This summer marked a pivotal moment for Gentis as the Belgium‑ and Luxembourg‑based tech talent consultancy formally joined emagine. Just a handful of months since the ink ran dry on the paperwork confirming the union of the two businesses, the integration is not only complete but already reshaping Gentis’s market position, service offering, and long‑term growth trajectory.
For Joakim Demeure, Managing Director of Gentis and now Country Manager for emagine Belgium and Luxembourg, the transition has been both smooth and strategically transformative. “The team saw this as a growth opportunity, not a threat,” he explained.
Indeed, where some consultancies strive for rapid scale - which often results in failure because the organisation doesn't have the right foundations in place to support the demand - both Gentis and emagine lean towards value-added organic growth balanced with service diversification.
Being culturally aligned with a shared entrepreneurial mindset has proven to be the cornerstone to what promises to be a long and successful future together under the emagine banner. But as Joakim points out, the prospects for personal and professional growth - both for him and his team - have really opened up since the two entities came together, as he explains here.
A smooth transition rooted in cultural alignment
emagine has acquired more than a dozen firms across Europe in recent years, and key to the success of each one has been a relentless focus on ensuring cultural alignment. When the culture and values of both parties involved in an M&A are recognised and understood, the prospects of long-term success are dramatically heightened. Conversely, when culture is overlooked, talent attrition and operational costs increase, while internal trust and buy-in to the new organisation’s overarching goals are depleted. This compromises its ability to be competitive.
Gentis’s integration into emagine has been characterised by stability, clarity, and continuity. Jobs were preserved, concerns were addressed early, and the cultural fit proved stronger than expected. In early 2027, the Gentis team will fully relocate to emagine’s premises in a move that consolidates the operational merger. For Joakim, this physical integration symbolises the broader shift: “We’re now part of a structure that gives us the scale to grow faster and serve clients better.”
The positive reception internally has been a standout feature. Consultants welcomed the acquisition as a chance to expand their opportunities, access new markets, and benefit from emagine’s broader service portfolio. At the same time, the integration has also enabled Gentis to tap into emagine’s established systems, shared databases, and delivery frameworks - improving speed, efficiency, and responsiveness. All of which have never been more important than in today’s ultra-competitive and unpredictable economy.
Steady growth in a challenging market
After a post‑COVID surge of 30% growth, Gentis has maintained a steady annual increase of 3–5% against a backdrop of testing economic conditions and a slowing of the tech talent market over the last two years in particular. Today, the Belgium and Luxembourg workforce is holding steady at around 270 consultants, which positions them as one of the leading mid-market players.
Indeed, while some competitors have contracted, the business has remained resilient. Joakim attributes this to a disciplined focus on quality, stability, and organic growth. “We’ve expanded modestly in Belgium and Luxembourg, but always with the right balance,” he said.
However, as a result of the acquisition, Joakim believes the business is now capable of pursuing and capitalising on growth opportunities that were previously out of reach because of the broader range of services they can now offer clients combined with new delivery models that enable them to provide more innovative solutions.
Stronger together
Belgium and Luxembourg are highly intermediated consulting markets, with managed service providers (MSPs) exerting significant influence and competition intensifying year on year. Getting access to those larger clients without going through an intermediary is exceptionally rare, but Joakim believes that emagine's position as an established international entity will enable them to compete on a level playing field with those who have dominated top-tier contract wins to date.
Key to this is the way that the business is now able to move beyond traditional consulting towards providing a full IT delivery and nearshoring service through emagine’s hubs in Poland, Romania, and Portugal, for example. As Joakim explained, clients increasingly want integrated solutions, flexible resourcing models, and delivery capacity to manage their increasingly complex needs - not just consultants. “This is a win for clients and for us that will have a significant impact over the next few years,” he said.
Looking forward
Joakim’s leadership journey mirrors Gentis’s evolution. Having progressed through sales leadership before becoming Managing Director in 2023, he brings a youthful, entrepreneurial approach that aligns naturally with emagine’s culture. He sees the acquisition as both a professional milestone and a strategic inflection point for the business. “The cultural fit made everything easier,” he said. “We share the same entrepreneurial DNA, even though emagine is much larger and longer established.”
His vision for the future is pragmatic yet equally optimistic. The market will likely remain slow, but under the emagine banner Joakim believes that the success enjoyed pre-acquisition will continue as Gentis becomes fully immersed in the emagine brand.