Meet Nikolas Van Paemel

Nikolas worked in the graphic sector for twenty-five years before making the switch to retail. First, he worked in a design lighting store, then as the manager of the Flamant showroom in Sint-Martens-Latem. It was a nice job with a great team. However, after being intrigued twice in a short period by a job advertisement from AQUALEX, and with his wife also bringing it to his attention, he followed his gut feeling and applied to AQUALEX.

Gut Feeling First

Looking back, we can perfectly understand Nikolas's decision. He gets to run a beautifully designed store in a young, cool company with an ecological design product—all in his favorite city, Knokke, where he used to go out during his student years and where he has built a wide circle of friends over the years.

What excited him most was the innovative nature of the job. “We had to start from scratch with a totally new concept—a combination of an art gallery and a showroom,” says Nikolas. “That’s an adventure, and it’s fun to be part of it from the beginning. It gives you the chance to leave your mark.”

Directing an Enriching Experience

Nikolas forms a tandem with Lieselot Vandecappelle. As the Art Curator, she manages the art collection, while he runs the store. He leads the team and directs the AQUALEX Concept Store experience. From the moment visitors enter to the final conversation about AQUALEX, every amigeau knows how to guide visitors through a pleasant experience built up in different phases.

Maturity and Ambiance

Do you need sales experience to work in the Concept Store? “No,” says Nikolas. “AQUALEX provides extensive sales training. But we do look for colleagues who enjoy interacting with people and are eager to learn quickly.”

Typically AQUALEX

Moreover, AQUALEX takes initiatives to enhance the ambiance within the team and make the work a bit more exciting. For example, there’s a board game with a points system. The more you inform visitors, the more points you score, and the more prizes you win, such as headphones, T-shirts, jackets, and tablets. This is not meant to increase competition but to motivate them to achieve predetermined goals together. “That’s typically AQUALEX,” says Nikolas. “That extra touch, that fun aspect that makes it so much more interesting.”

Trust Motivates

AQUALEX is Nikolas's eighth employer. Of all the jobs he has had so far, this one gives him the most satisfaction. “This concept store is a massive investment for AQUALEX. You would think that Alexander is looking over my shoulder. But the opposite is true. He gives me immense trust and provides me with the necessary resources to motivate the team. It’s the perfect motivation to go for it 7/7 and make the concept store a success story.”

Nikolas Personally

• Nikolas lives in Sint-Kruis, a suburb of Bruges. He is married and has two children. His wife works as the Group People & Culture Director at an international veterinary company, Animalcare Group. His son, 20, studies dentistry at UGent, and his daughter, who just turned 18, will start her psychology studies at UGent this year.
• He plays golf in Damme. Or rather: he played, because when COVID broke out, he had to put his new hobby on hold. He hopes to pick up the game again soon, alongside his son, whom he claims he can no longer keep up with.
• Nikolas is a motorcycle enthusiast and regularly undertakes international off-road trips with friends. They have already explored the Pyrenees, Romania, Poland, and, four years ago, Ukraine.
• His favorite place on Earth, besides Knokke, is Agay, a seaside resort in the south of France, not far from Saint-Raphaël. From the apartment where he stays, he has a stunning view of the sea, while the wild nature stretches out behind him. It’s an idyllic place where his family has an emotional bond and where he can completely relax.
• Culinary Preferences: His favorite pastry is a chocolate croissant with cream; he prefers his steak with archiduc sauce; and he likes mayonnaise on his fries. Speaking of fries: recently, he ended an evening of Champions League football at his son’s apartment by grabbing a pack of fries at De Gouden Saté, the legendary fry shop of the equally legendary Julien in Overpoort, Ghent.