Feeling confident in the workplace: “I am a woman born as a man, I don’t care who knows it”

Paula Fremeijer struggled with her gender identity for years. At work she decided to be open and honest about this. "I felt that I had to be myself and that this was possible at ABN AMRO."

With the 'Feeling confident in the workplace' campaign, we provide a stage for our colleagues who have had to break through barriers just to be themselves. As part of Pride Week, we start the series with our LGBTI+ employees.

In this podcast (in Dutch only), we talk to our colleague Paula Fremeijer. Paula has been working at ABN AMRO for the last 10 years, currently as team lead at ABN AMRO's Data & Analytics CoE. Her job involves working on innovative data solutions at the bank.

Paula struggled with her gender identity for years. She was born as a boy, but discovered that this 'label' was not her. At work she decided to be open and honest about this. "I sent an email to everyone I worked with to tell my story. Within an hour, I had dozens of positive responses. The bank has given me a very comfortable home base where I can be who I am on the inside," says Paula.

No matter what

Daring to be yourself and being proud of who you are, that is the essence of self-confidence. At ABN AMRO, we have been promoting a working environment where everyone can be themselves, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

In the series 'Feeling confident in the workplace' we talk with colleagues about being yourself at work and feeling safe in doing so. As part of Pride Week, we start the series with our LGBTI+ employees.