What could you achieve if your employer saw your potential, not just your experience? BASF has backed Madeleine Van from the graduate program to Head of Sales.
Have you ever wanted to apply for a dream role but felt held back because you didn’t think you had enough experience?
Just a year out of BASF’s graduate program, Madeleine Van was promoted to Chief of Staff to their Asia-Pacific President—relocating from Australia to Hong Kong. It was a huge step up, and the moment Madeleine realized she had found a company that did things differently:
“I knew I’d made the right decision to work at BASF when they gave me the opportunity to relocate overseas into a critical role after only a very short time. They saw my potential, not my experience.”
Fast-forward just four years, and Madeleine has progressed through multiple roles and is now Head of Sales (Coatings) for ANZ.
That’s what can happen when your boss genuinely believes in you!
Madeleine shares what it’s like to be fully supported by her employer and what counts if you want to achieve success.
Don’t Be Afraid to Take Risks
For Madeleine, taking risks and giving things a go is the true definition of how to live a successful life:
“Success is the freedom and bravery to navigate your life and career with authenticity, creativity, and discovery!”
Having a can-do, positive attitude means you’re always open to new opportunities. Taking chances, acting with integrity, and knowing it’s OK to change your mind if you want to try something else will teach you so much about yourself. In the process, you’ll open yourself up to a wealth of life skills. And even if they may not all be listed on the “required experience” section of a job ad, those transferable skills will put you ahead of the game wherever you are in your career.
Madeleine encourages us all to follow her lead and keep trying new things, as there will always be something to learn along the way:
“Everyone should feel like they can challenge the status quo and make bold choices for their life.”
BASF supports diverse and inclusive hiring, and 44% of its senior leadership team are women.
Find out more about their other company incentives and benefits.
Keep Learning
Before joining BASF (and even while she was still at university), Madeleine tried out a variety of roles, including working as a campaign assistant at the House of Commons in Westminster, UK, and as an equities researcher at a large financial institution.
After graduating, she co-ran her own circular economy business, using organic waste as pigments in natural cosmetics. After winding up the company, she decided it was time for some corporate experience and enrolled in the BASF graduate program.
But her extracurricular activities haven’t stopped there:
“While I’ve been at BASF, I’ve also completed my law degree, which I studied part-time through four international moves and five role changes!”
In her spare time, you won’t find Madeleine on the couch binging the latest shows. She continues to open her mind by reading Russian literature, brushing up on the latest developments in tech through podcasts, and traveling to new places whenever possible.
“I don’t own a TV, and I’m not on social media– call it self-preservation for a person who is naturally prone to distraction!”
Finding your balance
Although Madeleine has a packed schedule, she’s learned that happiness comes from not neglecting any area of her life.:
“Managing competing expectations of work, study, and personal life is difficult, but I try to give each facet of my life equal priority and exploration, as you cannot rely on any part of life to consistently give you fulfillment and satisfaction.”
We all know it can be hard to fit everything in, and at times, you have to be prepared to make sacrifices. But Madeleine knows that it’s all about finding that balance:
“It is a persistent challenge, and you have to work hard to develop the art of give and take, but one area should never suffer for the sake of another over the long run. Some days, you’ll be working overtime, and you may have to miss a personal engagement, but on other days, you might leave the office early for a flight to your hometown. It’s your own responsibility to make it work for you and be conscious of where imbalances may exist in your life. Two things I will never sacrifice, however, are quality sleep and exercise. There’s no point trying to build anything upon a weak foundation.”
Empowering Others
Linking back to her experience in the circular economy, one lesson Madeleine has learned is that what goes around comes around. For a truly equal society, we need to lift each other up, and helping each other will benefit us all in the long run.
Working in STEMM, Madeleine is well aware of the continuing gender bias in her industry—and has even come up against it herself at times—but she credits BASF with their proactive approach to changing the narrative and opening up further opportunities for women:
“My achievements at BASF are due to our supportive and visionary ANZ Managing Director, who makes it his mission to develop female talent in this otherwise male-dominated industry. Management has a zero-tolerance approach to bad behavior and an embedded culture of equality. They have enhanced pay review systems to close the gender pay gap, Diversity & Inclusion training and support, and executive female-focused Learning & Development programs. Knowing I am backed by the company has given me the confidence to speak up in the face of bias or unsavory behavior- I hope I can role model for others as well.”
Using the skills she’s developed throughout her career, Madeleine has taken her passion for empowering others, particularly women, even further. She continues this legacy outside of her workplace with a seat on the board of social enterprise Microloan Foundation Australia. The organization creates opportunities for women in Africa to lift their way out of poverty and support their families:
“I’ve recently taken on a non-executive director role at Microloan Foundation Australia, a social microfinance institution providing business loans and training to women facing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.”
Keep Looking Forward
So what’s next for Madeleine?
Never one to sit still, Madeleine has big plans for the future. Combining her love of science and technology with a desire to change society for the better keeps Madeleine motivated and shapes her career goals:
“I am resilient, bold, and empathetic. I have shown that in the face of adversity, I can lead with authenticity and grace. I have overcome challenges both personally and professionally, and I want to help others achieve the same in similar circumstances. I am driven by a deep desire to empower women for a better society, and simple changes can have such a profound impact. I’d love to take on an executive position overseas and one day start a business of my own that combines technology and social equality.”
Although Madeleine may not have taken the most linear route to her current role, it has brought together her most vital skills and life experiences and allowed her to flourish at BASF.
So next time you read a job description and think you don’t have quite the right experience, take a chance! You have more potential than you realize.
