Francis Laleman (1959) studied Oriental Languages & Cultures at the RU Gent (Ghent University, Belgium), majoring in post-classical Sanskrit and Buddhist Studies (1982). Immediately after his degree, he worked for a brief time as a Human Resources Facilitator with Townsend Thoresen (European Ferries) Ltd (Dover-Calais-Zeebrugge), only to return to studying and traveling after two years of corporate experience.
Asian Studies and travels
After a brief reconnaissance in Jain Studies, he further explored the world of Indian Studies, reading Tukharian and Classical Malay with Prof. Walter Couvreur, studying and lecturing in New Delhi, Patna, Vaishali and Nalanda, and discovering the Buddhist Suttanipata texts with Rev. Obbegoda Dhammatilaka Nayaka Mahathera at Buduruvagala in southern Sri Lanka. Further to a 2,500 km walk through the south of Nepal and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in 1991-1992, he devoted five years to the study of Buddhist Archaeology, writing an historical account of the life and times of the historical Buddha (Whoever turns the Wheel), guiding tours and treks in Sri Lanka, India and the Himalaya, and lecturing on the subject worldwide.
Meanwhile, as a developer and guide of tours in South Asia, he gradually shifted focus from the well-trodden paths through Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bengal and the Punjab to the more adventure-prone areas of Bihar, Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Ladakh and Tibet - combining his childhood passions for hill walking and bird watching with his emerging interest in human behavior and group dynamics. He has successfully led hundreds of clients, in small groups of no more than twelve, through novel and hitherto unexploited territories, always hunting for a unique combination of natural beauty, historical interest, cross-cultural dynamics and human endeavor.
At the same time, having translated a series of books on Zen and Tibetan Buddhism (published by Bzztôh, Den Haag, The Netherlands), he joined the India Study Centre at Antwerp University as a lecturer in Indian history and culture (1994 onwards) and the Department of Oriental and Slavonic Studies at KU Leuven (Louvain University, Belgium) as a researcher (1995-1998). It was here that he first got acquainted with Islamic Studies, while compiling an encyclopedic (descriptive) bibliography of Pakistan's founding father Sir Allama Mahammad Iqbal (published by Peeters, Louvain, 2000), under sponsorship of the Iqbal Foundation Europe (Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan).
Back to business
Towards the end of the nineties Francis felt the urge to escape from the narrow world of pure academics and devote his energy rather to a corporate environment and business. In order to make a thorough break, in 1998 he first joined Marketing Interactive (Antwerpen, Belgium) and a few months later Mobistar (Brussels), Belgium's second mobile operator and member of the France Telecom Group, as a senior trainer and training developer. Building on his expertise as a teacher-trainer-lecturer, he quickly learned to excel as a trainer in telecom products and services, specializing in the rather advanced mobile data and internet-related services. Moreover, using his broad experience in human interrelationships obtained from guiding groups of clients through harsh and adventurous treks over high and inaccessible Himalayan passes, he developed as a highly efficient and sought-after trainer in communication skills, negotiation skills, meeting skills and customer service.
Having further explored the corporate environment as a Project Manager and as Head of Customer Service (Call Centre) Team at Mobistar, in 2001 he decided to leave the company and offer his services on the marketplace as an independent business consultant and trainer. To this aim, he founded Beyond Borders (bvba Francis Laleman).
Business Consultant and Trainer
After a major assignment (2002-2003) with CM Midden Vlaanderen, Belgium's major health insurance provider, where he facilitated the development of a brand-new call centre, fitting within a newly designed customer service policy, he joined the Minds in Motion Group where he steadily broadened his international experience and reputation, both as a trainer and as a consultant. Major assignments with MiM were (among others) with AGF (Allianz Group), Proximus, Belgacom, Nuon, the Ministry of Health (Federal Government of Belgium), Ikea, Sanoma Magazines, and Nawras (Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company, Muscat, Oman).
In the meantime he side-focused on language training in a corporate environment, cross-cultural and intercultural business strategy and implementation programs, and expat coaching, working (among others) with BLCC (Business Language and Communication Centre), Randstad, ICOS and Cargill. Moreover, he is often at work as a translator and/or interpreter, using his mix of language skills and knowledge of business vocabulary as a unique asset.
Telecom
Apart from a series of smaller training and consultancy projects, the year 2005 brought two major challenges. For the first six months, Francis Laleman was stationed in Muscat (Sultanate of Oman) as a member of international team of consultants and trainers guiding Nawras / The Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company, Oman’s second mobile operator, through its pre-launch, business simulation and launch phases. Building upon a broad experience within the telecom industry, Francis was well placed to develop and deliver training trajectories for both the customer service and sales departments, and to select, coach and train future section heads and internal trainers.
The second half of 2005 was almost entirely dedicated to working with Dimension Data (Johannesburg/Brussels). As a member of an international group of consultants, Francis contributed to the development and implementation of an integrated CTI call center management system for Belgium’s major mobile operator – also developing and authoring user manuals, on-line help files and training material, and delivering end-user trainings.
Leadership, Coaching, Cross-Cultural Studies
For the last few years, Francis has been involved with assigments as a business and management coach all over the world. Particularly focused on cross-cultural business processes, he has been working with top managers both in Asia and in Europe.
