photographer: carly wollaert © | make-up artist: violeta marinova from art of colors
stefanie tempelaars
head of product at postcode loterij
about
i’m stefanie and i’m head of product at the postcode lottery. i originally studied marketing, convinced that i wanted to work on campaigns. i started my career in a marketing traineeship at postnl and later became the marketeer for their app, a product that didn’t even exist yet at the time. while there, i suddenly found myself getting involved in product development. i had always assumed it wasn’t for me. i thought of myself as commercial. however, once i got into product work, i realized it was mostly logical thinking, puzzling things out, figuring out how to make something possible, and making sure what you build meets a customer’s needs. it clicked, and from that moment on i stayed in product‑related roles. along the way, i’ve been surrounded by strong female examples. i’ve worked in companies led by women, and now again with a female ceo. i’ve had women in my career who saw potential in me. their support has mattered a lot. that’s the kind of support i’d like to show others now.
what advice would you give to your younger self?
my advice would be to believe in yourself. women are often more unsure of themselves, especially early in their careers. having others encourage you, help you, or show that something is possible can make a huge difference. many women feel like they might be “found out”, as if they can’t do what they’re already doing. i had that too. the sense that others must be more capable, while i was just trying to keep up. often you don’t realize the potential you already have. you compare yourself, you downplay your strengths, and you don’t see what others see in you. so i would tell her to trust her abilities sooner and just believe in herself.
postcode loterij
women remain underrepresented in the tech and analytics field. almost 30% of our tech department is female, which is above average, but there is room for improvement. naturally, we strive for fifty percent. we believe diversity in teams is crucial: these teams perform better, foster more innovation, and contribute to a more inclusive culture. fortunately, we have highly enthusiastic and ambitious female tech members here at the lotteries. we believe sharing their stories will make a difference. we hope this campaign will inspire more women to pursue careers in tech, and we wholeheartedly invite them to come join our tech departments.