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Telecom tower at sunset — mobile network infrastructure
BizzBridge Management BV — Kapellen, Belgium

COO · Operations Director
Consultant – Interim & Project Manager

Senior operations executive with a proven track record transforming large-scale Customer Operations and ICT — smoothly switching between strategic-tactical and operational-execution levels across telecoms, infrastructure, and technology sectors.

🇳🇱 Dutch — Fluent 🇫🇷 French — Fluent 🇬🇧 English — Full Professional 🇩🇪 German — Notions
Let's Talk View Track Record
35+
Years Experience
1,000+
Field Technicians Led
2,000+
Agents Transformed
600K
Households — Fibre
About
MAS Museum — Antwerp Eilandje waterfront
Antwerp — Museum aan de Stroom, Eilandje

Communicator.
Solutions-driven.
Helicopter view.

Electronics Engineer with a lifelong passion for telecommunications, utilities, energy transition, and mobility. Technology adept, early adopter, and AI promoter who firmly believes in the power of knowledge, people, and partnerships. Known as a diplomat who builds strong relationships and maintains a broad interest in HR and leadership across various industries.

Belgian citizen, based in Kapellen (Antwerp). Public speaker at local and international congresses. Passionate about hospitality, lifestyle, sailing, technology, wine, and modern art. Father of three.

TelecommunicationsNetwork Operations Contact CentresField Force Management ERP & CMMSITIL AgileP&L Management Change ManagementAI Adoption Outsourcing5G Rollout
Core Competencies
Customer & Employee Satisfaction
Team Engagement & Trusted Relationships
Cost Optimisation
Organisational (Re)design
Successful Supplier Negotiations
Change Management (ADKAR)
Data & Financial Analysis
Partner & Social Relations
Education & Certifications
Master after Master, Industrial Management — KU Leuven
1986–1987
Master, Industrial Engineering (Telecom/Electronics) — IHAM / University of Antwerp
1982–1986
ITIL Foundation · LEAN Yellow Belt (CEVORA) · PRINCE2 Foundation
Situational Leadership (Blanchard) · CLP – Center for Creative Leadership · Belgacom House of Development · Vlerick · Danish Leadership Institute
"7 Habits of Highly Effective People" (Covey) · "From Good to Gold" (Senn Delaney / Heidrick & Struggles)
Agile · Frédéric Laloux's Reinventing Organizations · Role Modelling (Unicorn, 2018)
VCA Certified – Operational Supervisors · International Radio-Telephonist of Ship Stations (ICMS)
Request Profile & CV
Fibre optic cables — Belgian telecoms infrastructure
Career

Professional Experience

Over three decades of progressive leadership across Belgium's most complex telecoms, infrastructure, and technology environments.

Unifiber (JV Proximus & Eurofiber) · 11/2023 – 11/2024
Program Manager QHSE — Independent Consultancy
Fibre deployment in Wallonia · 600,000+ households
  • Led the QHSE improvement programme — process, partnership, data management, and executive reporting
  • Managed HSE and Site Survey partnerships and steering committees
CIRCET Benelux · 08/2022 – 10/2023
Business Unit & Operations Director — Mobile Telco BU
5G implementation in Belgium — MWINGZ / Proximus / Orange
  • Led the Mobile Business Unit startup for 5G network modernisation across Belgium
  • Full P&L responsibility, growth strategy, and customer relationship management
  • Managed integration of the business unit through an acquisition
Proximus · 01/2022 – 08/2022
Cluster Lead — External Service Centers, WFM, Tooling & Trend Analysis
+1,500 employees · 2,000 agents in external partnerships
  • Overseeing Workforce Management, Tooling, and Trend Analysis (60 experts)
  • Managing external contact centre partnerships — strategy and engagement
  • Contributing to PI-planning and strategic digitalisation projects
Proximus · 07/2014 – 01/2022
Director Customer Help Centers
18 million calls/year · ~2,000 agents
  • Led Customer Help Centre serving residential and professional customers
  • Transformed contact centre into a digital-first, First Time Right, multi-skilled case-handling organisation
  • Implemented Agile in Operations and built Workforce Management & Analytics Centre of Excellence
Belgacom · 08/2010 – 06/2014
Director Customer Field Operations — Brussels Area
1,000+ field technicians · Residential & Professional Markets
  • Led Brussels Field Operations including field operations outsourcing
  • Drove process improvements and efficiency gains in customer experience
Belgacom · 06/2007 – 07/2010
Director Operational Excellence & Budget
4,500+ employees across Customer Operations
  • Led strategic roadmap post-integration of Belgacom Mobile
  • Selected and supervised Customer Operations outsourced services partners
  • Extensive social partner negotiations on union-sensitive issues
Proximus / Belgacom Mobile · 01/2004 – 05/2007
Senior Manager Core Network & IT
230 employees · IP transition
  • Established and managed Proximus Core Network & IT department
  • Led technological evolution towards IP architecture and structured release management
Belgacom Mobile · 01/2001 – 12/2003
Senior Manager Network Operations
  • Established the network operations department and implemented ITIL
  • Deployed integrated maintenance management solutions
Belgacom Mobile · 01/1994 – 12/2000
Senior Manager Network Deployment North
GSM rollout in Flanders · 160 employees
  • Led GSM network rollout across Flanders — planning, site acquisition, permits, construction, installation, commissioning
  • Initiator of the first Deployment Standards that defined mobile connectivity in Flanders
Wang Belgium & Cable Print · 08/1990 – 01/1994
Consultant ERP & CMMS Systems
  • Pre-sales and implementation for WANG ERP and CMMS solutions (MCS, FACT, MAXIMO)
  • Projects at Compaq, Libeltex, SCA Mabelpap, Cable Print — process optimisation and efficiency
5G antenna array — cellular mobile network equipment
What I Offer

Services

Flexible engagement models — from focused advisory to full interim leadership — tailored to your organisation's specific challenges and timeline.

🔗

Consultancy

Expert advisory on contact centre organisation, customer experience, telecoms network rollout, quality management, service levels, and service provider contracts.

⚙️

Interim Management

Bridging medium and long-term leadership gaps — ensuring business continuity while steering teams and organisations toward their strategic objectives.

🔄

Transformation

Bringing outside-in perspectives, breaking the status quo, and redesigning organisations to successfully navigate current and future strategic challenges.

📋

Project Management

Leading specific projects using PRINCE-inspired practices — firm focus on progress, delivery, cost control, and stakeholder management.

Discuss Your Assignment
Port of Antwerp — gantry cranes loading container ship Conti Everest
Port of Antwerp-Bruges — Europe's second largest seaport
Proven Results

Track Record

A selection of impactful assignments across telecoms, field operations, contact centres, and technology transformation.

Fibre Infrastructure · QHSE

Led a comprehensive QHSE and Quality Management improvement programme for a major fibre infrastructure provider covering 600,000 households in Wallonia.

Telecoms · AI · First Time Right

Engineered a "First Time Right" performance strategy for home connections by streamlining operations and implementing AI-driven automated installation verification.

Mobile · 5G · P&L

Built and scaled a dedicated Mobile Telecom Business Unit from scratch, managing full P&L and growth strategy for 5G deployment across Belgium.

Contact Centre · Digital Transformation

Transformed traditional call centres into agile, digital-first Customer Help Centres (18M calls/year, 2,000+ agents), boosting customer and employee satisfaction.

Workforce Management · Analytics

Built a WFM, Tooling & Trend Analysis Centre of Excellence (60 experts) while directing an external contact centre ecosystem of 2,000 agents.

Field Operations · Brussels

Oversaw 1,000+ field technicians in Brussels, driving significant improvements in service quality and operational cost control including outsourcing management.

Post-Merger Integration

Directed strategic operational excellence and budget roadmap during the critical post-merger integration of Belgacom Mobile (4,500+ employees).

IP Networking · Core Infrastructure

Managed high-level transitions to IP architecture and comprehensive setup of IT infrastructure for core networks (230-person team).

ITIL · Network Standards

Standardised network operations through the deployment of ITIL methodologies and unified maintenance frameworks across Belgacom Mobile.

GSM Rollout · Flanders

Led regional network deployment during the initial GSM rollout in Flanders (160 staff), establishing site standards that defined mobile connectivity in the region.

ERP & CMMS · Industry

Delivered complex ERP and CMMS implementation projects (WANG MCS, FACT, MAXIMO) for global industrial clients including Compaq and Libeltex.

HR · Leadership · Culture

Championed numerous organisational redesigns, HR transformations, and leadership programmes (ADKAR, Covey, Blanchard) fostering high engagement and performance.

Let's Discuss Your Challenge
Antwerp Port House by Zaha Hadid — reflected at dusk
Social Proof

What colleagues say

"

A vision often guided by exceptional insight and sequences of reasoning that always left me in admiration.

— Former colleague · Senior Management
"

Known for a brilliant memory and strong insights.

— Former colleague
"

Always came with surprising angles or unexpected reflections — a rational approach driven by passion and drive.

— Former colleague · Operations Leader
"

An inspiring leader who provided precious help in getting back into the circuit after a complicated period of my life.

— Former team member

Full references available upon request.

Open to discuss new assignments
Get in Touch →
Telecom satellite dish at golden sunset
Contact

Let's talk

Whether you need an interim manager, a strategic consultant, or a transformation partner — I'd love to hear about your challenge.

Get in touch directly

📧
Emailgerd.bogaarts@bizzbridge.be
📞
Phone+32 475 23 02 08
📍
Location Kapellen, Antwerp — Belgium
Available across Belgium and internationally
Connect on LinkedIn
BizzBridge Management BV
Kapellen, Antwerp · Belgium
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