The last meeting: Chapter 23 of Surviving DEI at Adyen N.V.
The twenty third chapter of Surviving DEI at Adyen N.V. Marie-Anne Leuty (she/her) shares the experience of being allegedly invited into the fintech to do DEI work and The Study Group’s current legal fight to allegedly be recognised and paid for that culturally sensitive and important work.
Hi everyone,
My name’s Marie-Anne and you’re reading chapter 23 of 25 of an educational case study detailing The Study Group’s alleged experience doing specialist DEI work for fintech giant, Adyen N.V.
When I started to write this blog on 27 November 2023, I never envisaged it becoming a 30,000 (and counting) word research paper.
It just came pouring out.
A month later on 26 December 2023, we published this on The Quick + The Brave, our independent, BIPOC founded media platform, evoking the Dutch Whistleblower Protection Act of 18 February 2023.
It’s also available in full here on Medium.
In this chapter, following the birth of our first child, the creatives pushed to complete the production of the [BRAND NAME REDACTED] podcast and accompanying manuscript. For us to secure the contract we had allegedly discussed with Adyen N.V. in person, showing the complete body of work would allegedly facilitate the creation of a contract.
Along with our two month old infant in the Amsterdam headquarters of the fintech, we presented the final assets to the Vice President of Creative who allegedly was impressed by the work.
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The full 30,000 word educational case study was first published on The Quick + The Brave. Visit the blog to read and see full image galleries.
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Pre-sale for ‘mini maatje’ ‘Advocates and Allies’ issue soon available via The Quick + The Brave.
By publishing this blog, The Study Group evokes the Dutch Whistleblower Protection Act (Wet bescherming klokkenluiders) of 18 February 2023.
The full act from the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations is available in Dutch and English.
Want to help amplify our story to other media? The Act protects all stakeholders who share it (clause 1a. Duty of confidentiality and data protection).
Chapter 23: The last meeting
By the start of September, and earlier than Adyen N.V. allegedly expected thanks to the support and dedication of our team, the final podcast assets and manuscript were ready to present.
As far as we knew, we were taking the next steps to formalising the collaboration with a written contract.
After many months of work, and in spite of the challenges, we were all proud of the high quality work we’d created.
A couple of days before our next meeting with our main contact, Obi delivered a copy of the manuscript to Reception at Rokin. We needed to make the most of the time in the meeting so we did the diligence of getting the hardcopy to him early.
The design team was excited to get feedback about the branding and manuscript, as were the production team. We were going to present the final title sequence and one near complete final interview.
In the meeting on 8 September, we’d ask for feedback on the video before the lengthy process of finalising and exporting the remaining eight episodes.
Were we going to bring the baby?
Yes, we were but not entirely out of choice. By this time, grandparents had travelled back to the UK and we were without childcare.
Although it felt unnatural to bring a two-month old into an office, we felt confident that Adyen N.V. would supposedly be happy to see the results of their alleged support for the program.
After congratulating us on our new arrival and asking how things were going with this new life chapter, the Vice President of Creative asked if he could hold the baby.
Sure, as the person who’d brought us in and allegedly supported us most in Adyen N.V., he could hold our son.
We settled into the meeting and presented the final podcast episode.
The Vice President of Creative was seemingly very impressed.
He watched the introduction sequence back a few times.
Apart from adjustments needed to Adyen N.V.’s logo, no changes were needed.
Could we ask the production team to make these adjustments?
Likewise with the manuscript.
He allegedly loved the content, the details, the paper, the graininess of the ink.
Would we mind if he kept a hold of it a bit longer?
No problem for now, though it did contain feedback for our designers to make final changes so we’d need it back eventually.
During the meeting we explained where we were at financially.
Our contact allegedly exclaimed:
“You’ve spent everything already!?”
Well, yes.
To cover the costs and invoices that had gone unpaid in the first half of the year as well as to complete post-production on the video podcast.
We explained once again the issues with finances and the commitments we’d made to the team. We flagged up that the Tax Authorities blocked our business bank account for the second time in less than a year.
The one invoice we’d been allegedly able to send to Adyen N.V. in 2023 would only stretch so far.
A far from ideal situation.
How was Adyen N.V. supposedly going to resolve this?
The Vice President of Creative was seemingly disappointed to hear what we were dealing with but he allegedly had limitations to what he could do.
Maybe there was a possibility of bringing forward the program budget for 2024 to help us cover immediate overheads? It would at least keep us liquid and give us the breathing room to release the podcast.
He’d allegedly speak with HR as soon as possible to see if this was a solution they could work with.
At the end of the meeting, we felt reassured. We and the team had done everything possible to demonstrate the value of the content and the impressive design and production skills that went into it with these final assets.
Finally, we’d allegedly be listened to.
The tech giant had supposedly seen the error of its ways.
The faceless corporation would allegedly take action.
Oversights would apparently be resolved.
At the end of the meeting, the Vice President of Creative’s last words to us were:
“Adyen N.V. needs to work to rebuild its trust with you.”
For all intents and purposes, this was allegedly a successful meeting.
Excited to share the alleged feedback with the team, the three of us headed home.
By publishing this blog, The Study Group evokes the Dutch Whistleblower Protection Act (Wet bescherming klokkenluiders) of 18 February 2023.
The full act from the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations is available in Dutch and English.
Want to help amplify our story to other media? The Act protects all stakeholders who share it (clause 1a. Duty of confidentiality and data protection).
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