The extra mile: An Ynvolve 15-year anniversary interview with Martijn Vermunt

Martijn Vermunt

The Accountant

‘I know few companies with such an open corporate culture.’

Martijn Vermunt

Look, here it is; the 23rd of October 2006. That’s when we commenced, Martijn and I. He started Ynvolve; I assisted with forming the structure, the administration, all those things that come with setting up a company. It immediately felt good because I noticed Martijn finds it important to work with people he can trust. I didn’t want to disappoint him; I wanted to add value to the business. I wanted to show him around in that world of bookkeeping, annual accounts, interim figures, and the associated fiscal obligations. Explaining the risks to him – and making smart decisions with him within the given boundaries. A startup is not always open to that approach. Martijn was and still is. And because of this bond of trust, you are willing to go the extra mile. At the start, my colleagues and I not only assisted with the administration parts but also with human resources matters and contracts. When the company grew bigger, and the administrative duties had to be handled internally, Martijn and I screened letters of application together, selected candidates, and did the interviews jointly. That is not needed anymore – everything is in place – certainly with a CFO like Suhaily. At first, I’d visit him each quarter; nowadays, I am more or less redundant regarding the administrative part. I am now more focused on optimizing the structure, mostly risk analysis and fiscal matters. On top of it, I’ve become a personal advisor, someone who will be flown in when necessary. Not only my role has changed, but Martijn’s too. He started as a salesman, and it shows: Martijn sees business opportunities and does something with them. Now he’s grown into a family man, someone who can delegate when needed; even when he’s not around, it’s business as usual. That’s where trust comes back into play. Make no mistake: Martijn still knows what’s going on exactly in the company, but he dares to offer his employees more room and values them accordingly. I know few companies with such an open corporate culture. But that’s how Martijn works. That’s what makes Ynvolve. And not only the employees notice that, customers notice it as well.’