Marleen Strubbe

• Over 20 years in customer-facing processes and procedures. Lean optimizations, change management, and innovation.
• Strong people manager, enthusiastic, creative. Wants to get the best out of people
• Honest with lots of love and humor. Passionate challenger.

Unique Marleen

• What do you do in your spare time?

I’m an avid horse person and can often be found in the meadow amongst the horses or riding in the woods. Horses are an integral part of my life. They ground me and give me immense pleasure.

Besides, I love strategic games, card games, escape rooms, online games, Fortnite with the kids, and card games. I’m learning to play the guitar, with the only ambition to play some classic songs at a campfire, nothing too difficult.

I love learning new things and reading about very different subjects, most human behavior and thinking.

• What motivates you?

I love puzzles and resolving puzzles. I like starting in a position where things seem almost impossible and clearing things up, beginning to unravel the enigma; I relish seeing people blossom, discovering themselves, and seeing their potential and difficulties. I’m driven by the unused potential I see every day. I want it to be unobstructed and used.

• Who is your hero?

Tough question. I see many heroic things done by ordinary people, and I love it. People who dare to be themselves regardless of expectations of the situation and dare to show their weakness. These are the people who will evolve and grow most. If I had to choose one person, it would be my mother. She broke the glass ceiling in the eighties and cleared the path for others. She instilled a sense of equality that I try to spread myself.

• What is your motto?

Knowledge withheld is knowledge lost.

• What advice would you give young Marleen?

Everything does not have to be perfect on the first try. Making mistakes will help you tremendously. Being upfront about your weakness is the fasted way to mediate them.

• Why do you want to mentor?

I love sharing knowledge and experience to help people. Knowledge not shared is knowledge wasted. I get excited when I can help people see patterns and give them the ability to tackle them.

• What makes you a good mentor?

I can see situations clearly and have the ability to word what is going on and what the next steps could be. I’m not afraid of saying things the way they are to make sure we break through deadlocks.

• Did or do you have a mentor in your career?

I did not have a mentor in my career with the official title, but I have people I can count on to help me navigate difficult situations; it saves me so much time and energy.

• Anything else you would like to share with the world?

I’m highly interested in the challenges highly gifted people encounter in their lives and work. I dedicate much of my free time to studying this phenomenon and even enlist my horse for coaching sessions.