Meet Matties Van Craeyenest

Wanted: company on the human scale

If there is anything to be learned from Matties's early career, it's that anyone with talent and ambition will have the opportunity to advance (quickly) at AQUALEX. 

Matties first contacted AQUALEX in 2021. As a final-year Business Administration student at Ghent University, he was looking somewhere to do an internship. Not a large organisation, but a dynamic, family business on the human scale. As it happened, he came upon AQUALEX, a local firm he had never heard of. He applied, got a great feeling about the interviews and signed a contract there and then. 

The intern becomes the manager

Matties made a strong impression during his internship, which led AQUALEX to offer him a permanent position: an offer he says he didn't need long to think about. In the summer of 2021 he continued to work for AQUALEX as a working student, but his first official day as Business Development Manager was on 1 September. His main role was in market research, uncovering new commercial opportunities. 

He was very happy performing this job for eighteen months, until AQUALEX came to him in April 2023 with the question: how do you feel about leading the SDR team? “I knew right away. The job was tailor-made for me", Matties recalls. “You see, I'm a sociable person. I love being around people, and I was looking forward to pursuing goals as part of a team. Also, I really enjoyed working with the SDR team; it was a group I felt comfortable with."

Losing the cubicles

One of his first actions was to reorganise the office. Until then, the SDRs had worked in cubicles, individual desks between panels, to allow them to focus on calls without disturbance. It has its upsides, and its downsides: you are cut off from the others, which reduces contact and connection with the other members of the team. “That way of doing things goes against the SDR's nature", explains Matties, "because SDRs are sociable people. So, together we decided to take a different approach and to do away with the cubicles. Everyone can see and support each other now, and the team members have greater contact." 

People first, results next

That change is a good illustration of Matthies's management style. “The focus should be on the people first, and only then the results. What if everyone feels good, enjoys their work, feels recognised, and the atmosphere is good? Well, I'm convinced that results will follow automatically." 

It sounds great, but does it actually work? “Yes, after eighteen months we can confirm that it does, in fact, work. And, not unimportantly, that the atmosphere is amazing. I absolutely love to see everyone on the phone, encouraging each other and sharing jokes and stories. It's something I genuinely enjoy." 

The great atmosphere is noticeable in other ways too: people bring in treats almost every day, such as pancakes or, recently, hot chocolate with buns. It's another contributor to that cosy, homely feel. “However", laughs Matties, "it can be a task for anyone who's watching their waistline." 

Huge respect for SDRs

In some companies, SDRs don't always get the recognition they deserve. At AQUALEX they do. Everyone, from the sales team to the other departments, acknowledges the importance of their contribution to AQUALEX's success. And everyone realises that it's not an easy job. “SDRs can make 60 or 70 calls a day, and even 100 in exceptional cases", says Matties. That takes a lot of perseverance. But the most important thing is to enjoy it. This is why Matties is looking for sociable people, who love to chat and who are energised by making connections. 

Positive drive

Qualifications and experience are not the decisive elements. This is quite clear when you consider some of the team members, who had totally different jobs before starting at AQUALEX. Some are cleaners, others worked in boutiques or as nurses. 

“Look”, says Matties, “experience is definitely a plus, but it is not a requirement. Mindset is way more important. What we are looking for, above all, is 'amigeaus'. Enthusiastic people who radiate positive energy, are very keen to achieve and book results as a team."

Age is not a factor either. The SDR team includes school leavers and experienced people approaching retirement age. Anyone with the right skills and mindset is welcome. Any time is the right time to take the plunge. So if you like to talk, you've got a bit of commercial flair, and an open mind… You never know, SDR could be the job of a lifetime. 

Matties in person

• Matties (25) lives with his girlfriend Emilie in Nieuwenhove, a little village in Waregem and a five-minute drive from the AQUALEX offices in Deerlijk. 
• Matties is bad at one thing: sitting still. That's why he is often dressed for sports in his spare time. On Saturday afternoons he plays football with friends (not pub, but recreational football). During the week, he goes to the gym three times and runs twice. He often runs with his girlfriend. Running helps him unwind, clear his head and discover new energy. Their shared goal as to run the Brussels half marathon in November. Then what? “A triathlon, maybe, but I need to get the hang of the swimming first." 
• And when he's not doing sports? “I like to visit my family. Or go off with my girlfriend to cities like Ghent, Antwerp and so on. As long as I don't have to sit still, if you know what I mean." 
• Watching films and box sets isn’t his favourite activity (too much sitting around, of course), but he does enjoy watching sports. All sports. The sporting summer of 2024, with European Championship football, the Olympics and the Tour de France, was a real treat. The highlight for him? “Could well have been the Olympic marathon and Bashir Abdi's silver medal. I watched that race from start to finish." 
• His girlfriend has given him a taste for travel to distant places. They have booked a trip to Thailand in November and have recently visited Japan. And not just as tourists, but to meet his girlfriend's family (her mother is Japanese, her father Belgian). He got to meet her grandmother in the flesh for the first time (he prepared by learning a few simple Japanese phrases) and travelled around to experience the country's wonderful culture and nature. 
• Matties enjoys listening to podcasts, even while exercising. He often listens to sports podcasts (90 minutes, Sjotcast), as well as those on topical issues, such as Het kwartier on Radio 1 and De 7 by De Tjid. 
• His favourite dish, without doubt, is spaghetti Bolognese. “If it were up to me, I would eat it every day, with plenty of Gruyere cheese."