Vlerick’s Social Profit Grant: Helping Fiola define its strategic direction

Brecht De Schepper is CEO of Fiola – a not-for-profit organisation that provides tailored, specialist support for people with disabilities and their families across East Flanders. It also has a commercial arm which provides services to other organisations – including renting out IT and training facilities.

Brecht’s role is broad – and involves bringing together all of Fiola’s diverse activities.

He says: “I have a masters in special education and had done some courses on finance and HR. But I didn’t have the comprehensive view I needed to progress in my role. As I came into my second year as CEO, I started to think about further developing my capabilities.”

Like most not-for-profit organisations, Fiola doesn’t have a large training budget. So Brecht knew he needed funding to continue his professional development.

Applying for Vlerick’s Social Profit Grant

As a Ghent resident, Brecht was already familiar with Vlerick – and had worked with us in a previous role. He was also aware of our Social Profit Grant, which waives programme costs for participants from not-for-profit organisations.

So he began to research programmes that would give him the knowledge and skills he needed. We advised him to choose the Advanced Management Programme.

Brecht found the grant application rigorous and useful.

“I had to set goals and say why I wanted to follow the programme,” he says. “And there were two interviews. It was rigorous but helpful. I wanted to know if Vlerick was right for me, just as much as they wanted to know if I was a good fit for them. And Vlerick really practise what they preach – customer experience – right from the start.”

Brecht was awarded the grant and began the Advanced Management Programme in September 2024. He found the format – three-day blocks on campus – flexible, while allowing full immersion.

He also valued being part of a select group of peers.

“It was a small group – 12 people – and very diverse in terms of industry and sector,” he says. “This was such an important element of the learning. It was interesting to see that we all face the same challenges, just in different contexts. For example, I’m not focused on making profit, we’re about making impact. But when I thought of “value” in terms of “impact” – the same models and frameworks applied.”

Developing a unifying strategy

In the programme, participants focus on their own organisations – something which Brecht really appreciated.

“When you work on your own organisation’s challenges, it absolutely has an immediate impact,” he says. “It’s how I work best too – I fill my brain then activate what I’ve learned straight away.”

The key challenge Brecht wanted to address was Fiola’s strategy.

He says: “I discovered on day one that the strategy I thought we had was not really a strategy! But I was in the right place to change that. The programme helped me articulate our mission and values and how they connect with the strategy.

“All of the classes and faculty were such high quality. But Prof Kurt Verweire stood out – he taught strategy and was also my coach. This was a big focus for me, and it was the area I found most inspiring.”

A new focus for Fiola

Brecht recently completed the Advanced Management Programme – and is already seeing the benefits in his organisation.

“Our strategy is in continuous development – and we’re making progress,” he says. “We now have a clear way forward as an organisation. Before, we were fragmented and I needed to connect all the different areas. Now we have a common approach.

“As a leader, my mindset has changed. I’m able to bring people on the strategic journey with me – which helps to strengthen it. I really grew in my CEO role throughout the programme, and my board has noticed the impact it has had on me.

“The switch we are making now is from being service-centred to being client-centred. Everything we do should be about what is best for them. This shift in mindset plus the new strategy opens up new possibilities. We have a strong foundation in our mission, values and strategy – and we’re moving at pace towards our goals.”

A turning point in his career

Brecht has already recommended the Social Profit Grant to several professional connections.

He says: “There are two moments in my professional life that have been turning points for me. One was 15 years ago, when I took part in a talent development course in the woods of Flanders. And now, 15 years later, the Advanced Management Programme has been instrumental in helping me take my next leap – and take Fiola forward into the future.”

Want to find out more about our Social Profit Grant?

You can find out about the Social Profit Grant here. If you’d like to apply for it, remember that you must do so at least four weeks before the start of a short-term programme – and eight weeks before the start of a long-term programme.