Nicolas Vandel - Business Partner

Q: Where is Nicolas based?

Nicolas is based in Brussels, Belgium .

Q: What languages does Nicolas speak?

Nicolas speaks the following languages: French (Native), Dutch (Intermediate), English (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Nicolas have?

Nicolas has at least 17 years of experience. During this time, Nicolas has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 10 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 9 months . Note that Nicolas may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Nicolas's latest experience?

Nicolas's most recent position is Operating Partner at Bright Cyde .

Q: What companies has Nicolas worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Nicolas has worked for Bright Cyde , The Field , and Morning Blue .

Q: Which industries is Nicolas most experienced in?

Nicolas is most experienced in industries like Professional Services , Information Technology (IT) , and Retail . Nicolas also has some experience in Construction , Tourism and Hospitality , and Real Estate .

Q: Which business areas is Nicolas most experienced in?

Nicolas is most experienced in business areas like Product Development , Operations , and Sales . Nicolas also has some experience in Strategy and Planning , Business Intelligence , and Marketing .

Q: Which industries has Nicolas worked in recently?

Nicolas has recently worked in industries like Information Technology (IT) and Professional Services .

Q: Which business areas has Nicolas worked in recently?

Nicolas has recently worked in business areas like Product Development , Operations , and Customer Service .

Recommended expert

Brussels, Belgium

Experience

Apr 2024 - Feb 2025

11 months

Lille, France

Operating Partner

Bright Cyde

Designed and implemented operational frameworks for venture launch and excubation, set up OKR and the KPIs linked.
Structured the go-to-market roadmap and secured early traction with pilot clients.
Led recruitment strategy, including hiring the CEO and assembling the venture team.
Acted as player-coach and strategic advisor to the CEO, ensuring operational continuity.

Mar 2023 - Apr 2025

2 years 2 months

Lille, France

Venture Builder

The Field

Improved and led a structured venture pipeline, reducing time-to-incubation by 30%.
Identified 15 venture opportunities (AI, Sustainability, Cybersecurity, HR, Circularity).
Piloted the launch of 3 MVPs: experimentation, user testing, and business model validation.
Implemented stage-gate decision-making and automation tools to monitor venture pipeline health.
Recruited, coached, and managed operational founding teams for post-launch autonomy.

Jul 2019 - Dec 2022

3 years 6 months

Brussels, Belgium

Chief Executive Officer

Morning Blue

Scaled operations from idea to €500K ARR in 18 months.
Standardized client onboarding workflows and automated internal processes.
Built and managed a cross-functional team across tech, customer service, and compliance.
Achieved 95% customer satisfaction, improving NPS to 9+.
Secured €1M+ in private funding and led successful acquisition (exit to Legacio).

Apr 2018 - Jul 2019

1 year 4 months

Brussels, Belgium

Head of Business Development

Immoweb

Managed a team of business line managers across multiple verticals.
Contributed to strategic roadmap and sales process optimization.
Improved market penetration by 5% with new B2B outreach model.

Oct 2017 - Mar 2018

6 months

Montreal, Canada

Interim Chief Operating Officer

Ubios

Reorganized workflows and resource allocation to support product deployment.
Managed 3 projects with a combined budget of CAD 2.5M.
Participated in the first cohort of the Hartford (CT) InsurTech Accelerator by StartupBootCamp.

Jun 2015 - Sep 2017

2 years 4 months

Montreal, Canada

VP Business Development

SmartReno

Built partnerships reducing CAC by 40% and expanded client base by 30%.
Scaled user acquisition by 45% in 6 months through new marketing structures.
Produced dashboards and reporting tools to improve decision-making.
Coordinated acquisition and integration of a key competitor.

Sep 2013 - Sep 2015

2 years 1 month

Paris, France

Business Unit Director

Groupe Pratique

Increased lead generation by 60% via digital optimization.
Built partnerships with major brands in home improvement.
Improved contractor conversion by 30% with data-driven CRM redesign.

Mar 2012 - Aug 2013

1 year 6 months

Paris, France

Chief Executive Officer

Best Of Artisans

Reduced operational costs by 60% through process optimization.
Created new revenue streams, growing business by 40%.
Increased valuation by 30% and led successful acquisition.

Oct 2010 - Mar 2012

1 year 6 months

Paris, France

Business Unit Manager

Keltravo

Launched new product line generating €1M annual revenue.
Managed 20-person team and P&L reporting.

Oct 2007 - Oct 2010

3 years 1 month

Paris, France

Founder & Project Manager

Liv’Com

Delivered projects for 60+ clients, including top-tier agencies.
Managed 15-person team across multiple projects.

Industries Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time. Longer bars indicate deeper hands-on experience, while shorter ones reflect targeted or project-based work.

Experienced in Professional Services (5 years), Information Technology (4 years), Retail (3.5 years), Construction (2.5 years), Real Estate (1.5 years), and Tourism (1.5 years).

Professional Services

Information Technology

Retail

Construction

Real Estate

Tourism

Business Areas Experience

The graph below provides a cumulative view of the freelancer's experience across multiple business areas, calculated from completed and active engagements. It highlights the areas where the freelancer has most frequently contributed to planning, execution, and delivery of business outcomes.

Experienced in Product Development (7.5 years), Operations (6 years), Sales (5.5 years), Strategy (5 years), Business Intelligence (4 years), and Marketing (4 years).

Product Development

Operations

Sales

Strategy

Business Intelligence

Marketing

Summary

Entrepreneurial operations leader with 15+ years of experience scaling SaaS and marketplace businesses across Europe and North America. I’ve built and led cross-functional teams through rapid growth phases, aligning strategy, operations, and financial performance to deliver measurable impact. After supporting ventures as a builder and advisor, I now want to bring my hands-on leadership back to a scaling SaaS company, driving operational excellence, optimizing budgets, and ensuring teams execute with clarity and accountability. My strength lies in translating ambition into execution: structuring organizations, improving decision-making through data, and building the operational backbone that enables sustainable, profitable growth.

Skills

Operational Leadership
Business Performance
P&l & Budget Optimization
Strategic & Financial Planning
Cross-functional Execution
Go-to-market Alignment
Organizational Design
Data-driven Process Improvement
Change Management
Team Building & Leadership
Saas Growth Operations

Languages

French

Native

Dutch

Intermediate

English

Elementary

Education

Pantheon-Sorbonne

Master of economics and management · economics and management · Paris, France

Lycée Libre de Juilly

Baccalauréat, Economics & Social Sciences · Economics & Social Sciences · Juilly, France

Profile

Created

November 2025

Last Update

February 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Nicolas based?

Nicolas is based in Brussels, Belgium.

What languages does Nicolas speak?

Nicolas speaks the following languages: French (Native), Dutch (Intermediate), English (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Nicolas have?

Nicolas has at least 17 years of experience. During this time, Nicolas has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 10 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 9 months. Note that Nicolas may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Nicolas be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Nicolas would be well-suited for roles such as: Operating Partner, Venture Builder, Chief Executive Officer.

What is Nicolas's latest experience?

Nicolas's most recent position is Operating Partner at Bright Cyde.

What companies has Nicolas worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Nicolas has worked for Bright Cyde, The Field, and Morning Blue.

Which industries is Nicolas most experienced in?

Nicolas is most experienced in industries like Professional Services, Information Technology (IT), and Retail. Nicolas also has some experience in Construction, Tourism and Hospitality, and Real Estate.

Which business areas is Nicolas most experienced in?

Nicolas is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Operations, and Sales. Nicolas also has some experience in Strategy and Planning, Business Intelligence, and Marketing.

Which industries has Nicolas worked in recently?

Nicolas has recently worked in industries like Information Technology (IT) and Professional Services.

Which business areas has Nicolas worked in recently?

Nicolas has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Operations, and Customer Service.

What is Nicolas's education?

Nicolas holds a Master in economics and management from Pantheon-Sorbonne.

What is the availability of Nicolas?

Nicolas is immediately available for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Nicolas?

Nicolas's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.