SD Worx executives share their experiences of European growth in a book

The leading European HR and payroll solutions provider SD Worx is launching a book to share its experiences of recent strong growth with the wider public. At the request of customers, CEO Kobe Verdonck and Chief HR Officer Bruce Fecheyr-Lippens have documented their experiences in a fast-growing European environment. Against the backdrop of SD Worx’s rapid European growth, the authors describe in six chapters the transition from a traditional corporate structure to a dynamic impact culture. They demonstrate how organisations can only truly realise their strategy when people feel engaged, are given the space to take responsibility and can work together towards a clear, shared goal.

In “Join the Club”, Verdonck and Fecheyr-Lippens take the reader through the transformation of SD Worx: from a leading Belgian payroll provider to the leading European provider of digital HR solutions. This growth not only entailed strategic choices, but also revealed that decisions were too often left at the top and teams took too little ownership. The book takes this reality as its starting point and explains why culture is not a side issue, but a key factor for sustainable growth.

The authors demonstrate how organisations can evolve, step by step, from a traditional, hierarchical structure to an impact culture in which teams grow together. This change begins with leading by example: management teams must themselves demonstrate the behaviour they wish to see throughout the rest of the organisation. In this way, the organisation shifts from a culture of polite collegiality to an environment in which colleagues help each other progress by providing honest and constructive feedback as ‘critical friends’. Through internal mobility, agile teams and flexible roles, people gain greater control over their careers. At the same time, they emphasise personal responsibility: cultural change requires a mental shift from every employee. Those who wish to grow must be prepared to take small steps forward every day. According to them, this combination of leadership, trust and ownership forms the basis for organisations that wish to grow sustainably.

The book can be ordered via Amazon.com, amongst other outlets. 

About the authors

Bruce Fecheyr-Lippens, an HR leader and entrepreneur from Belgium, is Chief HR Officer at SD Worx. He has worked at McKinsey, Solvay and Euroclear and is co-founder of huapii. He focuses on people-centred leadership and inclusive, high-performing cultures.

Kobe Verdonck started as Chief Executive Officer of SD Worx in 2019. Prior to that, he was CEO at Raet (now Visma) and held various executive positions at NGA HR and Arinso. Kobe combines strategic insight with a strong focus on sustainable growth, customer success and empowering people.