Staying ahead of the curve

Yvonne van Rees Vellinga-Leenders, Group Director: People & Facilities at Eurofiber, was a banker, lawyer and stewardess (in that order!) before she found a home in the domain of people management. As the winner of the Digital Leadership & Diversity award at the 2023 RightBrains Awards, she wants women in tech to know: you can be what you want to be -- where you want to be it

Yvonne has always felt an affinity towards change; in fact, over the course of her career, it has been her driving force. Her early career journey maps a fascinating trek marked by gutsy moves – on her own terms – and her desire to continually pursue something entirely new and exciting. After graduating her law degree, she worked as a banker, and later as a lawyer. In both industries at the time, she experienced exclusion based on her gender, and today she speaks candidly about her experiences. “It ranged from the subtle messaging of seeing my male colleagues promoted before me, to a blunt conversation with a superior who explained the reason why: ‘Yvonne, the bank is a gentleman.’” As a lawyer, the men became associates and partners, while the women focused on doing legal research for them, and Yvonne’s disillusionment with the circumstances led her to a surprising pivot that set her on a fresh trajectory. She became a stewardess and pursued a degree in Fiscal Law; and when she eventually handed in her resignation, she was offered the job as the head of labour affairs at the airline on the spot. Yvonne stayed in the position for seven years, spearheading negations with unions and forming part of the management team, whilst completing a master’s degree in Personnel Science. She found, however, that the aviation industry was very static and pragmatic, which did not quench her thirst for managing change.

Stepping into tech

“It was a few years before the new millennium and the ICT sector was buzzing and creating a lot of movement in both the labour market and everyday life. I joined my first tech company, Inter Access, in the role of vice president, and it was love at first sight. For the first time in my career, I felt that the climate had changed and that inclusion as a woman was so much less of an issue. While there were many women in supporting roles at the time, there was an amazing dynamic. The junior techies developed new and innovative software, while the senior professionals managed the mainframes from the big corporates – regardless of their gender. Everyone brought their unique skills and perspectives to bake the cake.” She has been passionate about harnessing this energy and promoting diversity in the tech sector ever since. She has remained committed to it throughout her career journey and during her independent consulting days. Despite not being a ‘techie’ herself, she has come to embrace the dynamic nature of the tech industry from her vantage point: “The tech industry is about something more universal than just technical skills. It’s about change, the technology, innovation – and pushing boundaries. It also has a lot of opportunities for growth – and with that comes the need for women to constantly develop their skills and challenge themselves to stay ahead of the curve.”

Driving the people agenda

Yvonne is confident that limitations are rapidly disappearing for women in the tech sector and she is proud to play her part at the helm of a large programme for Eurofiber called ‘Inspiring place to work.’ She and her team have actively focused on developing policies to promote gender balance, including eliminating biases in job descriptions and recruitment processes, championing flexible work arrangements, implementing mentoring programmes, and regularly reporting and communicating gender diversity metrics within the organisation. She has created a team of talented HR professionals whom she heavily credited when she was awarded the RightBrains Digital Leadership & Diversity Awards last year. “The award was a testament to all the hard work and effort our team has put into making Eurofiber an inspiring and inclusive place to work, and I’m thankful to be playing my part in enabling others.”

The well of inspiration

Yvonne stays energised by being mindful about her connections with the people and teams around her and how they manage their work/life balances. It motivates her when she sees the rewards of a connected team where everyone can voice their opinions honestly. She is also constantly inspired by her son and how he navigates this fast-changing world (which included a pandemic!) as a youngster, and how he has also chosen tech as a solid launchpad for his future career. Another pillar of inspiration is her involvement with female tech networks, which provides a platform for her to connect with like-minded peers and to find mentoring initiatives, where she can help younger women find their feet in the industry. Yvonne is well aware that there are still barriers to break for women in tech – and society as a whole, which is why she hopes to leave all women with a call to action: “Let’s stand together to help women push their boundaries as leaders, as friends, as mothers, and as women in technology. Together we can achieve great things!

This article was originally published in the RightBrains DIGIDIVA Magazine. Check out this year's issue for more inspiration or to get involved!