Marieke Blom

The financial sector has always held a certain appeal for Marieke. Her decision to specialise in monetary economics as a student gave her plenty of opportunity to analyse and explore how the financial world works and to connect the dots. ‘I had a fantastic time as an intern and trainee, first at DNB and then at ABN Amro, where I faced a wealth of intellectual challenges!’

Social relevance

‘Nevertheless, at a certain point I decided to move into politics because I didn’t consider working for a bank to be socially relevant – a huge misconception on my part, but I only realised that later. I wanted to serve the greater good, and I felt that I could do so within the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA). I subsequently worked for De Argumentenfabriek. In that role, I came into contact with every facet of Dutch society and I got to know ‘The Netherlands Ltd’ extremely well.

Making economic issues more accessible

And then... I returned to banking after all! ING approached me because they needed someone who could help to make economic issues more accessible and easier to understand for consumers and business customers, potential clients and colleagues. We give people more clarity and a better overview, thus helping them to reach well-informed decisions. It makes me proud when we manage to do that. This role suits me down to the ground because it incorporates everything I’ve done in my career so far.

Refreshing

I head up a team of 15 economists, most of whom are male. I frequently speak to rooms full of businessmen, largely, as opposed to women. Audiences and business contacts generally find it refreshing to be confronted with a young woman. I’m not what most people think of as being a ‘typical’ economist and that can surprise and disarm them, I notice. On the other hand, I sometimes think I have to work a little harder to convince people of my expertise than I would if I were older and male, wearing a suit. But it doesn’t normally seem to matter that I’m a woman. I hope those days are long behind us, aren’t they?

Sharing knowledge

My key aim is that my audience has a better understanding of the economy after listening to me. I want to translate complex issues into clear information. There’s no greater reward than people coming up to me after a presentation and saying: “I never really understood much about it, but now I get it.” Maybe it’s because women are generally less inclined to use knowledge as a source of power. To me, it’s natural to share knowledge in order to help others progress.

More girls

It would be good – and beneficial – if more girls would choose to study subjects such as economics, and then hopefully I will be seeing more women at meetings and events for chief economists in the future. More diversity brings nothing but positives. My message to young women would be: ‘The economic debate is too important for us to leave it up to men. Money influences nearly all social decisions. As a woman, you can make your mark more successfully if you have a good understanding of the economic incentives. Who wouldn’t want to do that?”