PlaceMKR Announces the Hiring of Marelise Roelofse as Executive Assistant

Marelise grew up in South Africa and has since made Austin, TX her home. She has spent her career working across finance, operations, HR, and executive support — with hands-on experience in real estate, construction, and investments — and she is passionate about making the people and teams around her better at what they do.

At her core, Marelise believes that protecting an executive's time is one of the most valuable things you can do for a business. Not just scheduling and logistics, but truly understanding what deserves attention and what doesn't — and building the kind of processes and systems that make that clarity possible. She doesn't just keep things running. She makes them run better.

What brought her to PlaceMKR wasn't just the work — it was the people. "I could tell pretty quickly that this is a team that actually lives its values," she says. "That matters more to me than almost anything else."

When she's not in the office, you'll find Marelise outside. She's passionate about pickleball, tennis, hiking — really anything that gets her moving. She's an avid reader and a well-travelled soul who genuinely lives for that feeling of experiencing something for the very first time — a new country, a new dish, a conversation with someone she's never met. 

Getting to know Marelise:

Austin has no shortage of outdoor spots — where do you go to completely switch off after a big week? Out on the lake or on the pickleball court with friends — really anything that gets me outside and laughing with good people. If there's sunshine and fun involved, I'm there. 

What languages do you speak? English and Afrikaans. Growing up in South Africa, Afrikaans was part of everyday life, and it's still a big part of who I am.

If you could wake up anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be? Bora Bora, without a second thought.

What's the last book that genuinely stuck with you?Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen. It's one of those books that quietly shifts the way you see things — your work, your relationships, yourself. I'd recommend it to anyone.