be made public.