Multi-user point of view: 10-year journey with Sherpany: 30% of meeting time saved

We spoke to Marco J. Netzer, Member of several boards of directors of companies and foundations, where he has successfully introduced Sherpany, who shared the reasons they chose Sherpany, their journey towards better board meetings, and the impact that Sherpany has had on their approach to governance for more than 10 years. 

The challenges: Outdated board meeting process

Before Sherpany, board meetings were weighed down by inefficiencies and manual effort. Documents occasionally didn’t arrive on time, often distributed by post or email, and updates caused, from time to time, confusion and hampered board member preparedness. 

As Mr. Netzer explains, “Before using Sherpany, we certainly had different challenges. Imagine you are an external director, you are not in the [a company’s] systems. You don’t have access to their intranet.” He continues,  “We prepared the documentation by mail in the past, then via email. You receive the emails. You do the meeting with the documentation that you received… while sometimes valid documents, in particular updates, arrived later. So, Sherpany has changed all the processes and improved the efficiency of holding board meetings.” 

This meant directors struggled to prepare fully. The flow of information lacked clarity, and changes just before meetings undermined the work of board secretaries and administrators. 

“A main challenge my colleagues and I were confronted with before using Sherpany was preparation. The documentation, the emails, back and forth, back and forth… It was sometimes confusing.”  

 

The solution: Purpose-built board meeting software  

Mr. Netzer first came across Sherpany in late 2014.  He began using it at Banque Cramer, where the majority of board members were external. 

“I quickly understood how Sherpany worked and I introduced it to the bank with the board, which, for the most part, is made up of external members who don’t live in the company every day.” 

Security and compliance were critical considerations. To make the case in a public institution he chaired, Mr Netzer went further: 

“I was obliged to do an analysis, a public tender, and a public offer. Security was very important, and I gave the mandate [to evaluate providers] to one of the Big Four. Sherpany came out as the best solution.” 

The results: A decade of board meeting efficiency  

Sherpany has reshaped board governance. 

Meetings are shorter and more effective 

“I estimate that board meetings have been shortened by 30%. For those who aren’t in the company every day, preparation is of a completely different quality… You have access to the statutes, the regulations, and to what was decided 16 months ago. You have access to past meeting minutes, and a library of all documents, past and present. It’s very efficient.”  

Alignment across the board 

Operational teams also noticed the difference. Mr. Netzer confirms this, “It’s much easier. The operational management, by definition, has a degree of knowledge of the subject much deeper than a board member. But it relieves them a lot because they find themselves at a table with people who have read and who don’t have to ask questions that we could avoid,  and we can avoid them thanks to Sherpany.” 

Consistency across multiple mandates 

Today, Mr. Netzer continues to use Sherpany in multiple roles, often across different sectors, explaining, “I think that the biggest advantage for someone who is on the board of directors in multiple boards is that you have a single login and then you are everywhere. Whether you are on a plane, or abroad on a trip, you log in and you’re everywhere. Besides the security of this, the simplicity is a huge advantage.” 

Sherpany: An indisputable success

Over the past decade, Sherpany has helped many companies establish more structured, efficient, and professional governance.  

For Mr. Netzer, the choice is clear, “The partnership with Sherpany was undoubtedly the right and best decision. I am more and more convinced of it, it has been more than 10 years now. Not once have I heard a board colleague question the decision to go with Sherpany.” 

If you would like to experience the same benefits, book a free consultation today and discover what Sherpany could do for your organisation.