Female leadership in tech: 15 years of Finaps
In light of Women in Tech 2025, taking place on June 25–26 at RAI Amsterdam, we spoke with our managing partners Lonneke Makhija and Marlies van Sonsbeek. Fifteen years ago, it all began as a bold idea at the kitchen table. Since then, it has grown into an organisation where the human touch, innovation, and trust are at the heart of everything. And what makes it truly remarkable? It’s led by not one, but two women. Two distinct leadership styles, united by one shared direction.
A culture built on trust
The partnership between Lonneke and Marlies has grown stronger over the years. That spirit of collaboration is reflected across the entire organisation. The culture is one of trust, ownership, and room to learn. “For me, the female touch in our leadership lies mostly in creating a sense of safety.”, says Lonneke.
Marlies adds: “Safety doesn’t just mean comfort. It means space for creativity and innovation. That’s essential in the fast-changing tech environment we operate in. You want people to feel confident taking initiative.”
Culture as a guiding principle
How do you keep a growing company closely connected? By deliberately hiring for mindset, not just experience or background. Collaboration, reflection, and mutual support are the norm. “Our core values: Determined, Limitless, and Collaborative, are our compass,” says Marlies. “We give people freedom, but we’re firm about quality and keeping commitments. That balance keeps us agile.”
Finapser in the spotlight
Diversity from day one
Diversity is not an afterthought but a guiding principle. Teams are built with attention to personality, mindset, and energy. Sometimes hiring a woman is the right choice, not to tick a box, but to add a missing perspective.
Cognitive diversity also plays a role. Finaps uses MBTI profiles (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), a personality model that sheds light on how people process information, make decisions, and collaborate. This helps form teams with diverse approaches, communication styles, and ways of thinking. The result? Teams where complementary strengths enhance collaboration.
“The strength of Finaps lies in our people and in the space we give each other to grow.”
Women in the tech world
Both managing partners started their careers in industries dominated by men. Sometimes they were the only woman in the room. It barely registered at the time, but looking back, it says a lot. That’s why it’s so important to intentionally create space for women in tech.
Their advice to young women? “DARE! Trust yourself. There is no such thing as perfect. If you’re curious and eager to learn, you’ll feel right at home here.”
Trust as the foundation of innovation
When asked what they’re most proud of, Lonneke recalls Finaps’ very first project at ABN AMRO. “A real baptism by fire,” she calls it. Together with a colleague, she developed a solution under intense pressure, one others didn’t dare to touch. Marlies adds: “The next major step was developing a complex fraud-handling application at ING. That was our license to play, the moment we proved what we were capable of.”
Another highlight is the long-standing partnership with Rabobank. “That was truly built on mutual trust.”, says Marlies. “Projects with real impact. What made them special wasn’t just the technical challenge. It was the relationship. We worked as one team, united by a shared goal, with mutual respect and appreciation for each other’s expertise. That’s what it’s all about for us.”
Personal lessons
What has fifteen years of leadership taught them? For Lonneke, it’s about listening: to people, clients, and yourself. It might sound contradictory, but being able to filter feedback is just as crucial. “Not everyone has to share your vision. As long as you stay true to who you are and what you stand for, the right people will find their way to you.”
Marlies led within large corporates for many years before transitioning to entrepreneurship. Looking back on over 35 years in leadership roles, she says starting her own business brought depth. It’s about combining commercial drive with a human touch, working in partnership, staying focused on what the client truly needs, and delivering within scope and budget. She believes stakeholder management isn’t just for leadership. “Our engineers are close to the client. We want them to understand the problem they’re solving, who they’re solving it for, and who to involve. That fosters ownership and leads to solutions that truly matter.”
Continuing to build on trust
The world around us is changing rapidly. That can be daunting, but also incredibly exciting. It keeps us on our toes and drives us to stay curious, flexible, and creative.
The ambition for the next five years? Not massive growth, but deeper impact. “Not to be the biggest, but to be the best partner. To keep building innovation that matters.”
“More than just software. We build on trust.”
Final note
Finaps stays true to who we are: people-first, ambitious, and always evolving. During the Women in Tech event on June 25 and 26 in RAI Amsterdam, some of our (female) engineers will be present. Will we see you there?