Paulien Hu, Finance Director at IG Design Group BV, The Netherlands, loves to be at the decision making table, with a diverse team full of entrepreneurial spirit. This International Women’s Day, we celebrate her story.

What’s next

“I was an auditor for 18 years. I made it to directorship, and was looking at further promotion. My career was moving fast and I loved it, especially my own development by continuously challenging myself. It’s what kept me going to the next level. I always thought, ‘Oh, this is nice, but what’s next?’.”

A big step

Then Paulien started to re-evaluate her career direction. “I realised I wasn’t completely happy with what I was doing, even though it looked nice on paper. My next step would have been partnership, but I only loved part of what I was doing: leading my teams and the interaction with clients.”

This led to a big decision. “I decided to quit. It was a huge moment, because I didn’t know what was coming next. I was far outside my comfort zone, maybe a bit nervous, but it felt pretty amazing to take the risk.”

New horizons

After taking this step into the unknown, Paulien received a call about a gift wrap manufacturer that needed some help. “They told me their former CFO had left, and asked me to interview that very same day. I decided to help them on a temporary basis, but after a few months I was asked to stay permanently. I thought, ‘Well, I’m not finished here yet’ – in this creative and entrepreneurial environment at DG.”

Dive in at the deep end

Paulien likes to find success in unexpected places. “I just dive in at the deep end,” she says. “When I was young, my mother asked me if I wanted to play an instrument. I said, ‘I think I’ll go for the violin, because everybody says it’s so complicated’. I’ve always been up for taking a risk.” Paulien’s advice to up and coming entrepreneurs is to “believe in your own strength, it’ll get you to where you want to be.”