“Change management is more important than ever”

Interview with Erwin Saelens, HR Director at CMS

Erwin Saelens has been active as an HR leader in the legal profession for over ten years. At CMS, he sees it as his mission to prepare the firm for the future. Not by maintaining the status quo, but by steering change deliberately. “I see myself as a change manager,” he says.

Legal profession, enterprise

“The legal profession is traditionally a conventional professional group, but CMS is also simply a business. This reality calls for different choices, especially in HR. For example, we actively focus on broader utilization of people and increasingly use data to create development opportunities.”

Agility in a partnership structure

“The biggest challenge? Keeping all the frogs in the wheelbarrow. In a partnership structure, you simply have many more stakeholders. This requires coordination, communication, and timing. But the beauty is, when it works, it is always a team effort.”

Honest about ambition

Erwin stresses the importance of transparency, even when it comes to growth opportunities. “Not everyone needs to become a partner, and that's okay. The point is that you, as an employee, know where you stand. Being honest, even when growth is no longer possible, creates calm and mutual respect.”

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