ESSEC Alumni in Belgium: “This Is a Very Open Country in Many Ways”

Belgium is home to around 300 alumni. Alexandre Priarollo (IMHI 96), President of ESSEC Alumni’s Belgium Chapter, tells us more about the local community – and the services he offers to them.

ESSEC Alumni: What may strike a foreigner as specific to Belgium?

Alexandre Priarollo: Belgium is a very open country in many ways. First, people here are used to building consensus: they will talk through a subject until everybody is happy before moving forward. Second, Brussels is one of the most cosmopolitan towns in the planet, and has plenty to offer in terms of culture. Also, it is a nice place to live, with a good balance between home and work life. 

EA: What are the profiles and backgrounds of our alumni in Belgium? 

A. Priarollo: As far as I am aware, there are around 300 alumni in Belgium, mostly in Brussels. The vast majority are expats. The profiles and backgrounds are extremely diverse, but there is a clear division: those who work in the private sector, who tend to evolve in Finance and Marketing, and those who work for governments or para-governmental organisations such as the European Union, the European Parliament, or NATO, among others.

EA: What opportunities are there for our alumni in Belgium?

A. Priarollo: Being in the European Union, the opportunities are the same for locals and expats. One particularity of the job market in Belgium is that language skills are important because there are three official languages: Dutch, French and German. Most employers search people who speak English and either Dutch or French.

EA: What advice do you have for our alumni moving in Belgium?

A. Priarollo: There is a wealth of information available on the Belgium.be website, which is maintained by the Belgium government, covering all the legal and “how-to” for people moving in.

EA: What are the offer and services of ESSEC Alumni’s Belgium Chapter?

A. Priarollo: We organise events every two or three months, including afterworks with other French schools and universities, such as HEC, EM-Lyon, Central, ESCP, Dauphine, etc. We are also in contact with the French Embassy and Chamber of Commerce. Our next event will be a conference about Artificial Intelligence at the French Embassy on 26 June. 

EA: Why did you become the Belgium Chapter’s President?

A. Priarollo: I have been active in the alumni network since 2006. I enjoy being involved because I get to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds, working in various fields.

EA: Who are the members of your team? 

A. Priarollo: I am very fortunate to be able to count on Ghislaine Jan (E10) and Theany Bazet (MBA 18) to help me with whatever needs to be done for the chapter!

Interview by Veary Ngy, International Community Manager at ESSEC Alumni, and Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), Content Manager at ESSEC Alumni 

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