Gerd Bellemans

The human resource manager of TVH - Group Thermote & Vanhalst beat five others to win the "HR Manager of the Year" award jointly given by information and communications technology organisation Rhesus and human resource journal HR Tribune.

Gerd Bellemans, TVH Group's HR manager since 1999, heads a team of 15 colleagues.

Bellemans says he supports the coaching path developed by the company. Each HR employee is responsible for a specific TVH Group department and works with the department head.

Under Bellemans' leadership, TVH Group's employees are encouraged to focus on their strengths. They are guided by the five D's: dromen, denken, durwen, doen and doorzetten (Dutch for dreaming, thinking, daring, doing and persevering).

Employees are provided with counselling support and are motivated to translate their "dreams into deeds".

Department heads or managers are seen as the "true" HR managers as they are in close proximity to the employees and are encouraged to keep in close contact with them.

The HR team has expanded its network with stakeholders over the years. They have participated in teachers' training days, hosted lectures at KATHO West-Flanders, the largest high school in West-Flanders, and joined debates about diversity and enterprise survival. TVH is also a member of associations like networking organisation VOKA, participating in its initiative to encourage the recruitment of over-50s, business leaders' organisation VKW and training institute Syntra.