Jelene Verbruggen

3rd Generation & Head of Production at ArtStone

Young Leader, Edition 2026

The Third Generation.

Jelene Verbruggen is 30 and lives in Puurs-Sint-Amands. Together with her brothers Joren and Ruben, she is part of the third generation of ArtStone, the family business where she is responsible for the production of concrete paving stones. Ask her to describe herself and she keeps it simple: a determined go-getter, usually in a good mood and more often than not the one organising the next get-together. Underneath that energy sits a belief she carries with her every day. The happiness you give to others somehow finds its way back to you.

"Strenght is staying true"

Working in a male dominated environment, Jelene first thought she had to be tough and hide her emotions to earn respect. Over time she discovered the opposite. Being open and staying true to herself earned her far more respect than a hard exterior ever could. That openness shapes the way she works today. She gets her energy from organising and thinking ahead and from building the kind of structures that help people grow. What makes it even more rewarding is looking at her team in the factory. She sees them take pride in what they make together and pull together when things get tough.

"A fair chance for everyone"

For Jelene, positive impact means helping people grow and reminding ourselves to enjoy the little moments of happiness along the way. She believes everyone has value and deserves a fair chance. That conviction was confirmed once again when she hired a deaf Ukrainian colleague of 57. Despite the communication barrier, he turned out to be one of her best hires. For her it is proof that the right person is not always the most obvious choice.

"Leading through trust"

Through her mentoring journey with YL-IM, Jelene wants to grow from someone who is very hands on into a leader who inspires people and gives them direction. For her that means micromanaging less and trusting more, learning to let go without losing sight of the bigger picture. Her Inspiring Mentor Bart Sap challenges her to step out of the operational day to day, to think strategically and to dare to pursue opportunities. Their monthly meetings have become a personal deadline. Each time, she wants to come back having made progress on what they discussed. What inspires her most is how Bart combines intelligence and ambition with a calm, down to earth and approachable personality.