In this episode of Tax Leaders Unplugged, host Stevi Frooninckx is joined by Henny Abdel Malek Verboom, the VP and Global Head of Tax at Adyen, a Fintech company based in The Netherlands. Henny previously served as the Tax Lead for Europe at Uber and as the Global Head of Tax at Rituals, a renowned cosmetics brand. With a knack for thriving in high-speed environments, Henny shares her strategies for making a significant impact at work, including her practice of dedicating one day each week to focused reflection. Beyond her career in tax law, Henny is also a certified yoga teacher and practices meditation, which helps shape her leadership style. In our conversation, we discuss:
• How to apply the Theory of Lencioni to your work
• How she approaches and utilizes a lean tax function with her teams
• Why she dedicates one work day for reflection
• Invaluable advice on navigating the complexities of in-house tax roles in fast-paced industries
• The power of investing in personal growth and 'soft skills' for long-term success in the tax profession
• And much more
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Where to find Henny Abdel Malek Verboom:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henny-verboom-27704218
Where To Find Stevi Frooninckx:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevifrooninckx
• X: https://twitter.com/stevi_f
In this episode, we cover:
(01:31) Welcome Henny Abdel Malek Verboom
(02:59) What Henny learned on her trip around the world
(04:21) Why it’s important to keep an open mind and avoid the judgment trap
(05:26) How Henny has learned to use her influence, be impactful and create positive change
(09:19) Why Henny’s philosophy is personal growth leads to company growth
(10:32) How to be a fair tax player and initiatives Henny takes to support her team
(11:59) Henny’s “high impact reflection day”
(14:40) Why Henny has her team practice reflection, as well
(16:00) Henny’s diverse experiences and pros and cons of the different industries
(22:10) Why Henny decided to take on more of a leadership role and join Adyen
(23:41) The pace at Uber and Adyen, and why Henny enjoys the challenge
(26:00) Building a “lean tax function”
(27:37) Why Adyen is highly regulated
(28:52) The most challenging parts of the job for Henny
(31:32) How Henny struggles with wanting to keep everyone happy
(33:15) How a panic attack led to Henny seeking a different path to healing
(36:00) What “soft skills” are and why 85% of job success comes from those skills
(38:20) How AI assists with technical skills
(39:25) The flexibility and resourcefulness required to be an in-house tax manager
(41:20) Why Henny went back to being an in-house
(43:50) Advice for improving your soft skills
(45:30) Adapting your leadership style to the generation you are leading
(46:48) Lencioni's pyramid for high-performing teams
(48:20) The people Henny looks up to
(49:20) Adyen’s impressive CFO
(50:20) Henny’s final advice—why people never forget how you made them feel
(51:47) The tax pyramid
