Shaping a Quieter World: An Exclusive Interview with Our CEO

As we embark on a new year, our CEO, Laurence Carels, shares her insights on the company’s vision, priorities, and the road ahead. In this exclusive interview, Laurence reflects on what drives us as a team, the importance of sustainability in shaping our industry, and how staying true to our values helps us achieve our goals.

Discover her thoughts on the challenges and opportunities for 2025, the evolution of the construction industry, and the exciting milestones we’re aiming to reach this year.

Get inspired by her leadership, and let’s make this another year of progress (together)!
 

How would you define the company’s vision for this year, and how does it align with our long-term goals?

We redefined our company vision & mission at the beginning of last year, but there is 1 thing that will never change: "We are here to make your world a quieter place". In the long term, we aim to deliver greater value to our customers by growing responsibly, guided by a sustainable mindset and strong company values. 
 

What are the company's top focus/strategic priorities in the new year?

We have defined a couple of strategic priorities for the years to come, but if I need to pick one, I will go for the further development of our Smart solutions range. While we remain committed to our core DNA of designing tailored solutions engineered to meet each customer's or project's specific needs, we also recognize that some clients and applications require standard solutions with faster delivery. These "Smart Solutions" will drive us to streamline our internal and sales processes to better meet those needs efficiently.

How will the company advance its sustainability and social responsibility initiatives in the year ahead?

We are in our last year of VCDO, after which we will be SDG pioneers, but it will not stop there. In our Strategic plan, we also defined that we want to be leaders in driving the sustainability mindset in the construction industry. To be more specific, all solutions we are now developing are designed for disassembly. 
 

How do you see the industry evolving this year, and how is the company adapting to those changes?

The construction industry is gently evolving towards more industrialization and standardization. As a company, we are adapting to that new standard and developing new scalable solutions for it.
 

What challenges do you anticipate in 2025, and how do you plan to address them?

We have an ambitious growth plan. The biggest challenge I see is staying focused on the strategy we’ve set out and not shooting aimlessly at everything around us. Many opportunities come our way, but sometimes we need to be able to say no if they don’t align with the company’s strategic goals.

How do the company's culture and values support achieving our goals?

As a company, we have 6 values that define us: Ownership, Raising the bar, Open-Mindedness, Partnership, Energized, and Thinking Different. Staying true to our culture and values is the most important thing. The more we act upon them, the more we will be able to reach our common goals. 
 

What message would you like to share with employees, partners, and clients as we begin this new year?

There’s a lot of negativity surrounding us in the world today. Instead of being swept away by it, create your own narrative. Stay curious about the world around you, take a moment to appreciate the little things, and approach it all with "goesting" and enthusiasm. My hope is to provide you with a welcoming environment where everyone feels free to be their authentic selves in a quieter world.
 

What personal goals have you set for yourself this year as a leader, and how will they impact the company?

One of my personal goals is to slow down and be in the moment. It was actually the same goal last year, but I will keep on putting it on my list until I reach it. It is a cliché, but time is running very fast, and sometimes I feel like I am not enjoying it enough.  
I need to work on "being more patient". Does anybody have an idea for a goal here? 😉
Another goal is to read more. Last year, I was very happy to finally finish one book; this year, I want to increase that to at least two.
 

Can you share a milestone or achievement from 2024 that you’re particularly proud of?

As a company, we are making big progress in becoming more visible in the market. The positive feedback we are receiving from stakeholders on our webinars, installation services, engineering services, and marketing material gives me goosebumps. It means we are creating impact and, step by step, making the world a quieter place. This makes me proud!