Sophie Van Nevel

“I remain committed for digital growth, with or without an award”

Sophie Van Nevel’s official title is quite a mouthful: Global IT Lead Strategy & Governance / Data & Analytics. Nevertheless, she remains modest. She responds enthusiastically to her nomination: “It would be an honor to win the ICT & Digital Coach of the Year Award. I would inspire others to not always take the easy way out. Stay committed to growth and invest in yourself.”

What does inspiring & coaching leadership mean to Sophie?

“It comes down to finding the right balance. You want to make your mark on your company’s strategic vision and achieve ambitious goals. But you can’t do that without engaging your team. As a leader, your job is to stimulate and support each individual to grow with you. It goes without saying that you also continuously question your own working methods. You can make adjustments where necessary.”

How does your company become (or remain) successful in terms of leadership?

“A modern company can only achieve success with a clear strategy. If it solidly sets out where it wants to go in the (medium-)long term. And if employees and leaders play a crucial role in it. Each individual must feel that they contribute to ambitious goals while achieving their own ambitions. Only then can you grow as a company. At Bekaert, this is certainly the case!”

Which personal achievements is Sophie most proud of?

“I have spent the past year establishing an enterprise-wide vision and strategy around Data and Analytics: a foundation in our transformation into a digital data-driven organisation. This fits our ambition to grow as Bekaert Beyond Steel: safe, smart, sustainable.
I also took the processes within our Digital teams to the next level. One aspect of this was to set up a Foster Your Growth programme, with concrete implementation of a continuous learning culture in an agile context (digital academy, learning Fridays, etc.).
Collectively, this makes Bekaert an inspiring environment in which to transform. It ‘s no wonder that #bettertogether is one of our values.