VENTURE BOARD MASTERCLASS
Take the board seat you can defend.
A day and a half in Zurich for corporate representatives on startup boards. Understand your duties, become a better board member and learn how experienced directors handle tough situations.
Next editions: 4–5 May 2027, Zurich · Autumn 2027, London (date to be announced).
THE PROGRAMME
1.5 days
In person, Zurich
THE FORMAT
Learn. Then ask.
Board modules + Practitioner's Day
THE ROOM
15 seats
Chatham House rules
PROGRAMME FEE
€3,500
Per participant, all-inclusive
WHY WE BUILT THIS
“Our industry has to get better at what we do, collectively. Nowhere does that matter more than in the boardroom because the real value creation begins after closing. We need board training specifically tailored to startup boards.”
Gina Domanig · Managing Partner, Emerald Technology Ventures
THE CHALLENGE
A board seat is a job, not a title.
Corporates put executives on startup boards every year, often without specific training for the role. Board members have their own legal duties, founders face difficult decisions and loyalty to the parent company can conflict with responsibilities to the startup.
INSTEAD OF
WORK TOWARDS
Attending as the investor's representative
→
Acting on duties you understand
Reacting when the cash runs short
→
Reading the warning signs early
Avoiding the hard conversation
→
Handling down-rounds and exits with confidence
The seat comes with the cheque. The judgement doesn't.
WHAT YOU WILL PRACTISE
The skills behind a credible board member.
Learn the framework, test it against real cases and hear how experienced board members apply it.
01
Know your duties
Understand fiduciary duty across jurisdictions and where your personal liability starts.
02
Run the board well
Set cadence, agendas and documentation, and manage conflicts of interest.
03
Read the room
Work with founders and mixed boards, and decide under pressure.
04
Read the numbers
Track the metrics that matter by stage and spot early warning signs.
05
Navigate the hard moments
Handle down-rounds, pivots, M&A and exits from inside the boardroom.
06
Protect yourself
Recognise insolvency risk and document decisions to limit liability.
WHO IT IS FOR
For people who sit at the table.
Corporate board members and observers
CVC investment directors and partners
C-suite and innovation leaders
Executives about to take a board seat
Bring a current or upcoming board seat, or responsibility for appointing board members. No legal background needed.
HOW THE PROGRAMME WORKS
Not another panel. A room built for candour.
A framework day, an evening with practitioners and a morning of small-group conversations. Chatham House throughout.
01 / LEARN
Board modules
Five focused modules on duties, governance, dynamics, finances and liability.
02 / APPLY
Real cases
Work through board situations drawn from real cases provided by the hosts and our GP network.
03 / ASK
Practitioner tables
Rotate through small tables led by partners from the EUVC VC Partner Circle.
04 / CONNECT
Dinner and lunch
Continue the conversation over the Day 1 dinner and Day 2 lunch.
EUVC CORPORATE
Two days, one room.
Small groups, real cases, no slides on Day 2.
01 Day 1 morning and afternoon — build the framework
02 Day 1 evening — exit session and Chatham House dinner
03 Day 2 — practitioner tables and closing plenary
The value is in the room, not the slides.
THE TWO-DAY PROGRAMME
From board duties to boardroom reality.
Day 1 builds the framework. Day 2 puts it to the people who use it every week.
Day 1 ·
01
Role and duties of the board
Fiduciary duties across jurisdictions, liability, key documents.
MODULE
Day 1 ·
02
Running the board
Cadence, agendas, documentation and conflicts of interest.
MODULE
Day 1 ·
03
Board dynamics
Founders, mixed boards, and decisions under pressure.
MODULE + CASE
Day 1 ·
04
Reading the numbers
Metrics by stage, early warning signs, a cash-flow case.
MODULE + CASE
Day 1 ·
05
Insolvency and board liability
When a cash problem becomes a legal one, and how to protect yourself.
MODULE
Day 1 ·
06
The exit conversation
How board dynamics shift when M&A or a secondary is on the table.
SESSION + DINNER
Day 2 ·
07
Practitioner tables
Small rotating groups led by Circle partners: crisis, cross-border, down-rounds, CVC and VC on one board.
PRACTITIONER'S DAY
Day 2 ·
08
One thing I wish I'd known
Closing plenary, then lunch. Finishes 14:00.
CLOSING PLENARY
EDITIONS / 2027
4–5 May 2027
One and a half days in Zurich. Five board modules, an evening with practitioners and a Practitioner's Day under Chatham House rules.
In person
Zurich, venue to be announced
1.5 days
Day 2 ends at 14:00
15 seats
Apply and pay online
Participant
€3,500
Full participation in the programme.
Full programme, both days
Chatham House dinner and Day 2 lunch
Programme materials and resources
Peer network of corporate board members
Autumn 2027 · London
SPEAKERS AND FACILITATORS
Practitioners, not just theory.
Partners from the EUVC VC Partner Circle who sit on boards today, with legal experts from our partner law firms.
Jeppe Høier
● EUVC CORPORATE · PROGRAMME HOST
Gina Domanig
● MANAGING PARTNER, EMERALD TECHNOLOGY VENTURES · PROGRAMME PARTNER
Andreas Munk Holm
● EUVC CORPORATE · PROGRAMME HOST
Programme design and the connection between corporate and VC boardrooms.
PRACTICAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES
Materials you will use after the room.
Each participant leaves with references and checklists for their next board meeting.
Before the seat
Checklist
The documents and questions to check before you accept a board seat.
Duties at a glance
Reference
Board duties and liability across major European jurisdictions.
The hard moments
Playbooks
Short guides for down-rounds, insolvency risk and exits.
Before the seat
Checklist
The documents and questions to check before you accept a board seat.
Duties at a glance
Reference
Board duties and liability across major European jurisdictions.
The hard moments
Playbooks
Short guides for down-rounds, insolvency risk and exits.
EUVC CORPORATE
Lead from the board.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Before you join.
Clear expectations about the programme, the room and access.
Do I need to be on a board already?
No. It also suits executives about to take a seat and leaders who appoint board members.
Is it relevant outside Switzerland?
Yes. Modules cover duties and insolvency across major European jurisdictions, and practitioners bring DACH, Nordic and UK experience.
What does Chatham House mean here?
You can use what you hear, but not say who said it. That is what lets practitioners share real cases.
Who are the practitioners?
Partners from the EUVC VC Partner Circle who hold board seats today. They are there to teach, not to pitch.
How do I apply?
Apply and pay by card on the EUVC Circle platform; your seat is confirmed straight away. Places are capped at 15.
What is included in the fee?
Both days, the Day 1 dinner, Day 2 lunch and all materials. Travel and accommodation are not included.
Can my team join?
Yes. Ask about team places before you apply.
Is it part of EUVC Academy membership?
No. It needs separate enrolment.
THE NEXT STEP
Take your seat at the table.
Fifteen seats. One and a half days. The board lessons most people learn the hard way.
4–5 May 2027 · Zurich · Autumn 2027 · London (date TBA) · In person