Wout Van Lierde

'The secret of getting ahead is getting started.'

I see this quote as motivation to take action, even if it doesn't always seem easy. Starting a task that you initially don't know everything about is what you end up learning the most from.

I was born and raised in the Flemish Ardennes. In 2020, I started my master's degree in commercial sciences (business administration) at Ghent University. Graduated in 2024 with high distinction in commercial sciences in master Finance and Risk. To finish my master studies I had to do an internship in a finance related company, this way I came in contact with the JBR office in Gavere via Rik Van Meirhaeghe. I successfully completed this internship at the end of May 2024. After this, I started working for JBR BeLux as a working student and in this way I became further involved in the whole JBR story. After an extremely pleasant meeting with all colleagues and the unique atmosphere within JBR, I was quickly convinced and have recently become a permanent employee for JBR BeLux.

From the beginning of my internship to now as an entry-level Trainee Consultant, I have always been interested in how a business is valued, and how this can vary greatly in different contexts. This ranges from the entrepreneur's personal opinion of his own business to pure economic trends and sector knowledge. So many different factors come into play in a valuation that ultimately must lead to a consensus that all parties agree on. I find the role that a company like JBR can play in this very valuable. Not just 'the valuation' in itself, but the entire process, from an initial discussion with an entrepreneur who is unsure about the next step, to compiling a long list and getting the first information, to a Due Diligence in which you really find out whether a company has held nothing back, to finally a Closing in which, after a long process, all parties come to an agreement.

What makes me happy is knowing at the end of the day that you have added value to a client. This added value can be different for each case, an international company dealing with consulting on a daily basis or a single entrepreneur who gets a "reward" for his hard work after a long career at a sale. In both cases you can add value. It is therefore really my challenge to make each client feel that something has come out of consulting me at JBR. Throughout these projects, of course, I also have a personal ambition to have a successful career and achieve great things by always fully engaging in everything I do and working hard.