MY NAME IS LEEN , Leen Vandaele INTERVIEW | YALLA TV |

DOSSIER - Leen Vandaele (interior company Squisito) in Dubai: “Showed respect and received respect.”
KORTRIJK - In Dubai, where she has been working for 23 years now, the West Flemish entrepreneur Leen Vandaele is known as ' Miss Leen '. She runs her own interior design company Squisito with roaring success and has customers at the highest level. She inherited the sense of entrepreneurship from her childhood, thanks to her exceptionally enterprising parents. In addition to classic entrepreneurship, ' grande dame ' Leen - originally from Oostrozebeke - also excels as an enthusiastic socially engaged entrepreneur. A conversation.
Karel Cambien
DUBAI
June 01, 2023
-Why your interest in entrepreneurship?
I certainly got that from both parents. In addition to raising 8 children, which is already a business in itself, my mother had another business called Euromonta (building homes). Pa ( Emile, who died last year on September 11, ed. ) was a well-known and beloved entrepreneur who started his career in Australia and was nominated as the youngest entrepreneur ever. My parents later settled back in Oostrozebeke where he founded the company Ter Molst (factory in upholstery fabrics), a company that exported worldwide. I myself am an interior designer and in addition to the creative aspect, I was obliged to stand my ground here in this, at the time, not everyday culture.
-How did you end up in Dubai?
-After the death of my fiancé (the Australian Frank had proposed to me in Dubai) I went back to Dubai all alone and with 1 suitcase and no connections whatsoever . I absolutely wanted to rebuild something there before I came back to Belgium. But now I have been living and working there for 23 years.
-How would you define the basic activity of your company and why the name Squisito?
-Squisito stands for "exclusive, exquisite" and we are what we call here a soft furnishing company , which means that we distribute everything related to products such as wall coverings, carpets, leather curtains and upholstery fabrics. We are an agent for various products, such as the well-known wall covering company Arte van Zonhoven.
-How difficult to be respected as a businesswoman in the Middle East?
-My adventure started in Saudi Arabia in 1988, when I took part in a trade mission. It was by no means obvious. Back then everything was still very strict and it was a very lonely, but also very instructive experience. The start of a career I never expected. I learned a lot and especially listening, wanting to understand and having patience played a major role. I have always adapted. I've been shown respect and received respect and that was certainly greatly appreciated.
-You yourself are a lady of the world. Is that also reflected in your HR policy?
-Many called me a “true globe trotter” because I also worked in Israel, Austria, France, UK, Qatar, Kuwait and the US. Now I have been working in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) for almost 23 years. I myself found the challenge to be able to do something completely different every time, for completely different customers and mentalities. Also in our company here we have people of 7 different nationalities and that means that everyone has to learn to accept everyone else in order to work together. A beautiful story.
-How do you experience the current economic context in the Middle East?
-The economic situation here is always difficult to estimate or predict, but since the Ukraine-Russia war, many people from that region have settled here and that has only driven up the prices of real estate. The question is whether it will stay that way. Meanwhile, there is still a lot of construction going on here, and it seems unstoppable, when in reality there is only greater pressure on prices. Many products are too expensive even though the range is endless.
-You are known for your charity approach. Can you give some examples?
-In addition to art exhibitions that I organized in Belgium for the benefit of disabled children and cancer patients, I also have an eye for children with a disability. Some I teach to swim or take with me for an afternoon by the sea, or organize something small. Yesterday I took another blind person to his house and I taught him how to apply right, left forward and stop. I also have great admiration for Dr. Reginald Moreels and his team, a project I am happy to support and help promote. Before that I already had a first publication placed in the local 2 A magazine (Architectural and Art). Finally this: through international contacts in Dubai with other families, there are now also three other Leentjes who are walking around here, named after me: one with French parents,
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Thank you for this❤ video... a message for peace and hummanity for the world... life is too short to have troubles... i'l share this video in Belgium... Namasté...thank you

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