When Laurent Plasman first heard about a commercial role in the steel industry nearly three decades ago, he hesitated. “I was living in Antwerp, and the job was in Charleroi,” he recalls. Beyond the distance, the region’s industrial character didn’t exactly match the career paths many of his commercial classmates were pursuing. But he decided to look at it as an opportunity and what he found was an environment unlike the ones he had worked in before - flatter, faster, more direct. “You don’t go through twenty layers before you reach responsibility,” he says. That sense of meaningful impact would define his journey from his earliest days in the steel wire business (then part of Usinor) through the acquisition by Mittal Steel and ultimately into senior commercial leadership within ArcelorMittal Europe’s Flat Products organisation.

For Laurent, two leadership skills stand out as essential: negotiation and people management. Both, he notes, are undervalued in traditional academic paths but crucial in a complex industrial organisation. “Negotiation isn’t just for sales—it’s everywhere. And managing people is about more than driving results; it’s about bringing your team with you.”

Laurent attributes his career growth to a simple mindset: openness to challenge. Early in his career, this meant dealing directly with plant unions, tough commercial negotiations, and real pressure. “Your office is next to the plant, and the union leader walks in saying, ‘We don’t have orders, what’s happening?’ That teaches you responsibility fast.” These moments shaped not only his resilience but also his leadership. “In some negotiations, you realise there is no good outcome. You still must take a position and stick to it. That discipline is something you only learn in real situations.”

While Laurent’s international mobility was from Belgium to Luxembourg, his global exposure was much broader. His years in the corporate commercial coordination team brought him into close collaboration with units across Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Costa Rica, and North America. “It was eye-opening to see how different teams approached the same challenges — and also how some truths are universal,” he says. Being surrounded by colleagues from diverse cultures also recalibrated his own outlook.

When hiring young professionals, he looks less at their CVs and more at their mindset. “Curiosity is a big one. Some young professionals only focus on their task. Others start digging immediately and ask more questions: what is this business? Why is China relevant? How does raw material pricing affect us? Those are the people with potential.”

He also values tenacity and what he calls “positive energy.” In demanding environments, leaders must absorb pressure without spreading negative energy to their teams. “You translate challenge into motivation, not fear.”

After nearly 30 years, Laurent is motivated by the sheer variety of his work and the calibre of his colleagues. “Every day is different. Sometimes too different,” he laughs. “But it’s a privilege to work with such high-quality people.”

If there is one message he would give young professionals, it’s the message that shaped his own path: “Don’t over plan. Stay open. Throw yourself deep in the end. That’s where you learn the fastest, and where you realise how much you can do.”