Driven by and for people Werner Lapage, Partner BDO Belgium, Chairman of the Editorial Board Will we live to the age of 130 in a few decades’ time? According to gerontology specialists, yes, undoubtedly. Provided we live healthier lives. In any case, the biotechnology world has jumped into the fray and is looking for solutions to slow down, or even prevent, aging processes and diseases. Rejuvenate Biomed, led by Dr Ann Beliën, is such a biotech company [...]
You ask, we answer Based on five specific questions, we are bringing the same number of different themes to your attention. Not randomly, but based on the questions that we have recently received from our clients. Many Belgians have a second residence or property that they rent out as an investment. At present, the tax treatment of this property is quite advantageous. But we expect the imminent tax reform to change that. The blueprint that was put [...]
Diverse + inclusive + innovative = resistant Werner Lapage, Partner BDO Belgium and Chairman of the Editorial Board Are we plunging into a recession? Not yet if we stick to the narrow definition of such an economic downturn - negative GDP growth for two or more consecutive quarters. But on the other hand, when we look at all those economic indicators lighting up red: inflation fever, the extra cost for resources over and above wage indexation, the [...]
“Risk management: to a broader and higher level” Chapelle Consulting becomes BDO Chapelle The internationally acclaimed Chapelle Consulting, the company built around the Belgian Ariane Chapelle, an authority on risk management, is joining forces with BDO Belgium, and vice versa. The aim? To prepare companies even better for today’s and tomorrow’s risks and to train and upskill current and future risk managers. The COVID-19 pandemic is barely even over or the war in Ukraine, rising energy [...]
Dragons’ Den gives BDO wings “If you want to innovate, there is no such thing as a bad idea” The name Dragons’ Den is a reference to the British series of the same name and the Flemish television programme ‘Leeuwenkuil’, where up-and-coming entrepreneurial talents pitch their business idea before seasoned top entrepreneurs who are looking for a golden idea. “In essence, at BDO we follow the same concept,” explains Patrick Kestens. He is the former inspirational force [...]
How different are family businesses from corporates? Experts Hans Wilmots and Pursey Heugens share their insights Are family businesses less formally organised than the so-called corporates? What can corporates learn from entrepreneurial families? And are family businesses more resistant to crises? Jan Oosterlinck, Partner Family Business Advisory at BDO Belgium, asked Professor Pursey Heugens (Rotterdam School of Management) and Drs. Hans Wilmots (UHasselt, former CEO of BDO Belgium and CEO of BioRICS). Jan: [...]
When two ‘guides in growth’ meet BDO doubles its strength in Limburg Twenty years ago, BDO Hasselt was born. Today, the growth is being accelerated thanks to the strategic acquisition of Cynex. The team and local client base are growing by 50%. And the financial and tax-legal expertise in Limburg is being strengthened. In addition, the merger of the two ‘guides in growth’ offers both clients and employees additional opportunities to develop further. “Cynex is a [...]
Smart Business Solutions “Profitable growth does not happen by itself” Do you also sometimes feel that everyone in your company is working all-out, but that the results are not there accordingly? Or that your control over a process or technology could be better whereby there is a risk that you miss out on opportunities? Don’t worry, all entrepreneurs struggle with such issues on occasion. These are characteristic of companies in growth mode. However… you can do something [...]
BDO and the path to inclusive and diverse leadership “In our differences lies our Treasure” Write an article about reverse mentoring. That was the task. But once you talk to Tessy Martens, Inclusive Diversity Manager and Sustainability Services Lead at BDO Belgium, the story got a much broader perspective: how do you create inclusive and diverse leadership? Awareness first! How many people are aware that their behaviour is driven by unconscious prejudices or biases? This [...]
Hope Springs Eternal for Entrepreneurship “Smart companies are prepared for lean years” Despite all the human and social suffering, the economic malaise - strictly speaking no recession for the time being - has the merit of daring us to question a number of “too big to fail” certainties. It has convinced us that companies, and by extension our country, must defend themselves more than ever against increasingly unpredictable shocks from outside. Where do you start? We [...]
