Portrait: Tom De Decker

Interview with Tom De Decker

Chief Operating Officer

Tom De Decker is responsible for the internal operational management, i.e. for the practical realisation of the objectives and the implementation of the strategies determined under the leadership of the CEO and the Board of Directors. In addition to his core tasks, he wears many other hats, supported by the team leaders reporting to him. These activities include the management of major internal projects such as HR policies or getting the company ready for ISO9001 certification. His experience and expertise are also called upon for large-scale customer projects and escalations in conflict situations.

In the right place at the right time

“After my secondary education, I had absolutely no idea of what I wanted to do professionally. A friend decided to study applied computer science and I just followed his lead,” Tom laughs. “After working in Brussels for 2 years, I regularly bumped in a bar into elated employees of Aucxis who would tighten the collegial bonds on Friday evenings with a snack and especially drinks. I could see myself being part of that team and applied for a job. On 1 December 1999, on the eve of the millennium madness, I started working at Aucxis as a software developer at the age of 22.”

In the years that followed, Tom built out a splendid career, which evolved from project manager to account manager and then to coach of the software team and all technical departments. Since 2015, he has been COO and member of the management team. Analytically minded, he nuances his success as follows: “I am by nature someone who pulls, who goes for it, but you also have to get opportunities and be lucky, in other words to be in the right place at the right time.”

A successful and profitable company where people are happy

It goes without saying that Tom does not owe his position as COO solely to getting opportunities and being lucky! Beyond the technical and operational know-how he has built up during his time at Aucxis, he has the competence of people-oriented leadership. In a stimulating way, he gives direction and guidance to employees, taking into account their individual wishes, their strengths and weaknesses. “Aucxis is a club of motivated people and it is my conviction that we should put all our efforts into this crucial keystone”, he specifies. “We want to be a successful and profitable company where people are happy. I fully agree with the statement – take care of your employees and they will take care of your customers. But customers can sometimes be demanding and things can also go wrong internally. I have since learnt that making everyone happy is not always possible. It is balancing on a tightrope. For me, making the right decisions at the right times is the main challenge of the job.”