Twente Businesswomen - "Continuing Transferendi? I was convinced I could do it."

For years, she and her partner ran the successful translation agency Transferendi. This changed in 2022, and after a period of reflection, one thing became clear to Monique Voerknecht: she wanted to continue running the company, but in a renewed and contemporary format. "Transferendi is a wonderful company with a fantastic customer base. It drives and motivates me to get the best out of it.”

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She is not normally one for the limelight, but in the context of Transferendi's transition, Monique is happy to make an exception for this magazine. “Doing an interview in which I talk a bit more about myself and my company suits the personal approach I want to take in my business,” she says.

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Back to Basics

After her partner passed away two years ago, Monique decided after a tough period that it was time for a fresh start. She moved to a new home and devised a completely new set-up for Transferendi. “I very much felt the need to go back to basics, with the ambition to grow again from there - with my own vision -,” she says.

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Strong reputation

Transferendi is a translation agency that works with hundreds of translators worldwide. Monique explains: "We started in 2015. At that time, I also ran an administration office, but after a year and a half I decided to close it down and put my full time and energy into Transferendi, as the company kept growing." In the beginning, Monique mainly dealt with the administrative side, while her partner took care of sales. From the moment he fell ill, that responsibility too landed on her shoulders. “It was quite a challenge in the beginning,” she says, "but I was convinced I could do it. It’s confidence that I always received from my partner, too." Transferendi has built up a strong reputation in recent years, with major customers such as Shell, TotalEnergies, Makro, Undiemeister and Swinkels Family Brewers. “Selling the company has never occurred to me partly for this reason; I love my work immensely. Making my customers happy and getting their positive reviews in return is extremely energising.”

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Rich and happy

Of ze trots is op hoe ze haar leven nu heeft vormgegeven? “Dat lukt me steeds beter,” glimlacht Monique. “Ik ben wel trots op het feit dat ik het heb aangedurfd om een eigen onderneming te runnen, en dat ik heel erg gemotiveerd ben om het nog verder te laten groeien.” Daarnaast
voelt ze zich enorm rijk en gelukkig met haar hechte vriendengroep en haar twee zoons. “Veel van mijn vrienden zijn ook ondernemers en het is fijn om met hen te kunnen sparren.” Opladen doet ze door soms even helemaal niks te doen en lekker met een boek op de bank te duiken. “Heel belangrijk - anders blijf ik maar aan het werk en ontspan ik niet voldoende. Ik moet mezelf daarin soms echt afremmen.”

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I very much felt the need to go back to basics

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Future

Looking back over the past few years, Monique observes that she has been increasingly steering her own course. "Transferendi is on the rise and I am working on all kinds of new, fun things. During my partner's illness, I naturally spent a lot of time at home, but now I have fully picked up my social and working lives again, and that feels really good." About her future plans, she says: "My first goal is to continue shaping Transferendi the way I envisage it. I would like to start expanding, to Britain, for instance." In addition, Monique sees many opportunities to further optimise her professional services so that she can continue to give her customers the best service in the future, considering all the current developments. “The same goes for the team of translators I work with, by the way,” says Monique. "I hope to be able to work passionately on Transferendi for a very long time to come. And if I ever get some more time for myself, I would like to travel a bit more often."