The global learning and development landscape has experienced a profound evolution over the past decade. What was once centered on traditional classrooms, fixed methodologies, and one-size-fits-all programs has shifted toward flexible, human-centric, and technology-enhanced experiences. Today’s organisations seek training that is not only practical and relevant but deeply transformative. Yet this transformation has not come without complexity. The surge of online learning platforms, remote work, and AI-driven solutions has brought innovation, but also new challenges in quality, engagement, and measurable impact.
Amid this changing environment, Marie Vandenberghe stands as the CEO and Founder of Quality Training Belgium, one of Europe’s most respected and fast-growing learning and development ecosystems. With more than a decade of hands-on experience as a trainer, coach, and training manager before founding the company, Marie has positioned Quality Training as an organisation that blends human warmth with professional rigor, innovation with stability, and training excellence with a clear sense of social responsibility. Her philosophy is both simple and transformative: training only matters if it truly improves people’s lives and strengthens the organisations they serve.
Redefining Corporate Learning Through Empathy, Purpose, and Global Reach
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin
This timeless quote plays like a quiet anthem behind the life and work of Marie Vandenberghe, CEO of Quality Training Belgium. In a world shaped by rapid digital acceleration, shifting workplace dynamics, and a constant need for human adaptability, Marie has built an organization that stays anchored to one powerful belief: Training is only meaningful when it transforms people.
For 17 years, she has reimagined what corporate learning can feel like: empathetic, relevant, agile, and human. From the early days of personally conducting every training session to now leading a global team of 45 specialist trainers, Marie’s journey is a testament to vision, resilience, and deep purpose. Her company’s reach extends far beyond meeting rooms and digital classrooms; it touches villages in Africa, doctors in remote regions, employees on the brink of burnout, and children whose education she helps make possible. This is the story of a leader who built a business not simply to train people, but to elevate them.
Where It All Began: A Trainer With a Vision
The idea for Quality Training Belgium was not born in a boardroom or during a strategy retreat; it emerged from lived experience, from passion, and from a desire to do better.
For nearly a decade, Marie Vandenberghe worked as a trainer and later as training manager in a multinational organisation. During those formative years, she observed something crucial: Training succeeds only when humans feel seen, heard, and supported.
So in 2008, driven by a clear set of values – Humanity, Agility, and Impact, she stepped into entrepreneurship. “I wanted to create a company driven by my own values,” she explains. “Humanity, because the success of training depends on relationships, listening, and motivation. Agility, because businesses evolve rapidly, and training must follow. And humanity again because I wanted our work to contribute to a better world.”
These principles became the DNA of Quality Training Belgium. Not slogans. Not marketing lines. But operating truths. Marie’s conviction was simple yet bold: If training doesn’t transform people and organisations, it has no purpose.
| Origins of a Visionary Learning Ecosystem | |
|---|---|
| Aspect | Detail |
| Early Career | Trainer to Training Manager in multinational organisations |
| Insight | Training succeeds only when people feel seen, heard, and supported |
| Reason for Founding | To build a values-driven, human-focused training company |
| Founding Values | Humanity, Agility, Impact (operating truths, not slogans) |
The Early Struggles: Building Legitimacy and Letting Go
Like every great entrepreneurial story, Marie Vandenberghe’s journey had defining challenges.
In the beginning, she was everything: trainer, manager, salesperson, administrator. As demand grew, she faced a difficult truth: She had to release what she loved most, training itself, to focus on building and scaling the organization. Marie says, “It was hard, I loved being the one delivering the training. But I couldn’t be everywhere at once.”
Delegation became not only a strategy, but a personal evolution. Today, Quality Training works with 45 expert trainers, each selected and trained to uphold the same values and instructional rigor that she built the company. Another challenge was legitimacy. In a market saturated with training providers, standing out required resilience, clarity, and unshakeable self-belief. “Self-confidence and conviction are essential. You have to trust your path and enjoy the process even in the difficult moments,” she reflects. These challenges, rather than slowing her down, sharpened her leadership. They built the foundations of the trusted brand Quality Training is today.
Riding the Wave of Change- Trends Shaping Learning in 2026
The training industry has never been more dynamic or more demanding. With the rise of remote work, digital collaboration, wellbeing challenges, and artificial intelligence, organizations are under constant pressure to upskill and reskill their employees. Marie Vandenberghe navigates this landscape with a philosophy rooted in balance: Innovation and stability must coexist.
Her approach is refreshingly pragmatic:
- Listen to HR Directors and Learning & Development Managers.
- Identify real and evolving needs.
- Innovate with purpose, not trend-chasing.
- Expand topics carefully while preserving the company’s core identity.
- Integrate new technologies without losing the human essence.
“One thing that sets us apart is our commitment to personalization and measurable impact,” Marie emphasizes. “Training must translate into real performance.” At Quality Training, participants don’t just learn, they apply, practice, and implement. The programs are tailored to the culture, goals, and DNA of each client. The approach is experiential and hands-on, designed to deliver tangible business outcomes. In a world overwhelmed by information, Marie’s focus is on transformation.
Speaking, Publishing, and Leading Conversations That Matter
Marie Vandenberghe doesn’t just build training programs; she shapes the mindset of the industry. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when organisations struggled to maintain cohesion and manage remote teams, she delivered a landmark keynote at the HR Leadership Summit 2022 alongside the HR Director of a major American corporation.
Quality Training also hosts monthly webinars on topics ranging from:
- Effective remote training
- Nonviolent communication
- Using AI in business
- Emotional intelligence
- Team cohesion and performance
Thought leadership is embedded in the company’s culture. Articles, insights, and multimedia content flow regularly, offering leaders practical guidance in a world where every month brings new workplace realities. Through these initiatives, Marie has emerged as a trusted voice for HR, L&D, and CEOs across industries.
| Thought Leadership that Shapes the L&D Dialogue | |
|---|---|
| Initiative | Description |
| Keynotes | HR Leadership Summit 2022 and other major platforms |
| Monthly Webinars | Remote training, NVC, AI in business, team performance |
| Industry Influence | Practical guidance for HR, L&D, and executive leaders |
| Content Creation | Articles, insights, multimedia learning resources |
A Legacy of Recognition: Awards and Accreditations
Quality Training’s excellence is not self-proclaimed; it is validated by years of external recognition.
- Four-time HR Excellence Award Winner
- Nominated again in 2026 for Best Learning & Development Company
- Holder of the respected QFor Accreditation
QFor certification guarantees adherence to rigorous quality standards and is recognized across Europe as a benchmark of service excellence. These recognitions speak to Marie’s uncompromising approach: quality is non-negotiable.
Transforming Lives: Stories That Illuminate Impact
Beyond awards and business growth, it is the human stories that best reveal Marie’s influence.
1. Empowering Doctors Without Borders in Central Africa
Teams struggling with basic office software gained independence and efficiency after training with Quality Training. The impact was immediate and life-changing.
2. Restoring Harmony in a Pharmaceutical Company
A client facing intense stress and interpersonal conflict turned to Quality Training. Through coaching and emotional management programs, serenity was restored. Productivity followed.
3. Preventing Burnout in a Major Insurance Company
Employees overwhelmed by constant digital connection learned to disconnect, rebalance, and protect their well-being. The results were so transformative that the program is now part of the company’s onboarding. These are not just training outcomes, as they are stories of reclaimed confidence, improved health, and rebuilding teams.
Global Partnerships and the Future of Learning
Quality Training has grown far beyond its European roots, now serving multinational clients and delivering programs across the world, both in person and online. Major organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Viatris Pharma, IDDI Pharma, and Texaf in Africa trust the company to develop their teams across continents. As it looks to the future, Quality Training is preparing to integrate AI-driven tools that enhance personalization, adaptive learning, and real-time insights while ensuring that human connection remains at the core of every program. This balanced, forward-looking approach positions Quality Training as a pioneer in the next era of modern learning.
A Culture Rooted in Respect, Trust, and Collaboration
Marie Vandenberghe’s leadership philosophy is anchored in a deeply human belief: people perform at their highest potential when they feel valued, heard, and supported. This conviction shapes the culture she has built at Quality Training, where emotional intelligence and genuine connection are considered essential to organisational success. Her approach goes beyond standard management practices, emphasizing the importance of creating an environment where individuals feel safe to express themselves and confident in their contributions.
Within the organisation, this philosophy becomes tangible through open communication, shared responsibility, and the celebration of collective achievements. Team members are empowered with autonomy in decision-making, enabling them to take ownership of their work and grow with confidence. Most importantly, the company’s values are lived daily, not as posters on a wall but as guiding principles in every interaction. This consistent practice of respect, trust, and authenticity cultivates a culture where people thrive, and excellence becomes a natural outcome.
She leads not through control, but through example. Her mantra is simple: Respect inspires respect. Trust builds trust. Care creates excellence.
| A Culture Built on Respect, Trust & Collaboration | |
|---|---|
| Cultural Pillar | Practice |
| Communication | Open, transparent discussions |
| Ownership | Shared responsibility across teams |
| Autonomy | Empowered decision-making |
| Values in Action | Daily practice of humanity, respect, and trust |
Humanitarian Impact: The Heart of Her Legacy
Perhaps the most inspiring chapter of Marie’s story is the one written far from offices and corporate training rooms.A portion of Quality Training’s revenue is dedicated to humanitarian initiatives supporting children and families in need across multiple countries.This includes educational programs, community support, and partnerships with nonprofit organisations that offer hope, safety, and opportunity.These efforts, Marie says, are the milestone she is most proud of.“They give my work and our entire team deep meaning. Knowing that our growth helps create a better world is a source of immense pride.”
This is leadership in its most authentic form: success measured not only in revenue or awards, but in lives changed.Marie Vandenberghe’s story is both inspiring and deeply grounding. It reminds us that leadership rooted in values can scale, that empathy can drive business growth, and that meaningful training can reshape not only organizations but lives. Through Quality Training Belgium, she has built far more than a company. She has built a legacy of human empowerment, global impact, and purpose-driven leadership. In an era when the world is seeking authentic, resilient, and compassionate guidance, Marie Vandenberghe stands out as a leader redefining what it means to elevate human potential.
An Open Letter to Future Leaders in Learning & Development
To those who will guide the next chapter of learning,
I offer a few principles shaped by years of listening and leading simple, human, and built for the future:
- Start by listening. Real needs emerge from real people. HR leaders, learners, and organisations will tell you more than any trend report.
- Stay curious and challenge your assumptions. The world of learning shifts quickly. Openness keeps your work relevant.
- Lead with humanity. Tools and formats will evolve, but growth happens only when people feel understood and supported.
- Be ready to reinvent. Adaptability is your strongest capability. Hold your methods lightly and your purpose firmly.
- Walk with humility. Transformation is a shared journey. Stand beside your learners, not above them.
These principles reflect the heart of this profession. May they guide you as you help people grow with clarity, empathy, and courage.
With respect,
Marie Vandenberghe, CEO
5 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Marie Vandenberghe champions a human-centric approach where empathy and impact define modern learning.
- Quality Training Belgium has evolved into a global L&D ecosystem trusted by major multinational organisations.
- Her leadership blends innovation with stability, ensuring technology enhances—not replaces human connection.
- The company’s culture is rooted in respect, trust, and shared responsibility, driving sustained excellence.
- Beyond business success, Marie’s humanitarian initiatives highlight her commitment to creating meaningful social impact.
