Marloes her professional interests focus on new technologies in the public domain. Marloes has set up many Blockchain, AI and Immersive tech projects. In addition, she has been training management teams within the Dutch Government on new technologies for 10 years. Marloes di work as an advisor at the Netherlands AI Coalition and the Dutch Blockchain Coalition. Both coalitions are a jointly developed partnership by government, industry and knowledge institutions. Marloes is also the Vice President of the European AI Forum, a platform where entrepreneurs and policymakers get together to jointly determine the path forward for European AI innovation. In addition, she serves as an advisory member and investor in several startups and foundations. And she leads the GovTechNL team.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Digital First Magazine, Marloes shared her professional trajectory, insights on diversity and inclusion, significant career milestone, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Marloes. What inspired you to focus on new technologies in the public domain, and how do you see these technologies transforming the way governments operate and deliver services?
There are almost no public services where technology does not play a role. And in these times when digital autonomy plays an important role, I only become more motivated to build solutions for this together.
How do you stay ahead of emerging AI trends and innovations?
By simply being involved in many projects and gathering the right people around me. No one person can keep up with all developments alone. So you need to know who has what expertise.
What legacy do you hope to leave in the field of public sector innovation and technology, and how do you envision your work impacting the lives of citizens and the effectiveness of government?
In the near future I especially want to work on a sense of urgency. The world has many geopolitical and economic problems. There is increasing polarization. We in the Netherlands should not think that this does not affect us. So more action.
What impact do you believe increased diversity and inclusion would have on innovation, creativity, and progress in your industry?
In addition to diversity and inclusion, different leadership is also needed. More and more people are starting to realize that different ways of working and leadership are needed for today’s problems. And diversity and inclusion forms the basis for this.
What has been your most career-defining moment that you are proud of?
Building a foundation with which we collected and housed 5,000 women and children at the beginning of the war. All by building a strong community. There you saw the power of civil society.
If you could have a one-hour meeting with someone famous who is alive, who would it be and why?
No, I don’t care if someone is famous or not. I see something beautiful or interesting in many people. Usually the unexpected encounters are the best.
Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?
The most recent is Katja van Kranenburg. She helps me build something new in the field of AI. But I’ve had dozens of people in my career that I couldn’t have done without.
How do you keep your mind healthy and stay resilient? And how do you motivate your team?
By trying to always remain nice and personal. Ultimately, as humans we all have the same needs. So I’m not into formal structures and fuss.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Becoming president of NL 😉 I want to be able to drive a major initiative in the field of technology and government. And ensure that technicians also feel comfortable within the government.
What advice would you give to startups and entrepreneurs looking to work with governments and public sector organizations to develop and deploy new technologies?
Call people like me. Unfortunately, you still need bridge builders at the moment.