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 mediation, 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

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Referenced: 

Adyen: https://www.adyen.com/

Rituals: https://www.rituals.com/

Building a Lean Tax Function: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/henny-verboom-27704218_building-a-lean-tax-function-exclusive-insights-activity-7171141045110394880-nQ1m/

Greatest Factor in Job Success: Soft Skills: https://edynamiclearning.com/greatest-factor-in-job-success-soft-skills/

Astrid Lindgren quote from Pippi Longstocking: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/6773397-i-have-never-tried-that-before-so-i-think-i

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (and how to overcome them): https://www.bitesizelearning.co.uk/resources/five-dysfunctions-of-a-team-summary-pyramid

Patrick Lencioni on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-lencioni-orghealth/

Tony Robbins’s website: https://www.tonyrobbins.com/

Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80102204

Ethan Tandowsky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethantandowsky