Who are we

Annelies Costers is one of our brilliant co-founders.

Dedicated to making the world more customer-centric, Annelies combines academic depth with practical customer-driven strategies.

With a PhD from KU Leuven and teaching roles at KUL, VUB, and IESEG, Annelies shares her expertise in customer experience management across Europe. Her ability to translate complex business challenges into actionable insights, makes her an invaluable resource for companies striving to strengthen their customer retention strategies.

Annelies is a key player in our approach, combining research-backed insights with practical solutions. Have you seen her in our videos? Be warned, listening to Annelies is addictive! Whether it’s discussing service marketing or the psychology behind loyalty, she’s always eager to share her knowledge and spark engaging discussions.

Meet Anne-Sophie, a Customer Relationship Management expert and proud Française.

With an MBA and over 20 years of experience in customer service, Anne-Sophie has mastered the art of developing customer-driven strategies that lead to long-term customer retention. Having successfully managed front and back-office teams on national and international projects, she understands what it takes to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Her expertise in CRM tools and data analysis allows her to create strategies that align with both customer expectations and business goals. Passionate about customer-centric strategies, Anne-Sophie believes that a seamless, well-crafted customer journey is key to sustainable business growth.

It’s no surprise that she has joined our French-speaking KALEPA team, bringing her knowledge, energy, and strategic thinking to help businesses across borders strengthen their customer experience.

Christel Pletinckx is the COO of the KALEPA Group.

She won’t admit it, but Christel is a leading customer experience expert. Her talent lies in striking the perfect balance between business efficiency and customer satisfaction, making her a driving force behind customer-centric strategies.

As Christel puts it, "analysing the challenges organisations face in serving their customers, connecting the dots, defining an approach for continuous improvement, and adding measurement to assess impact is what excites me and after all these years, it still brings a smile to my face."

Her impressive track record includes guiding major mergers and developing customer retention strategies that help businesses optimise processes and elevate the customer experience. Whether she’s tackling strategic discussions or leading hands-on workshops, Christel brings a sharp mind, a structured approach, and an infectious enthusiasm to every project.

Dirk Frans is the CEO of the KALEPA Group.

A visionary leader in customer-centric strategies, Dirk has spent the past 40 years helping organisations, from start-ups to multinationals, design, implement, and optimise their customer experience strategies. As a seasoned customer experience expert, he understands that retaining customers requires a seamless balance between innovation and service management.

As co-founder and CEO of KALEPA Group, Dirk bridges the gap between academic research and operational execution, always striving for customer-driven strategies that enhance customer retention. With a strategic mindset and a drive for action, he continuously seeks innovative solutions to reduce churn and boost loyalty.

“Seriousness with a twist" defines Dirk, and if you’ve ever wondered who’s steering the success behind our work, look no further. Get ready, you’ll be seeing Dirk in our future videos!

Meet Ragna Frans, our Marketing Manager at The KALEPA Group.

With a unique blend of communication skills and creative vision, Ragna ensures that our message shines. Whether designing international campaigns or crafting compelling narratives, she always brings a fresh, customer-oriented perspective that enhances customer experience.

Ragna’s storytelling skills don’t just make our brand sparkle; they reinforce the importance of customer-driven strategies in marketing. From social media engagement to global brand positioning, she understands how to craft messages that strengthen customer retention.

Beyond marketing, Ragna is a talented educational entertainer, making complex ideas accessible and engaging. Curious to see her in action? Check out Technopolis’ social media, where she created and stars in videos that bring learning to life.

Meet Saskia Van Poele, a professional jack-of-all-trades with a passion for customer experience.

With a background in banking and a keen eye for finance and administration, Saskia initially joined KALEPA as a freelancer but quickly became an integral part of our training and development team.

Her mission? To enhance awareness and application of customer-centric strategies—both internally and externally. As an accredited stress and burnout coach and an Insights Discovery Licensed Practitioner, Saskia helps organizations strengthen their customer-driven strategies and create meaningful, lasting connections with their customers.

Her motto, 'Unlocking Potential,' perfectly sums up her approach. With Saskia on board, we’re taking our customer experience efforts to new heights!

Meet Vanessa De Bock, a true expert in customer care and change management.

With a background in tourism, languages, and international experience in Bulgaria and Egypt. Vanessa developed a deep passion for customer interaction. This led her to a career in contact centres, where she thrived in the financial sector for over a decade.

At KALEPA, Vanessa is currently working with Barco and Crelan, implementing customer retention strategies and guiding managers in embedding customer-centric thinking into their organisations. Whether she’s developing an international quality framework at Barco or optimising customer service structures at Crelan, Vanessa ensures that businesses adopt sustainable, customer-driven strategies that enhance both performance and experience.

Want to know what it’s like to work with her? Just take a look at the glowing recommendations on LinkedIn! With Vanessa on board, you’re guaranteed a blend of expertise, strategic insight, and a truly customer-focused approach.

We would like to introduce you to Yves Van Vaerenbergh, co-founder of The KALEPA Group! Yves is our mastermind when it comes to strategy, or analytics. He also has a PhD in applied economics. With a resume like that, you can't help but share your work with the world. Yves' work has been published in leading journals, and he has won several awards, including the 2022 Emerging Service Scholar Award from the American Marketing Association.

And that's not all! Yves has developed one of Europe's first Masters programmes in Customer Experience Management, helping to shape the next generation of leaders in the field. All thanks to his passion for turning academic insights into practical customer-driven strategies.

A great gentleman who knows what he is talking about. Fortunately, we also share Yves with the world. So you can always turn to him for inspiring keynotes. We can promise you it will be interesting and impactful for your customer retention efforts.