Meet the legal team
We are fundamentally all about people: candidates, hiring managers, as well as our own consultants. Being part of the YouConnect legal team means believing that connecting the right people can bring value to both sides of the equation - and to us too, as the connecting force.
Ilse Tack
Ilse is our founder and managing partner. She was a lawyer and employment law consultant for over twelve years and is a true pioneer in legal recruitment. Ilse founded YouConnect in 2013 to make her mark on the industry.
+32 477 51 52 09 | ilse.tack@youconnect.be
Ilse Tack
Stéphanie Verhaegen
Stéphanie started at YouConnect as a Legal Recruitment Consultant in June 2018 and now is YouConnect’s Business Development Manager. She started her career as a lawyer in Brussels in 2009, was active in legal recruiting and gained experience as inhouse legal counsel in the retail and food industries. Armed with this mix of experiences, she has returned to her passion of legal recruitment. She enjoys the interaction with people and likes to support candidates in their various career steps. In line with our YouConnect values, Stéphanie is eager to build enduring relationships with both clients and candidates.
+32 476 39 40 50 | stephanie.verhaegen@youconnect.be
Stéphanie Verhaegen
Kathleen Peirsman
Kathleen started her career at YouConnect as a Recruitment Consultant in October 2018. In 2021, she became Senior Recruitment Consultant Legal, Tax & Compliance. She holds a degree in Tax Law and started her career as a VAT Consultant in a big 4 firm in Brussels. She subsequently worked at a major Belgian utilities company as Real Estate Officer. For over 10 years, she further developed her tax law skills as an independent tax consultant in her own firm. As a professional service provider, Kathleen has always been highly customer-focussed. Going the extra mile is what makes her tick.
+32 473 49 71 80 | kathleen.peirsman@youconnect.be
Kathleen Peirsman
Paulien Stuer
Paulien has been a Recruitment Consultant at YouConnect since April 2019. She chose to point her career in a new direction after working as a lawyer in Mechelen, where she specialised in commercial and contracts law. Paulien gets energy from interacting with people and is eager to build lasting relationships with both clients and candidates.
+32 474 84 53 14 | paulien.stuer@youconnect.be
Paulien Stuer
Diether Vandenbussche
Diether has been a Recruitment Consultant at YouConnect since June 2020. He holds a Master’s degree in Law and an additional degree in Intellectual Property Law. He started his career in the legal publishing business as an editor and publisher respectively, where he worked together with various legal professionals. With his experience in and knowledge of the legal landscape in Belgium he is eager to advise candidates in making the best career choice.
+32 477 22 95 52 | diether.vandenbussche@youconnect.be
Diether Vandenbussche
Clara Creve
Clara worked for several years as a Legal Talent Researcher at YouConnect during her Masters degree in Law. She joined YouConnect in January 2020 and became Legal Recruitment Consultant in April 2021. Clara is genuinely interested in people and is happy to assist candidates and clients in their search for the perfect professional match.
+32 496 78 48 03 | clara.creve@youconnect.be
Clara Creve
Fien Stepman
Fien has been a legal recruitment consultant at YouConnect since October 2021. She holds a master’s degree in Law and an additional master’s degree in Notarial Law. Previously, as a lawyer, she provided advice in the field of estate and succession planning and she offered guidance in solving family conflicts. Fien is particularly interested in people and enjoys building deep relationships. Her legal background combined with her strong empathy, make her the right person to find perfect matches between clients and candidates.
+32 486 92 94 38 | fien.stepman@youconnect.be
Fien Stepman
Sylvie Gerlo
Sylvie joined YouConnect in October 2021. She worked in the insurance industry where she focused on the analysis of the financial risks from the big companies in the Benelux. She was based both in Barcelona and in Brussels. After 11 years, she was looking for a change! What she liked most during her job as an underwriter, was to build and maintain relationships with clients and brokers. This skill will help her a lot in her role as recruitment consultant at YouConnect. For Sylvie, putting the client first is the most important and she will always go the extra mile to understand the needs of both clients and candidates.
+32 486 93 09 93 | sylvie.gerlo@youconnect.be
Sylvie Gerlo
Pauline Declerck
Pauline joined our team in September 2022 as a recruitment consultant. Her main focus is on legal interim management. After several years of working as a lawyer in corporate and company law, she discovered HR and gained her first experience in Vienna. She was immediately hooked and knew HR would be her future. She enjoys the challenge of matching a company with a suitable candidate and vice versa. Her knowledge of the legal sector is a great asset that she can use when helping people to take the next step in their careers.
+32 487 85 99 82 | pauline.declerck@youconnect.be