Between doubts and passions. Guest speaker at BECI’s CEO Talks, Manuel Pallage opens up
What is a CEO? Everyone has their own definition. Above all, everyone has their own feeling about it. During the latest BECI CEO Talks, Manuel Pallage shared his experience. Builder? Coach? Both, plus sensitivity.
Of course, the conversation turned to music and soccer. From Dire Straits to British clubs, in particular. Memories of youth, of studies. “In Great Britain, even the smallest matches attract crowds of spectators; it’s impressive! And when you talk about soccer, you talk about champions. For me, a champion is someone who stands out from the crowd. And often in unexpected ways!”
Manuel Pallage adds: “Very often, it’s not the most experienced or the most qualified… NSI owes a lot to some of its champions!” To coach them, it is essential to ignore external and internal pressures. Set up programs and development units, but above all, keep an “out of the box” mindset.
That’s the first takeaway from this CEO Talks. In 2015, recalls the CEO of NSI, one of the business units was short on consultants and resources. A certain Luc, who came from outside the company, ticked all the boxes for developing this structure. Today, he manages 450 people! Another champion, Fabrice, “came out of the woods.” He arrived with a new technology. Coached and liberated, the result was immediate: €11 million!
As in a family, we say what we think…
NSI was founded 32 years ago, with NOSHAQ as a shareholder from the very beginning, then CEGEKA in 2008. And a challenge: to become the French-speaking leader in the IT market! “There were 23 founders at the beginning. It took quite a few years to reach a tribe of 200 employees—that was in 2010. Today, the group has 500 employees in Brussels, 500 in Wallonia, 600 in Luxembourg, 200 in France and, most recently, in one year, we have grown from 19 to 32 employees in Canada, with a total turnover of EUR 260 million!“
In the introduction to this CEO Talks event, Thierry Geerts, CEO of BECI, emphasized NSI’s culture, which is very different from that of hyper-structures such as GAFAM. NSI, he said, is becoming “a structural partner, a gem of a service, just what Brussels needs.”
Talented individuals can only be motivated by a culture that is in tune with the staff. This is another takeaway. “NSI is organized like a family: we say what we think, but we always stick together! When acquiring companies, I have always made sure that the candidate company has a culture similar to ours.” He added: “Celebrating success is part of this culture and is very often based on collective intelligence.”
As for shareholders, they need to be good and solid. For Manuel Pallage, it’s not just about money. “For NSI, it’s NOSHAQ and CEGEKA, 10,000 people in 19 countries!”
Transforming negative energy into positive energy
One group, one culture. And one CEO. “For me, a CEO is the barometer of the company. At the same time, on a human level, it’s loneliness in decision-making.” This brings us to the notion of doubt. “Doubt is a friend to be cultivated, to be tamed. It helps you make the right decisions… sometimes, it’s true, after a bad night’s sleep. “
What does the CEO do? He spends his time transforming negative energy into positive energy. “30% communication; 30% ego management and preparation for important meetings; 30% visits to customers, partners, company sites… and 10% management of complex situations.“
Growth, dear growth…
Plus encounters. Manuel Pallage runs a weekly music column on his LinkedIn profile, sharing two tracks from bands worth discovering. “This music column has allowed me to break the mold, humanize my role, bring real authenticity, and foster many encounters that would otherwise have been unlikely!”
A dream come true, in short. This raised the question of growth: can it be eternal? For Manuel Pallage, it is necessary , even imperative. “Even in slow periods, you have to grow. It’s vital. So even 1 or 2%… that’s still growth. In five years, NSI will have grown further, particularly through new acquisitions in France and Luxembourg. We’re number two, so why not number one? And then we have our Canadian project to develop…”
