Open the kimono: An Ynvolve 15-year anniversary interview with Martin Stewart

Martin “Marty” Stewart
Gartner – Former employee

‘They are excellent problem solvers, especially when it gets messy. And it does get messy.’

Martin “Marty” Stewart

At the start of the conversation Marty Stewart drops a little warning: ‘Do let me know when I speak too fast. We Aussies talk in stories, and we occasionally lose ourselves in them. And when that happens, I am that guy who at the best of times you can barely understand.’ He has a point. Marty’s accent is at times surreal, perhaps a language of its own. Some of Marty’s expressions are still in use, although he no longer works for the company ‘You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig’, that’s a real classic. Or the one with the kimono: ‘Clients sometimes looked at me as if I had two heads, but when I wanted them to lay themselves bare in order for us to see what they really needed, I asked them to open their kimono’. You can imagine the accompanying movement and his quasi-stoic face.

Marty met Martijn Niessen and Roberto de Back in 2009 in a small hotel in Stuttgart. They talked about the possibility of supporting global energy customers for the company Marty worked for at the time. Marty had the heads up these guys could get things done – fast. They hit it off with an immediate bond of trust and personal connection. Sales guys. Brothers in Arms. Work to be done, money to be made. And Roberto talked as fast a Marty. ‘The way they talked, how they dressed, the stories they told: these guys were a few centuries of Dutch merchant-spirit concentrated in two persons. I also thought it was a really big company. Only later I found out it was run by two guys and a dog.’ But the chemistry was enormous. They started doing business, not only because of that chemistry, but also, regardless of the size of their company, they could fix things. Marty called, they delivered. Always.

Often, they solved problems for him, especially when he would order too late. They stepped up; they were always there for him. Something for which Marty still feels thankful. In 2011 Martijn asked Marty if he would want to come work for Ynvolve. Global services, that would suit the Aussie. Eventually he returned to Australia – for a whole bunch of reasons – but still uses the most important lesson he learned when at Ynvolve: everything revolves around trust. ‘To get equipment in a country like Brazil, that is a shitty, complex process. But they can do that, they went for that niche, and know how to roll that out globally. Not only that: they are excellent problem solvers, especially when it gets messy. And it does get messy. But they have contacts in every country and arrange everything. And that’s why people trust them.’ Marty takes a breath – even he has to do so from time to time. Then continues: ‘Back in 2012, I thought the business model was inspired and was ahead of its time. It took vison and courage to build it. Both Exellyn and Ynvolve are prepared to do the most difficult things that are most important to customers and vendors. The vision was built on trust and competency. Turns out they are good at both. The retention rates of customers and staff over such a long period of time are such an endorsement of who they are and how they do it. I am so happy we are lifelong mates. One day I will visit Nijmegen again, resplendent in my kimono. Probably will scare a few new staff members. Ynvolve is like the Hotel California of IT…you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.’