Stella P.
Stella polaris, the pole star. A headhunter that brings more diversity to boards. I'm still a mentor to the team.
Consolidate? No, thank you!
You could say I have growth genes. Whatever I do, I go for growth. If someone starts talking to me about consolidating, I get restless. Still, I only launched my first company when I was already 31. With Accent Jobs we did recruitment and staffing. We started with one office, 10 years later we had 150 and now the count stands at more than 790.
External investors
Today, Accent Jobs is the largest entity of House of HR, the European holding under which various organisations fall, each specialised in temporary staffing and outsourcing, together worth €3 billion. That exponential growth was possible because we were open to investment and expertise from outside. The Flanders Investment Company Gimv helped us to professionalise further; the French Naxicap put us on the international map. 7 years later we decided to sell the company to Bain Capital Private Equity. Since then I have been active as a board member of House of HR.
1 → 790
Accent Jobs offices
€3 mld
House of HR group
100%
female fund We Are Jane
3
business schools, lifelong learning
A new mission
Female entrepreneurship
At fifty I decided to step back as CEO and follow my true passion. I founded two companies focused on female entrepreneurship.
We Are Jane
An investment fund focused on scale-ups led by women, offering money and expertise.
Continuous learning
Education and networking
When I started out, I had no background in economics or management. Three business schools sharpened my knowledge, and gave me a network that still feels like coming home today.
01
Vlerick
Business School
02
Stanford
Graduate School of Business
03
Harvard
Business School
GrowthStrategyPeople managementFinancial management
My recipe
6 ingredients for growth
"Conny, what's your secret recipe for growth?" It's a question I get asked often. Whatever the size of your business, that recipe consists, in my view, of six ingredients.
01
Know your numbers
Numbers are not an afterthought. Those who know their numbers make faster and sharper decisions, and know when it's time to accelerate or adjust course.
02
Write down your strategy and share it
A strategy that only lives in your head is no strategy at all. Write it down and share it with your team, so everyone can row in the same direction.
03
Measure and take action
Measuring is knowing, but only once you act on it. Translate your insights into concrete action, otherwise it stays at interesting dashboards.
04
Build networks
A strong network is not a luxury but a working tool. Invest in people before you need them.
05
See talent in others
Good entrepreneurs surround themselves with people better than themselves. Give them space and trust, and they will give back double.
06
Invest in lifelong learning
The world is changing faster than ever. Those who stop learning, stop growing, in their business and in themselves.