When Marion Van Happen arrived in New Glarus as an exchange student in 1992, she could not have imagined how deeply the experience would shape her future. Today, Van Happen is the Chief Executive Officer of HeadFirst Group, a large company that matches employers with temporary and contract workers across Europe.

HeadFirst Group, headquartered in the Netherlands, has grown into a multi-billion-dollar human resources (HR) tech company that matches professionals and suppliers with employers all over Europe. Under Van Happen’s leadership since January 2022, the company has pursued a bold vision: to become the world’s largest scalable workforce platform.

“I work with an amazing team leading the organization from a commercial, operational and financial perspective,” she explained. “A typical day contains conversations with clients, strategic partners, and our internal teams. I also have a public affairs role, lobbying with the government on the development of the labor market. Quite diverse and exciting and challenging with our economies changing rapidly and geopolitical influences being a driver.”