We recently had the opportunity to interview Sophie Vancaeneghem, the Co-founder, Senior Managing Director, and the driving force behind CX Centric. With over 36 years of experience in the hospitality sector, she has a proven record of creating memorable and bespoke experiences. Passionate to learn about the diverse cultures and hospitality around the globe, Sophie blends these experiences in her work. With CX Centric, Sophie Vancaeneghem leverages her expertise to redefine success for businesses in the sector.
The Beginning
We started the interview by asking, “Could you start by telling us about your professional journey and the inspiration behind jumping into this industry?”
Sophie shared, “I was fortunate enough to start my career with my dream job in aviation, as a flight attendant. I would go to the airport, with anyone who was leaving or arriving, just to get the ‘buzz’ feeling of the airport, even if I was not traveling. That is how Customer experience found me — in aircraft cabins, airport terminals, lounges, and later on, in restaurants, VVIP spaces, retail floors, and boardrooms across continents. I watched how small moments — a pause, a tone, a decision made under pressure, could either elevate an experience or quietly damage it. What fascinated me was not service as such, but what makes people feel safe, valued, and confident in often complex environments.
CX Centric was born from a simple belief: most businesses don’t fail because of bad intentions, but because they’re too busy to step back and see the experience through the customer’s eyes, beyond the data and numbers. My inspiration was to become that outside lens — practical, honest, and deeply human.”
Lessons Embraced in the Journey
To learn more about the experiences that shaped her journey, we asked Sophie Vancaeneghem, “As a professional in this field, what lessons helped you in leading your team or business?”
“Three lessons shaped everything I do. Firstly, proximity and relationships, as you can’t design experience from a distance. We stay close — to frontline teams, to leaders, to the middle where real work happens. Second is clarity. Whether it’s feedback, standards, opinions, or strategy, ambiguity is exhausting. Clear expectations create clear outcomes. And thirdly, finish what you start. Audits and recommendations are easy. Implementation is where credibility lives. We don’t disappear after the diagnosis — we stay until it works in real life.
Leadership, to me, is not about control. It’s about creating conditions where people can do their best work consistently,” she explained.
Navigating through Challenges
We then asked, “What do you feel is the biggest challenge in starting a business or career, and how did you overcome it?”
Sophie reflected, “The hardest part is not competition; it’s noise. Everyone is offering frameworks, tools, platforms, shortcuts. The challenge is staying focused on what you are truly good at and having the courage to say no to everything else. I overcame this by choosing to be ‘niche’ before being big.
We don’t try to serve everyone. We work with organizations that want depth, not decoration — and that clarity has been our strongest growth engine.”
Plans for Current Offerings
Intrigued to learn more about the plans Sophie Vancaeneghem has set for her services, we asked her to share a glimpse for our readers.
Sophie commented, “Our direction is very intentional. We see ourselves as long-term experience partners, not one-off consultants. That means combining audits, training, leadership capability, employee experience, and digital tools into one coherent journey. Having an international presence, allows us to bring global best practices from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas — but always adapting them locally.
Experience does not travel well unless it is translated with cultural intelligence. Everything we do remains bespoke. No templates; no shortcuts. Because real experience is never copy-paste.”
Future of Businesses with AI
AI is everywhere today. So, we asked Sophie Vancaeneghem, “What are your thoughts on its role in business?”
“AI is a powerful tool, but it is not the experience. AI can accelerate learning, simulate conversations, and remove friction. We use it to help people practice, reflect, and improve faster. But AI cannot replace judgement, empathy, or presence. And while some customers thrive on the no-contact, swift experience, a lot of customers still value that human presence and interaction.
The future belongs to businesses that use AI to free humans, not replace them — so they can focus on what only humans can do: connect and care. Technology should sharpen humanity, not dilute it,” she mentioned.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Professionals
Lastly, addressing the beginners in the business landscape, we asked Sophie Vancaeneghem, “What advice would you give to beginners in this field or in business in general?”
“Don’t chase success — chase usefulness. Learn how businesses actually work before trying to change them. Respect operations. Listen more than you speak. And don’t rush to scale before you understand your value.
Most importantly, build a reputation for finishing strong. People remember who stayed, who helped implement, and who took responsibility when things got difficult.
That’s how trust is built — and trust is the only real currency in business,” Sophie added.
Connect with Sophie Vancaeneghem on LinkedIn to gain industry insights.
Find CX Centric on LinkedIn and visit https://cxcentric.co/ to learn more.
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