Mr Frank Kunneman > VANEPS > Willemstad, Curacao > Lawyer Profile

Frank Kunneman is an undisputed expert in the field of corporate governance, risk management and compliance in the Caribbean region. In this role, Frank continues to advise and assist many (financial) institutions and government(al) bodies both in Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten.

2021 and 2022 remain very active years for corporate governance in the Dutch Caribbean. Partly as a result of the extensive financial support from the Netherlands in connection with the Covid-19 crisis, higher requirements have been imposed on the governance of government-affiliated entities in all countries in the Dutch Caribbean. In that context, Frank is involved in Aruba as lead counsel in an extensive project in which completely new legislation and codes are being designed for the entire semi-public sector. Frank also plays a major role in the review of the corporate governance of the Sint Maarten Airport. Furthermore, in 2021, the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten presented a draft corporate governance code for the entire financial sector. At the request of the International Bankers Association, the Curaçao Bankers Association, and the Curaçao International Financial Services Association, Frank has analyzed this code and made suggestions for amendments on behalf of these institutions.

Frank is a certified supervisory director in the Netherlands. Previously, he was a senior lecturer at the University of Amsterdam and dean of the Law Faculty of the University of  Curaçao. He was also Vice-President of the Advisory Council, the highest advisory body of Curaçao. Frank is one of the founding fathers of the Themis Institute for Governance & Leadership. Frank regularly provides courses and speeches on corporate governance. He is the author and editor of more than ten books and many publications on civil law topics and legal methodology. In 2020 and 2021 he wrote and edited three books on corporate governance in the Dutch Caribbean.