Nicolas Bearelle: “Sustainability in how we treat each other and the world is in our DNA”
Nicolas Bearelle, CEO of Revive, joined Jo De Wolf for a walk “beyond the meeting table” at Vosselare Put—a location between Deinze and Sint-Martens-Latem that he hadn’t visited in 20 years. It brought back memories of his carefree childhood and youth. “I never dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, but I’m glad I’ve achieved certain things. Somewhat to my own surprise, I’ve realized that I’m a hard worker out of a sense of responsibility to my employees, even though in my younger years I was carefree and nonchalant.”
Nostalgia for Carefree Days
The choice of location for the walk wasn’t random. “My scouting totem was ‘carefree wolf.’ That carefree attitude from 20 years ago, when I lay here in my swimming trunks staring at the blue sky, is something I miss today. I’m still very aware that life is about more than just work, which is why I love to travel. But still, I’m constantly occupied with the business, day and night.”
Twenty years ago, Nicolas Bearelle couldn’t have imagined leading a company with 65 employees. “It’s crazy how things turned out. My life took an unexpected turn. I don’t think any of my high school friends would have predicted I’d become a business leader. But I couldn’t be happier than I am now. Approaching entrepreneurship passionately while also seeing it as fun is incredibly fulfilling. The only thing I miss because of the pandemic is traveling. Unlike many people, I actually enjoy being on a plane. But otherwise, every day is a joy, especially since my wife and I, after her cancer, realize how quickly life can end.”
Unique DNA
Nicolas Bearelle’s words reveal a grounded personality. While deeply engaged in his work, he doesn’t take himself too seriously. “That carefree spirit from my youth hasn’t completely disappeared. But I now feel a strong sense of responsibility for our employees and their families. That’s why the business must keep running. Still, I’ve always been somewhat of an outsider. I studied architecture but didn’t complete my internship because, in my final year, I became fascinated by the financial world, with IPOs like Lernout & Hauspie. In 1999, I did an MBA at Vlerick, but I had a very atypical profile there as well.
Nearly a quarter-century later, Revive is firmly established, largely thanks to our unique DNA, where everything revolves around sustainability. When we started in 2008, sustainability wasn’t as prominent as it is now. In Flanders, where suburban developments were prioritized, returns were the main focus. But I could never have run a conventional construction company. From the start, our recycling strategy was clear. That’s what we wanted to do. Now, the entire construction industry has jumped on this bandwagon—partly because it’s unavoidable—but since sustainability is genuinely in our DNA, I believe we still have an edge over our competitors.”
Pulling Together
The success of Revive is not solely Nicolas Bearelle’s doing. “I think I can say that I’m very good at delegating. For instance, I rarely, if ever, read contracts because I know our legal department is top-notch. I don’t see what I could add to their expertise. The great strength of our company is that all our employees have sustainability ingrained in their mindset. Working toward the same goal happens almost automatically. As a result, we can work very efficiently in a short time. With this dynamic, there’s no need to work 70 or 80 hours a week to achieve results.
A significant advantage is that my wife also works in the company. According to Harvard Business Review, it’s absolutely a no-go for couples to work together, but we’ve happily ignored that unwritten rule. She has a sixth sense for noticing when something is off with employees in their personal lives. At our company, people are given space to address these issues so that they don’t negatively impact the team.
My personal strength, I believe, is that I can take action when things get tough or obstacles arise. In such moments, I get wings, fueled by a sense of responsibility, to keep doing what we do: making complex things less complicated. Keeping things simple is our mantra. This is even reflected in how we dress. Just because someone wears a suit and tie or a stylish outfit doesn’t mean they’ll do their job better.
Our simplicity, embedded in our DNA, also means we’re less swayed by hypes. Yes, even we’ve fallen for the idea of mapping out every process to increase efficiency. But experience has taught me that such projects often end up in a drawer halfway through—and the business keeps running smoothly regardless. Of course, we’re not a company with 1,000 employees, where such systems might be more necessary. In the meantime, we continue to enjoy maintaining our no-nonsense approach.”
