Vlerick’s Social Profit Grant: Empowering Plan International Belgium to make efficiencies

Gaëtan Pietquin is the Finance & Organisation Director of Plan International Belgium. Throughout his career he’s worked in the field, managing financial planning and budgeting for missions to countries including South Sudan, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He’s an expert in niche areas of charitable accounting and reporting. But when he returned to Belgium after many years of working overseas, he felt he needed to broaden his understanding of up-to-date, corporate accounting practices.

He says: “I had learned a lot in the field, but I wanted to consolidate my knowledge and update it. I wanted to be better at forecasting. I wanted to be able to put in more accurate KPIs for profitability, liquidity and solvency. I also wanted to challenge myself.”

Applying for the Social Profit Grant

He said: “I could see the perfect programme at Vlerick – the Executive Master Class in Corporate Finance. I was intrigued and thought it would allow me to update my knowledge.”

Inspired, Gaëtan contacted Vlerick, but quickly realised the programme fees would be out of the reach of his organisation.

He says: “At Plan International, we each have a training allowance of €500 a year. So I told Vlerick I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Just a few days later, however, he got a call. Gaëtan says: “It was Vlerick, asking me if I wanted to apply for the Social Profit Grant. The advisor explained how to go about it – and it was quite straightforward. Then I heard a few days before the programme started that I had got the grant.”

Inspiring, energising experience

The programme fit in around Gaëtan’s work schedule. Every few weeks, he would spend a couple of days on campus. He says: “It’s inspiring that Vlerick offers this grant. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to take the programme without it.

“But when you spend time on the campus, you see that Vlerick is a very inspiring place in other ways too. It’s very friendly, open and warm – it’s energising.

“And the way you learn isn’t just sitting in a lecture theatre. It’s very practical – and the professors are interested in you and your organisation. They want you to succeed.”

Making a difference

The grant is one of the many ways that Vlerick helps professionals to use business as a force for good. It’s used to cover the costs of one participant from a not-for-profit organisation, on each of our programme editions.

And Gaëtan believes it will help him to introduce efficiencies at Plan International. He says: “Last year, we had revenues of €20m. This funding comes from a range of sources, including institutional donors. And of course, we must respect regulation. Throughout my career, I’ve become a specialist in this kind of compliance. However, this deep focus meant that I didn’t know some of the broader concepts of corporate accounting.

“It is early days, but I can already see opportunities to be able to better manage finances and operational costs using the tools and approaches we’ve learned. I can see ways to link fundraising and marketing more strategically to P&L. I now have frameworks for better managing cashflow – and I’ve learned ways to build in greater resilience.

“Introducing efficiencies and greater transparency will help us to build greater trust with donors and to be in a better position to secure long-term funding.

“The programme has allowed me to consolidate my experiences in the field with cutting-edge accountancy knowledge and practice. My approach and mindset is now even more professional and strategic – and I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without the grant.”

Want to find out more about our Social Profit Grant?

You can find out about the social profit grant here. And if you’d like to apply for it, remember that you must do so at least four weeks before the start of a short-term programme – and eight weeks before the start of a long-term programme.