Apolian Spotlight: Director Process Excellence, Martine Van Velzen

What is your role at Apolix?

My role is Director Process Excellence. I improve businesses’ activities based on process mining insights. That could mean: improve the processes, change the organisation or enable users to develop continuous improvement. At the same time, I am in the process of building a team that will achieve this for all projects within Apolix.

How long have you worked at Apolix?

I joined Apolix on November 15, 2023 so I have just reached the three month mark. Time flies when you’re having fun!

Martine alongside CEO Alex Stromberg and COO Joost Hermans when she started in November.

How would you explain process mining to a five-year-old?

Process mining is understanding the sequence and timing of activities based on data to be able to make decisions. Basically, it is an X-ray of a company that lets us see where the pain points are.

Why did you join Apolix?

About 10 years ago, I participated in my first Lean Six Sigma project, and I’ve been passionate about process improvement and efficiency ever since. When this opportunity arose at Apolix, I realised I couldn’t afford to miss it. Being able to focus all my energy on improving the way businesses perform their daily activities, with the support of process mining, is truly gratifying.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I love when the team put their heads together to solve problems and arrive at the “aha moment” together. Especially when we begin to gain a better understanding of ideas on how to address the problem. I also love working closely with different people. Coaching and learning from each other is something I always look forward to.

What do you enjoy most about working at Apolix?

The team! Everyone has so many good ideas and different ways of problem solving, I’m constantly learning. I also like all the challenges that we face in a project, it really makes us think outside the box and work together to achieve amazing results.

Martine and Apolix Team Lead, Amina Mrad, after presenting to customers in Paris

Which of Apolix’s four values (trust, team, impact, and citizenship) is the most important to you and why?

The most important value for me is team. Bringing the right people together, with the right skills and the right potentially is important. If you have a team you can trust, lean on, and learn from, you can achieve anything!

Are there any projects you’re currently working on that excite you?

I am currently working with an insurance company to understand what drives the classification of accidents. I like to really dig into a challenge, and this project allows me to do just that!

What is one goal, either personal or professional, that you have for the future?

I am working toward developing a strong and diverse process excellence team. This is my goal for the next year so I’m excited to roll my sleeves up and get started!