Geert Aelbrecht,
Chief People Officer and ESG & Sustainability Officer,
BESIX
Description
BESIX is a leading Belgian group, based in Brussels and operating in 25 countries and on 5 continents, in the construction, real estate development and concessions sectors. Active since 1909, its iconic achievements include Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, buildings of the European Parliament in Brussels as well as the Grand Egyptian Museum, on the Giza pyramids plateau. The Group's engineering department enables BESIX to carry out complex and unique projects, particularly in terms of technical and environmental aspects.
Interview Questions
1. How do teamwork and endurance shape your company culture?
In our construction world, much like in cycling, no one wins alone. Every structure we build, whether it’s a bridge, a hospital, or a skyline-defining high-rise, is the result of hundreds of colleagues trusting each other’s strengths, and pushing through the challenges together. Teamwork is literally how we get from blueprint to reality.
Moreover, endurance is very much in our DNA as well. Construction is a long game. Projects can span years, with hurdles that test our patience, our resolve, and sometimes our sanity! But our people, like a cycling peloton facing headwinds, keep showing up, determined to reach the finish line, no matter the conditions.
That’s the spirit we saw in this partnership with the SD Worx cycling team: the same grit, the same camaraderie, and the same quiet confidence that we’re all better when we ride together.
2. What does partnering with SD Worx mean to you?
At BESIX, we believe that when people are supported and empowered, they do their best work, and our partnership with SD Worx is helping us making that happen.
For a couple of years now, SD Worx has helped us take care of one of the most important aspects of working life: ensuring that every single one of our employees in Belgium receives their pay correctly, transparently, and on time. That might sound simple, but in a complex business like ours, with thousands of people across a wide range of roles, it takes real expertise. And that’s exactly what SD Worx brings to the table.
Their digital tools and clear communication make life easier for our People teams and our employees alike. It’s this mix of expertise, collaboration and long-term thinking that made us choose SD Worx in the first place, and why we continue to work with them today. They’ve earned their reputation as a trusted name in HR and payroll, and for us, they’ve become an integral part of how we support and engage our employees every day.
3. What mindset do you believe is key to crossing the finish line — in sports or business?
For us, it all comes down to resilience and belief. The belief that every uphill has a summit. The resilience to keep pedalling when your legs are burning and the rain won’t stop. Whether you’re laying the foundations of a building or climbing the final kilometres of a mountain stage, success comes from staying the course… even when no one’s watching.
It also takes humility. Knowing when to lead, when to follow, and when to ask for help. Great things happen when people rally behind a shared goal, trust the process, and back each other with heart and humour. That’s as true on our worksites as it is on the road.
So yes, crossing the finish line takes drive, vision and a bit of stubbornness. But above all, it takes people who believe in one another. That’s what makes the journey worthwhile… and the victory, when it comes, all the sweeter!