Life at Baseblue: Marlou on Growth, Collaboration, and Making an Impact

At Baseblue, our strength lies in the people who drive progress behind the scenes. Marlou van der Velde, our Financial Controller, joined the company in 2022 following the acquisition of her previous firm. Since then, she’s played a key role in optimising financial processes and supporting the wider team with accurate, timely insights. In this edition of Life at Baseblue, Marlou shares her journey in her own words—from integration and learning to cross-border collaboration and her favourite project so far.

I joined Baseblue in 2022 after our firm was acquired by Baseblue. It was a period of change and opportunity, and stepping into the role of Financial Controller gave me the chance to focus on improving financial operations while ensuring management had the data they needed to make informed decisions.

Becoming part of a larger, global network allowed me to grow professionally while supporting the company’s shift toward more efficient processes. It was clear from the beginning that Baseblue values not only performance but also people, and that balance has made a big difference in how I’ve developed in my role.

One of the things I find most motivating is the company’s international aspect. Collaborating with colleagues from various countries brings fresh perspectives and new ways of thinking. It’s also a very open environment when it comes to internal knowledge-sharing. Everyone is willing to help, and I try to offer the same support whenever I can.

Baseblue is built on a solid foundation of expertise. That cross-functional knowledge across departments has helped me learn quickly and apply what I’ve learned directly to my day-to-day work. The company’s focus on efficiency and smart delegation has pushed me to take more ownership and grow beyond the numbers.

A standout project for me was improving our communication with auditors and reducing the number of adjustment entries. It was a team effort. Working closely with our small but dedicated finance team and the auditors, we managed to streamline the process and improve overall accuracy, something I’m really proud of.

If I could give one piece of advice to someone new at Baseblue, it would be to embrace the global nature of the business and the opportunities for learning that come with it. It’s a great place to work efficiently, collaborate with people from different backgrounds, and continue growing.