Leslie Hemmerechts

How Gianni overcame his Imposter Syndrome 6 December 2023

Have you heard of Imposter Syndrome? Even if you’re not familiar with the term, chances are you’re familiar with the symptoms. Recent research shows that 65% of professionals suffer from Imposter Syndrome. Symptoms include doubting your abilities, feeling like a fraud and perceiving yourself as underqualified for your responsibilities.

Podcast: Pushing Limits: Finding Growth Outside Your Comfort Zone 27 August 2023

At Exellys, we believe in the power of partnerships. Since our foundation in 2014, we’ve counted on training organisation Outward Bound to facilitate certain workshops and growth trajectories. Today, we’ve invited Dirk De Vilder on our podcast. Dirk is programme director and senior facilitator at Outward Bound and has been with us since the beginning. In this episode, we talk about the value of being out in nature, getting out of your comfort zone, and learning about team dynamics and feedback. All while focusing on self-reflection and individual growth.

The challenges of being a Transformation Consultant 3 August 2023

At the latest Meeting of the Minds, our Business Tribe gave a presentation about ‘Agile transformation in a big company’. Which challenges does change hold, […]

How Business Engineer Charles gets to pursue two careers at once 31 July 2023

Meet Charles Vanhaesebroucke. As an Exellyst, he combines the role of business analyst with the role of functional analyst at insurance company Nationale Nederlanden (NN) in the non-life insurance segment.

Podcast: “It’s never too late to change your career” 23 July 2023

Our guest for this episode of Exellys Talks is an experienced professional from South Africa. She came to Belgium, went back to school, and is now working as a business manager at ING. Sindy de Jonge is an inspiration to women, people who aren’t 20 anymore, and everyone who doesn’t have Dutch as a first language. She’s living proof that you can do it if you believe in yourself. “It’s never too late to change your career,” she says.

“As women, we need to support each other and share our knowledge” 3 July 2023

Sindy is not your typical Exellyst. Her trajectory has been so unique and inspiring that we simply had to share it. She faced and overcame many challenges: from having a different nationality, speaking a different language, to being a woman in a male-dominated industry: she crushed all these hurdles in her own upbeat and enthusiastic fashion.

How 2 Exellysts got ownership of a sustainability project at HPE 12 June 2023

Exellysts Sien Van Broekhoven and Cedric Plouvier got to tackle a really cool sustainability project at their client, HPE. “We learned a lot from this project, and it was great that we got so much responsibility and autonomy,” Sien says. “Afterwards, we got to present our results to HPE Worldwide. Great for our visibility,” Cedric adds.

Podcast: “We tend to focus on hard skills, but in reality soft skills have more impact.” 29 May 2023

For this episode of our podcast Exellys Talks, we’ve invited Exellys alumna Svetlana Arutunyan. Svetlana is an expert by experience, since she has already completed her 2 year Start Smart programme at Exellys. Now, she has integrated at Belfius Bank where she’s working as a Functional Analyst.

From Communication Scientist to Software Developer 18 April 2023

Thomas Tielens is a communication scientist turned software developer. After Covid disrupted his career – which he wasn’t too bothered about to be honest – he decided to go in a different direction. He took a specialised course in .NET and joined Exellys in the summer of 2022. “When I saw all the promises Exellys made on their website, I was critical. But as it turns out, they really do all that stuff!” Read all about how happy Thomas is in his job now. “I really feel I found my place,” he says.

How to form high performing teams in hybrid enviroments 6 April 2023

Just like every year we had another great edition of Meeting of the Minds. Organized by our very own consultants. During this event, there were a lot of interesting talks, panel discussion and some great opportunities to network. This years panel discussion was all about “how to form high performing teams in a hybrid environment”. We invited Jeff Van Calster(Projectivegroup), Sandrine Murrath(Belfius), Mohamed Ahmed Shallo(Swift) and Marc Gielis(Illumina) to come and talk about this subject. Here are some key takeaways from the panel discussion. 

How can coaching unlock your full potential? 27 March 2023

One of the things that makes Exellys unique, is our emphasis on coaching. But what exactly do we mean by ‘coaching’? What’s the difference between an Exellys coach and other people who claim the title? And most importantly, what can a coach do for your career?

5 reasons why you can achieve more with a coach 13 February 2023

A coach guides people who want to make progress in their personal or professional life. Traditionally, the coachee reaches out to the coach and sets the goals. At Exellys, we go about coaching in a different way. It’s more of a two-way street: of course, consultants can bring up topics or issues to their coach, but the coach will play a more active role in defining ambitions, talents, objectives and key results. That’s why we don’t refer to them as ‘coaches’, we call them ‘Talent Development Managers’ (TDMs). Their mission is to help you develop your talent. Their goal is to help you thrive and set you apart from your peers.

Video: How a Bio Engineer ended up as a Project Manager in Germany 3 October 2022

Meet Luigi, a 27 year-old Bio Engineering graduate and IT Project Manager. In this video, Luigi tells us all about his professional journey so far.

Learning about .NET6 and Quantum Computing in Las Vegas – Hendrik’s DevIntersection recap 5 September 2022

In December of last year, Exellyst Hendrik Danau attended the renowned DevIntersection conference in Las Vegas. Let’s dive into the world of .NET6, Quantum Computing and casinos.

Reverse engineering your favourite game: what is it, why do it and how to start 30 August 2022

In his spare time, Exellys alumnus Olivier likes to reverse engineer games. Though it is a very niche subject, his peers at Exellys were curious to know more about it, so during his tribe’s ‘Talk of the Minds’, Olivier gave a presentation on the subject.

It’s a match! Kasper and Lise’s client integration journey (video) 31 May 2022

Kasper Belmans and Lise Willemsens have both been proud Exellysts since 2020 Kasper recently integrated at his client, Corona Direct and Lise is feeling right at home at Belfius Insurance. At one of our recent events, they gave a brief presentation about how they experienced their journey

5 reasons why your best talent quits 22 April 2022

From our personal experience with coaching over 300 young and promising talents, there are five common problems in organizations that make young professionals think about quitting.
Remember, you don’t need all five to lose your top talent — one can be enough.

Video: How Denny became a .NET Developer 15 April 2022

Meet Denny, AP Hogeschool graduate (Bachelor in Electronics/ICT) and currently a .NET Development Consultant at Ferranti. In 12 minutes Denny will take you through his entire Exellys experience, covering why he chose for Exellys, the selection procedure, the training and coaching and everything in between.

Video: From Business Engineering graduate to Functional Analyst – Meet Lise 22 February 2022

Meet Lise, as a recent graduate in Business Engineering she quickly found her way to Exellys. As a Functional Analyst at Belfius Insurance it’s her (and her team’s) job to translate the business needs into requirements developers can work with. She’ll walk you through the journey that started the moment she graduated.

How to adopt the 7 habits of highly effective people 27 July 2021

Do you want to be more successful in life? Are looking for a way to stand out from the herd? If you’re looking for ways to improve yourself, the secret lies in adopting powerful, effective habits. In this post, we’ll show you how to do just that by following Stephen Covey’s influential book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

How Louis became the Business Consultant he always aimed to be (Video) 15 June 2021

During the recent virtual graduation ceremony of his Exellys Start Smart class, Louis and his Talent Development manager Leslie Hemmerechts reflected on his experiences of the past two years and how he benefited from Exellys’ Start Smart Program.

Starting your career during a lockdown: Data Engineer Ine about remote interviews & new ways of working 6 May 2021

Ine Nauwelaerts discovered her passion for data science and data engineering during her master’s degree, and her enthusiasm about everything to do with data is […]

Technical Analyst Dries about communicating, self-development & life 21 April 2021

Meet Dries: Technical Analyst, sports enthusiast and music lover. He builds bridges between IT-professionals, clients and partners at Baloise.

Is our health more important than our privacy? 16 February 2021

We recently invited privacy activist and director at the Ministry of Privacy Matthias Dobbelaere-Welvaert to give our Exellysts an online keynote on tracking applications, their known issues, and the impact they are having on our privacy. Here are some of his thoughts…

Organizing talent management in the remote age 20 January 2021

The corona pandemic has forced every organization to rethink the way they work. Almost overnight, homeworking has become the new standard. But what does it mean for your talent management strategy? And how can you successfully implement it for remote teams?

Roadmap for a Digital Future in Belgium 30 September 2020

Belgian companies need help to focus on digitalization. So it’s time to come up with a pragmatic action plan, packed with concrete initiatives to facilitate digital transformation. The kick-off of this initiative was given on the 15th of September, when some of Belgium’s most important digital leaders (full list at the end of the article) got together for an inspiring roundtable discussion.

What I wish someone had told me when I started working 27 September 2020

Jamie Collins, one of our UK Exellysts, says he joined us because he wanted a job that would allow him to work in his preferred field of project management, while receiving ongoing training, coaching and support to continue getting his qualifications. When he left university, he found the transition from student life to working life challenging, but with the support of his coach and the training he received from Exellys, he was able to learn a lot of insights that he wishes to share here.

12 ways to boost connectivity in the workplace 23 August 2020

We’ve all heard that satisfied employees are more productive, more creative, and more connected to the organisation. But what if we flip that logic? We believe increasing connectivity in the workplace leads to happier, healthier and more productive employees.

Mindshift Festival: it’s all about feedback 23 August 2020

At Exellys, we put great emphasis on feedback. Learning how to give and receive feedback in a constructive way is essential to personal and professional growth. We also take great pride in our events: they’re generally awesome. But we want to practice what we preach, so we always ask for feedback after each event. It turns out our ‘traditional’ Meetings of the Minds weren’t resonating with our consultants anymore, at least not as well as they used to. There was an overload of information, which proved counterproductive. So we took the feedback to heart, put our heads together, and came up with a new concept: our first Mindshift Festival.

How to discover a company’s actual culture 11 August 2020

In order to really get to know a company’s culture, you’re going to have to go beyond the about us-section on their website. The best way to learn more about a certain company’s culture is to get in touch and to openly speak with people who actually work there. Here’s how you get started.

How Business Engineer Viktor became a BI Consultant 5 May 2020

Let us introduce to you, Viktor Van Beersel. A 25-year-old BI Consultant who calls himself a true social animal and values contact with other people more than anything else. That’s why he felt a spontaneous spark with both Exellys and Biztory, where clients and colleagues don’t bite but and are just an easy conversation partner.

From engineering student to technical consultant – Meet Casper 6 April 2020

Let’s meet Casper, a 22-year old who is really interested in traveling and exploring other cultures, he’s a great communicator and an awesome programmer. Coincidence or not, those three things are now part of his job as a Technical Consultant at Swift.

Salary vs. Job satisfaction: what’s more important? 4 April 2020

A coach helps you to figure out what you need to be happy at work, and also makes you better at your job, which in turn may result in a pay raise!

Why you need to start thinking exponentially 10 March 2020

The ability to think exponentially is one of the most important skills for those looking to succeed in today’s tough economic climate. We need to challenge ourselves to shift our mindsets to ‘see ahead of curve’ in order to make the right decisions for future success.

Projective acquires majority stake in Exellys 23 January 2020

Projective acquires the majority of the shares of Exellys. Raf Seymus, current CEO and founder of Exellys, joins the board of Projective and becomes managing partner of Stellar Labs. Together, the group has more than 300 consultants and a turnover of more than 45 million euros.

Web Summit 2019: Our key take aways (Part 2) 11 November 2019

It’s a wrap! After a spending a couple of days in Portugal for Web Summit 2019, this is what several of our consultants will remember…

10 ways to become better at presenting 6 November 2019

You may not be the world’s best public speaker, but the following ten tips will help you improve the quality of your presentations, whether you are presenting yourself during an interview, demoing a product, or trying to land that all-important promotion.

Exellys is Antwerp’s most promising SME of the year 28 October 2019

Last week Unizo selected Exellys as Antwerp’s most promising SME of the year. We’re very happy with this recognition and extremely proud of the entire Exellys team but we’re not stopping there…

How to give feedback to your manager 14 October 2019

If you’re fresh from school and new on the job, you may feel insecure about giving feedback. If something’s bothering you, you may not know the best course of action to take. Being able to provide feedback to others without causing offense is just as important as being able to accept feedback about yourself

Rutger: From computer science graduate to technical consultant 20 September 2019

They say first impressions are the most important. So, when Rutger discovered Exellys and everything we stand for, he kept in touch. Because he could not get us out of his mind, even after having committed to another job, he eventually ended up with us. And that’s where the love story continues. Meet one of our technical consultants who, honestly, always had a connection with us and wisely decided to make his move.

How to build a great(er) team 10 September 2019

As a manager, you know first-hand how crucial, yet difficult, it is to foster and promote great teamwork among a group of professionals. Teamwork doesn’t just happen by accident; it needs to be nurtured and crafted over time. But no team members are perfect in every way, they each have their own set of strengths and weaknesses. So how can you, as a manager, lead your team to greatness?

Why this is the book you should read on your next holiday 23 July 2019

If you’re starting to think about which books to take to the beach this year, we suggest 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by renowned historian Yuval Noah Harari. In this blogpost, we’ll discuss four of its most crucial lessons and show you exactly why it deserves a spot on your summer reading list!

Why Unity is one of the best game engines for beginners 24 June 2019

Thinking about getting started with game development but don’t know where to start? We suggest Unity and here are five reasons why!

How this Functional Analyst is working on the most innovative projects 3 June 2019

Let’s meet Giani-Luigi Driesen, curious to say the least and passionate about football and all things digital. He likes to learn, whether it’s about technology, biology or how people interact with each other. So diving into a major project at Belfius Insurance as a Functional Analyst proved to be an interesting and exciting first job experience.

How 40 consultants hacked the future of work 27 May 2019

1 challenge, 40 motivated Exellysts, 1.576 post-its (give or take) and potentially a beer or two. The perfect recipe for the first edition of HackSmart, Exellys’ very own two-day innovation hackathon.

Exellys is IT Sourcing Company of the Year 17 May 2019

Last night we attended the 20th edition of the Datanews Awards and became IT Sourcing Company of the Year. This award wants to honor companies who successfully succeed in helping others to find, attract and retain the right people for the job.

Exellys’ Company Culture 11 May 2019

We aim to foster a tight-knit company culture where young and like-minded peers share common ground. Our culture is open, hardworking and lots of fun. Even though our Exellysts don’t all work for the same customers, we can still proudly call ourselves a community.

Government can enhance trust in technology 20 March 2019

The technologies driving Industry 4.0 have already started to change the way we live, work and interact with each other. Robotics, infotech, biotech, and nanotech are fundamentally reshaping the way that we live. According to Philippe De Backer, Minister of Digital Agenda, the fact that Industry 4.0 will be driven by technology means that up to two-thirds of people will have to be retrained and reshaped in the next ten to fifteen years.

Technology can turn this planet into a garden of Eden 18 March 2019

From autonomous vehicles to digital assistants and self-healing materials, the lines between the biological, physical and digital spheres are being blurred before our eyes. Change is happening at an exponential speed and the emergence of cyber-physical systems shows us that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is already underway. Yet according to Erwin Verstraelen, Chief Digital & Innovation Officer at the Port of Antwerp, many people are unprepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

What you need to thrive in Industry 4.0 20 February 2019

In five years, over one-third of skills that are considered important in today’s workforce will have changed. Innovations such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, genetic editing and more are no longer science fiction but near future. Companies need to embrace this technological and digital (r)evolution and talent needs to be prepared today in order to tackle the innovations of tomorrow.

Exellys is nominated for Trends Gazellen 2021 9 February 2019

We’re very excited to share that Exellys has been nominated for Trends Gazellen 2021 in the category large companies.

Reimagining work in the age of AI 8 January 2019

It’s 2019. Take a look around you. Far from being the stuff of science fiction, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already become an indispensable part of your daily life. But are robots coming for our jobs?

Meet Steve Wozniak in our office 13 November 2018

As you may have heard, we recently moved to a brand new office in Mechelen. Next to our tech talent scouts, talent development managers and sales and marketing teams we also have some very special guests… No less than ten pioneers in tech. That’s right, we named our meeting and training rooms after some of the people who had (and still have) a tremendous impact on technology today. They don’t need an introduction so let them introduce themselves just as they do on the walls of our office.

A brand new office in Mechelen: a successful opening night 26 October 2018

An impressive office, a buzzing crowd and four captivating panel members eager to share their story and love for Exellys on a Thursday night. That is all it took to introduce the new Exellys office in Mechelen. See you soon?

A dynamic private banking environment 25 September 2018

“Thanks to Exellys, young graduates benefit from a smooth transition from academic to professional life in an enriching and well-structured way; the surrounding frame ensures a happy landing in our organisation.”

10 questions you should ask yourself after one year on the job 3 September 2018

After one year on the job, it’s time for a Q&A with yourself! It doesn’t hurt to look into your rear-view mirror every once in a while. Not to get nostalgic or go over all your shoulds and should nots. No, it’s healthy to look back at where you first started because it will remind you how far you’ve come, how much you’ve grown and most importantly, where you’re heading.

How a 27 year old consultant ended up working from a beach in Mauritius 21 August 2018

Let’s be honest here, if you were to picture yourself in your next IT job, would there be any palm trees, sandy beaches and clear blue water in the frame?  The answer is probably no, unless you work for an awesome employer who sends you on a mission to a tropical island. That is exactly what happened to lucky bastard and Exellyst Arvid who spent 3,5 weeks in Mauritius on an assignment for BrightKnight!

How to take your career into your own hands 31 July 2018

Exellys has by now become strongly associated with tech, but (and there is BIG but 😉 ) the fact is that although we specialize in matching IT Talents, we wish to nurture ALL talents from various educational backgrounds. That’s why we decided to share our top 4 hacks to accelerate your career growth.

How our Belgian Red Devils can teach you to be better at your job 4 July 2018

We we’re watching the game and it’s safe to say that we broke some sweat. But what we took away from this experience is the incredible resilience the Belgian team displayed. They were defeated, all the odds were against them but they fought back as a team and came out on top! Here’s how.

Fast learners, great potentials 19 April 2018

“At the very moment, meeting Exellys was a real gift as they helped us to find the rare tech talent we were looking for.”

The hackathon aftermath 17 April 2018

We organised a kick ass hackathon. The challenge? Crack the code of private banking. Not an easy thing to do. Almost 30 young hackers and hustlers came to Antwerp to take a shot at glory and more importantly to win a 4 day trip to Lisbon’s Web Summit, the largest tech event in Europe.

Meeting of the Minds: Photo Report 27 March 2018

That’s right, Meeting of the Minds. These are our quarterly meetings with all Exellysts: consultants, internal staff and management. A group that hasn’t stopped growing since 2014.
Our focus? Knowledge sharing and co-creation, because that’s in our DNA.

7 videos to show you what working at Exellys is like 27 February 2018

You can keep reading about what it is we do exactly but why do that if you can just see it? We selected 7 video’s from our YouTube channel to give you a quick impression of the life of an Exellys consultant.

5 must see talks (according to our presentation skills trainer) 29 January 2018

For this blogpost, we had a small chat with Cris van Cleemput – Founder and owner of Cyres and Exellys’ longtime presentation skills trainer. He listed some of his all-time favorite talks which we boiled down in this short list.

Technology and innovation will save the day 15 November 2017

Exellys attented the Web Summit in Lisbon this November, the Walhalla of all things tech. It was an amazing event and we were blown away (yet again) by how technology and innovation are reinventing the way we live, work and interact with each other.