Workforce growth of +67% at a single industrial site
Ahlstrom · MalmedyOlivier
Debefve
HR Director · Senior HR Manager
Connecting people, operations and performance.
More than 25 years of experience across industrial, technology-driven and service environments in Belgium and internationally. As part of leadership teams, I work on issues that directly affect the organisation and its ability to execute: workforce growth, organisational change, industrial relations, transformation and reliable HR operations.
Senior HR leadership responsibilities in unionised industrial environments, with a dual HR and finance background.
Available for a new senior HR leadership role
Liège Province · eastern Belgium · northern Luxembourg
I usually reply within one business day.
A practical approach
Decide with facts. Act close to the ground.
01
Managers with time to manage.
02
HR decisions that work on the ground.
03
An organisation that enables performance.
04
People issues addressed before they become business problems.
Results
A track record grounded in operational reality
Transition from 3 teams to a 5-team, 24/7 continuous-shift operation
Ahlstrom · MalmedyNo production stoppages linked to industrial relations
Ahlstrom · MalmedyAgainst a target of 35
Ahlstrom · MalmedyAccountability for monthly revenue recognition and close
Altran · Belgium & Luxembourg · reported directly to the CEOPeople personally recruited: executives, engineers, managers, professional staff and shop-floor workers
Across my careerImpact
Situations where I have created value
Industry · Transformation
Ahlstrom · Malmedy
2019–2025
75 → 125FTEs
3 → 5Teams
eNPS > 50Engagement
Supporting growth, industrial diversification and cultural change
As a partner to the Plant Manager and leadership team, I supported a major site transformation combining workforce growth, changes to the operating model and a progressive move from three to five teams.
This evolution was built through a strong presence on the shop floor and regular labour dialogue, while strengthening recruitment, onboarding, engagement and absence management. More than 70% of the site’s final workforce was personally recruited during this period of growth.
Sustained growth without separating operational performance from the quality of employee relations.
Governance · Finance
Centre Spatial de Liège
2016–2017
~100People
14Team members
~€19mAnnual revenue
Connecting people, governance and business performance
As a direct partner to the CEO, I led HR, finance, administration and infrastructure, with a multidisciplinary team of 14 people organised across two management levels and a high degree of autonomy in preparing and implementing executive decisions. The scope covered close to 60 projects.
This responsibility also involved high-impact financial and governance matters, including favourable outcomes in two disputes involving several million euros.
An experience that taught me to consider every HR decision through the full range of its human, operational and financial consequences.
Growth · International
Altran · Belgium, France & Luxembourg
1998–2015
650Consultants
150+Recruitments
€6–8mMonthly revenue recognition & close
Structuring operations in an international growth environment
From 1998 to 2015, a continuous career within the same group, with progressively broader responsibilities in recruitment, HR and business administration across Belgium, France and Luxembourg.
My scope progressively expanded from recruitment and team leadership to operations and administrative management of the business, with direct reporting to the CEO. I also supported the transfer of sales administration to Kraków and the growth of the Luxembourg subsidiary from around 20 to more than 100 engineers.
An experience that built my dual perspective on organisational issues: human and economic.
Cross-functional perspectives
What they say
Perspectives from executives, managers, colleagues and employee representatives on how I work.
Social dialogue · Collective perspective
Son approche collaborative, son respect des processus RH, ainsi que sa capacité à instaurer un climat de confiance avec les représentants du personnel ont contribué de manière significative à la croissance et à la cohésion de l'équipe.
Employee representatives at Ahlstrom Malmedy
Transformation · Change leadership · Shop-floor proximity
Cédric Djeuteu
Plant Manager, Ahlstrom Malmedy
Entre 2020 et 2024, notre site a connu une transformation majeure avec le développement d'une nouvelle activité de production de médias filtrants, soutenue par un investissement de plus de 12 millions d'euros. Durant cette période de changement, Olivier s'est distingué par sa proximité avec le terrain, sa disponibilité et sa capacité à écouter les collaborateurs et les syndicats. Son engagement auprès des équipes a contribué à accompagner le changement dans un climat constructif et à préserver un dialogue social serein.
Leadership team · Autonomy · Sensitive HR cases
Christelle Bertrand
CEO of Centre Spatial de Liège during our collaboration
J’ai particulièrement apprécié son autonomie, son engagement et la manière dont il assumait pleinement son rôle au sein du Comité de direction, avec le souci de contribuer pour le bien de l'équipe. Olivier est également une personne sur laquelle on peut compter dans les situations sensibles. J’ai pu apprécier sa capacité à traiter des dossiers RH difficiles avec discernement, confiance et professionnalisme.
Business partnering · International · Business orientation
Rita Aalto-Saari
VP HR, Ahlstrom during our collaboration
As HR Manager for Belgium & the Netherlands, he consistently supported senior HR stakeholders, navigated complex situations with confidence, and found practical, business-oriented solutions. What stood out most was his willingness to contribute beyond his immediate scope and his reliability as an HR partner.
People development · Trust · Support
Virginie Raskin
Production Supervisor, Ahlstrom Malmedy
Il sait accompagner les personnes qui souhaitent progresser, tout en présentant les choses de manière claire et complète, mais toujours avec une certaine légèreté qui rend les échanges beaucoup plus naturels.
HR Expertise
HR priorities I can take ownership of within a leadership team
Build constructive industrial relations
I prepare negotiations with employee representatives, clarify the scope for negotiation and address sensitive situations without losing sight of business continuity.
Align organisation with business needs
When the business changes, I build workforce, organisation and working-time scenarios with managers, then check that they can actually work on the ground.
Support leaders through difficult people decisions
I help leadership teams establish the facts and assess the risks before deciding on sensitive situations. The choice has to work for the business, comply with the law and remain fair to people.
Connect HR decisions, risk and business performance
I quantify the consequences of HR decisions and connect them to performance: payroll, absenteeism, turnover, structural costs and execution capacity.
Make HR operations reliable
I make sure payroll, personnel administration, labour compliance and HR data are reliable. A credible HR function starts with solid fundamentals.
Attract, develop and retain critical skills
I anticipate needs, structure recruitment and onboarding, then support managers in developing skills and reducing avoidable turnover.
Career at a glance
More than 25 years at the heart of organisations
2026Mondelēz International · Namur plant · Human Resources Manager
2019–2025Ahlstrom · HR Manager Belgium & Netherlands
2017–2018Groupe Jean Gotta · Group HR Manager Belgium & Luxembourg
2016–2017Centre Spatial de Liège · HR, Administration & Finance Director
1998–2015Altran · HR, recruitment & business administration · BE/FR/LU
Languages, tools & standards
- Languages
- French — native · English — fluent · Dutch — basic professional proficiency
- HRIS environments & tools
- SAP SuccessFactors · Workday · Protime · MS Dynamics NAV · HR reporting & workforce analytics
- Standards & compliance
- ISO 9001 · ISO 14001 · ISO 45001 · EN 9100
What I’m looking for
- Role
- HR Director · Plant HR Manager · Senior HR Manager · Senior HR Business Partner
- Scope
- Broad HR scope, with autonomy and close partnership with leadership; management team membership preferred.
- Environment
- An organisation where HR stays close to operations, with transformation and industrial-relations challenges
- Location
- Liège Province and neighbouring areas · eastern Belgium · northern Luxembourg
- Terms
- A permanent role is the priority, with openness to interim management or a fixed-term role where the context warrants it
- Availability
- Available at short notice
Contact
Discuss a senior HR opportunity
If you are looking for an HR Director who combines operational proximity, industrial relations, transformation and reliable HR operations, this is where my experience adds the most value.
Based in Verviers, I work best in organisations where HR stays close to operations, delivers reliably and adds value to leadership decisions.
I usually reply within one business day. You can also write directly to olivier@debefve.be.