Meet Maria, HR Business Partner at BlockTech

How Maria is laying the groundwork for BlockTech’s next chapter
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When Maria Halberg-Holmgaard joined BlockTech as an HR Business Partner six months ago, she didn’t just step into a new role—she stepped into a company that was on the verge of a huge transition. With a background that spans the beauty industry, SaaS, and even a crypto exchange, Maria arrived equipped with the experience and perspective to recognize a rare opportunity when she saw one.


BlockTech is shifting gears from a lean startup to a scale-up with solid processes, cross-functional teams, and growing responsibilities. That transition is rarely smooth, but for Maria, that’s exactly what makes it exciting “We’re setting the foundation now,” she says, referring to her work with colleague Abril. “The way we do HR here is about building a structure that lets people thrive, not just survive.”


Because at BlockTech, HR isn’t just a support department on the side of the action. It’s a central node in the system. The goal? To help our teams get the best out of themselves by building the kind of environment where great people want to be, and can grow without limitations.

“At other companies, HR can sometimes feel like a checkbox. Here, people actually care. They want to be involved. They want clarity, support, and room to grow.”

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Not your typical HR

Maria’s role is more architectural than administrative. It’s about design—designing systems, feedback loops, growth frameworks. It’s about tailoring HR to fit the unique DNA of BlockTech. “In a corporate setting, you’re often handed a playbook. You specialize quickly, and your scope narrows,” she explains. “Here, we’re building that playbook ourselves.”


That blank slate is part of the appeal. At BlockTech, every new initiative—whether it’s a feedback model or a performance framework—is a chance to ask: What actually works here? Who are we building this for?


With most teams made up of engineers and traders, there’s a distinct culture of autonomy, speed, and pragmatism. HR, Maria believes, has to reflect that. “We’re trying to become a data-driven HR department,” she says. “Our trading and tech teams are built on automation and iteration, and we want to bring that mindset into HR and the rest of Business Operations as well.”

“You’re surrounded by smart, dedicated people—and that makes you better at your own job. It’s almost contagious!”

But being data-driven doesn’t mean becoming intrusive. That’s the balance she and Abril are trying to strike: collecting insights without disrupting the natural flow of people’s work.


“We don’t want to send out a survey every five days. People would absolutely hate us,” she laughs. “We’re looking for that sweet spot—where we can gather useful input, maybe through informal check-ins, hallway chats, or looking at internal mobility and performance patterns over time.”
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Building for impact

That long-term thinking shows in the roadmap Maria is helping to shape. One key focus: clarity around growth. As teams scale, roles evolve—and so does the need for shared language around performance. What does success look like in a certain role? What does it mean to go from junior to mid-level to senior? What kind of impact should someone at each level be making?


“We’re building a framework that combines role clarity with impact modeling,” Maria explains. “It’s not just about what you do; it’s about how you do it, and how your work contributes to the bigger picture.” 


That kind of framework doesn’t just help with performance evaluations. It also gives people a way to chart their own path. And in a company full of smart, driven people, that’s something that matters. “We’re seeing more and more requests from managers who want to help their team members grow,” she says. “That’s a great sign, because it means people care.”
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The BlockTech vibe

So what makes BlockTech such a compelling place to build something like this? For Maria, it’s the energy. “You’re surrounded by smart, dedicated people—and that makes you better at your own job,” she says. “It’s almost contagious! Someone wrote in our anonymous engagement survey that ‘the pace here is electrifying.’ I thought that was really well said.”


At first, she was also struck by how many people choose to come into the office, despite the growing popularity of remote work in general. “I didn’t expect that, honestly,” she says. “But people want to be here. You see them connect. You see friendships forming. It’s not just about work, it’s about being part of something.”


She continues: “That sense of shared momentum is pretty rare. At other companies, HR can sometimes feel like a checkbox. Here, people actually care. They want to be involved. They want clarity, support, and room to grow.”

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