“Elke kmo zou een Sylvie in huis moeten halen.” – Bjorn Van Droogenbroeck, Vecon

Vecon builds rock-solid floors for the industry. CEO Bjorn Van Droogenbroeck knows everything about concrete. But he is less knowledgeable about finance and economics. Fortunately, our CFOs know everything about it. Since part-time CFO Sylvie Vercruysse got her teeth into it, Vecon is doing well.

4 half days, 100 percent added value

The first time Bjorn received an email from the CFO Centre, it was filed vertically. “I barely knew what a CFO was or did. But I did read the second email carefully. That’s when I realised that Vecon could probably benefit from a CFO.”

Coen van der Kley, CEO of the Belgian and Dutch CFO Centre, visited Bjorn to explain the operation and approach . “I immediately understood that a CFO would be a significant added value for Vecon. Coen suggested to ‘match’ Sylvie with us. Since November 2023, she has been working at our office four half days a month.”

Bjorn thought he had a handle on his numbers and was keeping a close eye on everything. Until Sylvie pointed out to him what was behind those numbers and what they really mean. “I am still amazed. Every day that she is here, she comes up with new insights. Things that I would never think about myself or that would never occur to me.”

Advice, insight and peace of mind

There was room for improvement at Vecon, especially in the areas of cash planning, bank relations and invoice follow-up. “We had an accountant, of course, but he doesn’t look ahead. He can put his finger on the sore spot, but that’s it. A CFO gives you advice on how to adjust and improve things. Not just in terms of finances, but also strategically.”

Since Sylvie came on board, the future looks brighter. Despite a difficult period in the construction sector, partly due to the persistent bad weather, cash planning is going well. The relationship with the bank has improved. Invoices are paid on time. “We were struggling with cash flow, but now we finally have breathing space. That gives us a lot of peace of mind. Knowing that there is someone who analyses every move and assesses situations correctly is priceless.”

Figures in order, ready for growth

Vecon has been able to leave a somewhat turbulent period behind and is looking ahead positively and ambitiously. “Our first objective was to get the figures in order. We have succeeded in doing so. Now we are aiming for growth and are considering expanding into other specialisations such as terrazzo floors. Sylvie is also our ‘guide’ in this area. Incidentally, I do not only appreciate her for what she does for us on a business level. She is also very pleasant to work with. She knows how to convey complicated material in a clear manner. That is extremely important if you are not an expert in finance yourself. I have complete confidence in her and I now understand much better what figures mean and what decisions you can make based on them. Every SME should have a Sylvie in-house. But preferably not this one, because we prefer to keep that to ourselves”, Bjorn concludes with a wink.