People of Vox: Spotlight on Marlene van Heerden
At Vox, we believe our employees are the beating heart of our company, with merit and value built into all our available positions. In this edition of People of Vox, we meet Marlene van Heerden, who works in the Finance Department as a Credit Controller. Soft-spoken and practical, Marlene has been calling customers with her warm and steady voice, to help them keep their accounts in order, for nearly 20 years.
Credit controllers are financial professionals who help to manage an organisation’s debt by ensuring that customers pay their outstanding invoices. And so, unsurprisingly, Marlene’s work requires a combination of empathy, discipline and resilience, and she carries it out with dignity and grace.
Marlene has been working in credit control since she left school, working first as a credit controller in the furniture industry, and then later at a dental practice. She therefore joined Vox in 2007 with a number of years of her profession already under her belt.
“When I saw the advert for a Credit Controller at Vox, I applied and was appointed almost immediately. I was interested in joining a new industry and learning new things. And now, almost 19 years later – my anniversary is in October! – I still enjoy my work,” she says.
We find out more about Marlene’s Pretoria-based job at Vox and her life outside work.
‘Thorns and Roses’ and Emotional Resilience
Marlene explains that her primary task is to call customers who have outstanding balances, to discuss with them when and how their accounts will be paid and brought up to date once more.
“I also take incoming calls if need be,” she adds. “The work is often emotionally challenging, because some customers can be unpleasant when I call them, and sometimes say things that are difficult to hear. The aim is always to be helpful, and de-escalate if required, and so we have to stay as calm and friendly as possible.
“On the other hand, many of the customers I call can also be both friendly and apologetic, and these moments – when customers are kind and pleasant – make the difficult parts worthwhile. Sometimes a customer will even pay me a compliment and this, together with helping out my colleagues, becomes a highlight of my day!”
Of course, not every call ends with a smile, and there are times when Marlene needs to step away from her desk, both physically and mentally. She has strategies to protect her mental well-being and ensure that one tough interaction doesn’t impact on the rest of the day.
“I mostly start to redirect my mind away from any unpleasantness that might be coming through the phone call,” she explains. “Clear boundaries have also been set for us within our teams, and so there are times when I will drop the call, having of course followed the required protocol. I’ll then take a moment to breathe, get a cup of tea or step outside.”
These small acts of self-care add up to sustainable work practices in a job that can be emotionally demanding. At the same time, she knows that her colleagues will always have her back, because, says Marlene, her team members operate like a family.
Teamwork, Warmth and Appreciation
“Whenever anyone new joins our team, we say: ‘Welcome to the family!’” says Marlene with a smile. “In our department’s culture, colleagues feel like friends, and every staff member is treated with respect.
“Our small rituals, including hikes, team-building days, coffee and shared compliments, are the glue that keeps the group together. I think that for such a big company to have such a family vibe is really impressive!”
And so it’s not only the daily puzzle of chasing outstanding accounts that keeps Marlene engaged – the sense of teamwork and appreciation that comes from her colleagues and managers is also really important.
“Those little moments where the customers are really nice, or when I get compliments from my colleagues or my manager to say ‘That’s a job well done!’ make even the difficult moments all worthwhile,” she says.
She singles out her line manager, Vinky Ntshabele, and the broader leadership of Kyle Heldsinger for helping to build a winning team. “The support from our managers helps to create a space where people look out for one another.”
Marlene also gets a lot of satisfaction from helping other people, and colleagues from other departments often reach out to her for help with system details to which she has access. She takes pleasure in collaborative work, explaining: “Helping people in other departments makes my day feel more productive. It’s a privilege for me to help someone out if I am able to assist them.”
Resilience in the Face of Personal Challenges
Marlene’s life outside work includes elements of resilience and courage.
She shares a truly extraordinary part of her story with quiet matter-of-factness, as follows: “When I was 14 years old, I was unfortunately in a very bad car accident, which left me paralysed from my waist down. I broke multiple bones and the doctors told my parents that I would never walk again. And yet here I am today, decades later, and I walk, drive, work and lead an independent life. Truly, I do believe that miracles happen!”
Her recovery was a testament to sheer determination, family support and her initial physical fitness. “I was in hospital for about three weeks and returned home in a wheelchair. I missed about seven months of school but was able to return the following year. I was a keen sports player before the accident and I think my fitness levels also helped with my recovery. Afterwards, I could never go back to sports in the same way, but I was grateful to be able to walk again!”
That experience sits alongside other personal trials, including losing her beloved father in 2010 which, she says, was a defining moment. “My father was my rock, and so losing him was very hard for me. However, I received good support, including from my colleagues and line managers at Vox, and I am grateful for their kindness and understanding, which helped me to move forward once again.”
Another unusual chapter in Marlene’s story involves health and lifestyle challenges. She describes losing a significant amount of weight over 15 months, in a dramatic transformation that she achieved through dietary changes rather than a prescribed diet. “I decided not to meat anymore and I also gave up starch, choosing instead to focus on eating vegetables and fruit. The shift has been life-changing!” she says.
Life Today: Family, Art and Bucket List Hopes
Marlene’s family is a central source of joy for her, especially her two-year-old granddaughter, Ellinor: “She’s my whole life, that little one. I just love her to bits!”
She also takes comfort from her pets, having owned one beloved dog for an astonishing 17 years, which, as any pet lover knows, indicates a tremendous level of loving care. Her current dog who now keeps her company is still basically a puppy and very busy, she says with a smile.
Beyond her family and pets, Marlene says she’s an introvert at heart. “I’m a bit of a loner, and I enjoy solitary pursuits, including drawing animals, flowers and vegetables. I also like going for walks,” she says.
Marlene says she would love to fly to Hawaii one day, to see its beauty and lush landscapes. And staying with flying, she adds that she’d love to skydive one day! However, she says, this door is probably closed due to her long-ago injuries from the serious car accident. She also harbours a celebrity wish: she’s a huge fan of British actor Idris Elba and would love to meet him one day.
On the professional front, Marlene has plans here too: she would like to study credit management and continue extending her finance career with Vox. Those ambitions sit comfortably besides her appreciation for the present: “Working for Vox is very satisfying,” she says, “and I really enjoy my work’s ongoing challenges, and being able to learn new things on a regular basis.”
Marlene’s story is a reminder that extraordinary resilience often manifests in the day-to-day dynamics of everyday life. As a woman who has weathered significant challenges, her life today brings her the quiet satisfaction of steady work for a company where her values and interests align.
Marlene is well-known among her colleagues for always being willing to help out, and being skilled at making sometimes difficult phone calls with warmth and politeness, bringing empathy and a human face to the dynamics of the business world.
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