AON Holdings Former Chairman of Executive Board: Change is About Going from Intent to Action

After over 33 years at AON Holdings in various positions before taking on the mantle of Chairman of the Executive Board, Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen’s professional life is marked by many successes and recognition. We dive into her personal journey and learn about what drives her as a person, her values when it comes to leadership, and her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

   

You’ve had a long career at AON, about 33 years. Can you tell us something about your background?

 

I’m the eldest of a family of four. We were raised in Eindhoven, in the south of the Netherlands. Our family always had intense discussions at the kitchen table, and it was clear that all of us were motivated by our parents to make sure we used our potential. Our parents always made sure that education was a key element to that. Later, I studied law in Rotterdam and then started work in insurance. Having worked for the same company for so long, it’s been interesting to see the changes, the ups and downs of how things developed. It has been a huge learning experience.

 

What did you take from those discussions around the kitchen table?

 

I learned at a very young age that the one who shouts the hardest is not always the one with the best or most profound opinion. You learn very quickly with four siblings and intelligent parents that you need to make the right arguments.

We were always raised with paper. Of course, a lot of news is online now but I still have papers at home. It’s interesting to learn various perspectives.

The diversity of thoughts and opinions is important for a leader – to be aware of what’s going on around you and take interest in differing views.

They may not be yours, but it’s good to have empathy and try to step into others’ worlds and understand them.

 

And that takes time, right?

 

I think it’s not so much time as it is peace of mind to take it in. It’s about taking time for yourself to do it and knowing that you have to do it. Figure out how it relates to what’s happening around you and to your work. There is so much change happening as we speak and it is important to stay away.

Jack Welch once said, “If the pace of change outside your firm is faster than the pace of change within, the end is near”.

 

What was your ambition when you were growing up?

 

I wanted to be a journalist. I lived opposite the press officer of Philips, and when talking to him about whether I should pursue a career in journalism, he said I should just go to university and study first. I never ended up in journalism. Then I wanted to be a diplomat. I traveled to Geneva, Strasbourg, and Brussels. I think that’s one of those moments when I also looked at my character. I’m a person who likes to do what I say and say what I do. I’m willing to be patient for long-term value-creation and results. But at the same time, I’m also impatient because I want to get something tangible done today.

Now, I’m very active on LinkedIn. I’ve developed a clear strategy around my work at AON, my passion which is diversity, and leadership which comes along with all these roles. So, I do write from time to time about what I’ve experienced.

 

You’ve said before that you “want to reach the top”, “don’t play to lose”, “make the impossible possible”. These indicate an ambitious, results-driven person. Can you speak more about that?

 

I think the definition of ‘the top’ for me is being challenged. I like being intellectually challenged and I like to learn. When I do things, I want to do them with the best intentions. I also think of myself as an optimist – someone who sees opportunity in every difficulty.

If I’m the smartest person in the room, I always say that I’m in the wrong room because there is nothing for me to learn.

Even in my family life, I still feel engaged because my own children challenge me on my leadership skills.

The message here is that if you surround yourself with people who are willing to give feedback on your performance, on how they perceive things – and you are able to cope with uncomfortable conversations – it’s important to lean in and listen. It’s a skill I’ve learned over the years.

I’ve also learned that the journey is as important as the goal and this goes back to leadership. Leadership is not something you can call upon yourself. It happens when you have people following you because you initiate, motivate, and do the right thing. Other people determine whether you are a leader they want to follow.

 

How does that work in tandem with your own vision of leadership?

 

It’s a philosophical way of dealing with people. The other thing is that there are certain qualities that make a good leader. Daniel Goleman talks about five things: self-awareness, self-reflection, empathy, social skills, and motivation. Leadership is making sure you have the right strategy, and that you do the right thing.

The key is not being you-centric, it’s being people-centric.

Another key to leadership, I think, is falling, stepping up and learning. When talking about leadership, successes are often mentioned. But to be honest, I’ve learned the most from situations in which I wasn’t successful, where I did something wrong.

When you start a company, it’s a lot about experimentation. The only way to do that successfully is to be modest and learn. When you want to pilot a new idea, for example, don’t just steer toward success. You have to allow yourself to take a look at what goes wrong and learn from the perspective of others. Have a more open mindset.

 

As a woman, did your ambition to ‘reach the top’ surprise anyone?

 

I started about 32 years ago. A lot has changed since then. I actually never felt a glass ceiling. I married a pilot and the sky’s the limit. It comes back to philosophy. I would not put a glass ceiling in my mind because it would limit me.

I did face a lot of hurdles, which is why I’m so passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion. I’d like to ensure that others can stand on my shoulders and take the baton in this race. I don’t want others to experience the hurdles I have experienced.

 

You’ve also mentioned before that it’s not about gender, it’s about values. That this is the key to diversity and inclusion. Can you elaborate on that?

 

First, let’s distinguish the topics. Diversity is looking at the current state of gender, race, religion, generations, and nationalities. Inclusion is about company culture. How do we make sure that people are allowed to be their true selves? Equity is about making sure that there is an atmosphere that allows people to be themselves. It’s about finding a middle ground to meet the expectations of everyone involved.

 

Do you think there is a willingness to change among senior leadership?

 

I think we must because there are more than 100 reports written about the profitability and innovative power of a diverse workforce. Beyond that, the business case for diversity is clear. Half the world’s population is female, not to mention all other aspects as well.

In summary, we are looking for fairness. There is a scarcity of talent and the world’s talent right now is looking for companies that represent their values. I see a huge opportunity here in a world where there is labor scarcity. It’s a leadership issue, not an HR issue.

It’s also about going from intent to action.

Companies should also share their stories. There may be situations where they had positive intent, but it didn’t work out. Share it. People are looking for the human factor. At the end of the day, it’s about amplifying voices.

*Answers have been edited for length and clarity.