Ilse Himpe

• Over 20 years of working experience in publicly traded US companies in general, sales and people management
• Empathic, genuine, positive and approachable manager, giving enough freedom and a lot of support to team members
• No-nonsense approach, can-do attitude, humor, drive, passion for people, professionalism, proactivity and persuasion

Unique Ilse

When not working, one can find Ilse practicing yin yoga, playing tennis, visiting art galleries, wining and dining with friends, and traveling in South-East Asia. Reading also takes up much of her spare time. She has just finished Warren Ellis' 'Nina Simone's gum' and started reading Carlo Rovelli's 'There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness.' Ilse likes to learn and has a thing for languages and Sweden. With a friend, she took on the challenge to learn a Scandinavian language, so now she is studying Swedish. It's funny that outside of Belgium, her regional dialect is interpreted as Swedish.

Ilse is driven by "making a difference by being authentic." Authentic and passionate people inspire her. Steve Jobs' "Stay hungry and stay foolish" is the motto Ilse lives by. Always remain energetic, passionate, and curious in growing modus, and remember to have fun because a day without laughter is a day not lived.

Young Ilse, she'd advise: "Be mild; it doesn't all have to be so perfect. Above all, enjoy life. Trust your gut because your intuition is always right."

Why she wants to mentor, Ilse answers that everyone has doubts and questions regardless of position, role, or level; organizations do not pick up on this enough. It's essential to have someone who walks with you and guides you. A good mentor is empathic and thorough, a good listener and questioner, and has the best intentions. Ilse has purposely sought out inspiring people around her whom she could learn from, especially in the early years of her career. "Everyone should have a mentor, offering different perspectives," Ilse concludes.