Xebia Belgium Becomes a Microsoft Managed Partner and Sets its Sights on 100 Experts

At a glance

Xebia Belgium has a new milestone and a bigger target. The Antwerp-based team has become a Microsoft Managed Partner, and it plans to grow from 27 specialists to 100. 

As a Managed Partner, Xebia Belgium works with Microsoft under a formal partnership structure, including joint work with Microsoft's account teams at their target accounts in Belgium. Microsoft selects a limited group of partners in each country for Managed Partner status, by invitation, and assigns each one a dedicated Partner Development Manager who builds a joint business plan and connects the partner with Microsoft’s account teams.  

For technology leaders in Belgium, this means faster access to architects who have spent years building on Microsoft cloud, data, and AI. When a project gets complex, you now have a direct, formal route to the people who've solved that problem before. 

Here's how the team got here, who's joining, and where it's headed next. 

How Xebia Belgium grew to 27 specialists since 2018

Xebia Belgium started in 2018 with one goal: bring high-end, Microsoft-focused consulting from the Netherlands to the Belgian market. 

Gill Cleeren , managing director at Xebia in Belgium, has been part of the story since day one. "We didn't come here to supply extra hands," he says. "We came to put experts, architects, and team leads at our clients who lead the team and deliver the solution, working alongside internal staff and other partners." 

That model caught on. The team has grown organically to 27 people, almost entirely through referrals. Colleagues recommend former colleagues. Engineers bring in people from their own networks. Every person on the team is an architect, team lead, or senior engineer. 

The growth path matters to clients. A team built on referrals keeps its standards high, because every new hire is someone the existing experts already trust. 

What the Microsoft Managed Partner status means for you 

Becoming a Microsoft Managed Partner formalizes a relationship that already ran deep. For years, the Belgian team worked closely with Microsoft through individual connections, shared events, and joint client work. Now that collaboration has an official structure. 

"The partnership is a catalyst," says Finn Michielssens. "It helps us work together with Microsoft at their target accounts, so Microsoft can bring forward a specialist who goes deep." 

Freddy Aben puts it simply: "We did a lot together already. Now that we've taken it to the next level, we can shift into a higher gear with both large and smaller clients." 

What does that change for you? 

What Xebia Belgium offers: cloud, data, AI, and the full SDLC 

Xebia is an AI-first digital transformation and engineering consultancy, and the Belgian team reflects that identity. Its core areas: 

That last area is moving fast. Many Belgian teams now use agentic coding every day. The next question is how to bring AI into the applications themselves, and how to do it securely. Opening SharePoint sites and internal documents to an AI agent raises real governance and security questions. Token costs add a new line to the cloud bill. Xebia's architects help you plan for both before you go live. 

"Writing code is something a developer can do," Cleeren says. "Building solutions that hold up in production takes experts. That's where we sit." 

Which industries does Xebia Belgium work in?

Xebia Belgium doesn't limit itself to one vertical. The common thread across its clients is complexity, not industry. Current and recent work spans: 

The client base ranges from mid-market companies to large enterprises. Cleeren sees particular energy in the Belgian mid-market, where projects are often innovative and decisions move quickly. At the same time, more large organizations are picking up the pace on AI and looking for partners who can help them move with confidence. 

Why clients choose Xebia? 

Ask the team what sets it apart, and three themes come up. 

The team challenges the brief. During a week-long workshop with an automotive client, Xebia's team questioned assumptions and pointed out gaps. The sales leads even visited the client's garages and asked dealers a direct question: when a lead comes in through the car configurator, what do you need before the test drive? Those answers shaped the solution. "We lead the project," Aben says. "If it's needed, we push back." 

The team shares what it knows. Xebia Belgium's experts speak regularly at conferences in Belgium, the Netherlands, and beyond. Event organizers invite them because they explain new technology through real project experience. They test new tools, form their own view, and show what works in practice. 

The team builds your capability. Xebia transfers knowledge to your engineers so your organization can own and run the solution. No vendor lock-in. You keep the architecture, the skills, and the choice of what comes next. 

Who’s joining Xebia Belgium? 

The team keeps growing to match demand. In recent weeks: 

With these additions, the team can support every type of AI engagement. Whether you want low-code agent workflows, high-code agentic development, or AI across your whole SDLC, there's an expert in Antwerp who has already done it. 

A home base in Antwerp 

In 2022, Xebia Belgium opened its office in Antwerp. The team fully renovated an old loft into a workspace it proudly calls one of the most beautiful offices in Antwerp. Some colleagues go further and call it the most beautiful Xebia office worldwide. 

The office gives clients a place to meet, run workshops, and work side by side with the team. It also helps attract the senior talent that growth depends on. 

The road to 100 

The goal for the coming years is clear: grow to a team of 100 and build a Belgian counterpart to Xebia Netherlands. 

Through the end of 2027, the team will focus on two priorities. First, deepen its Microsoft expertise and strengthen its standing as the go-to Microsoft specialist in Belgium. Second, build out the data and AI practice, with a strong focus on data foundations. 

Beyond that, the ambition widens. Over time, Xebia Belgium plans to add a broader offering, including transformation services and additional cloud platforms. 

"We aim for one thing: to be the authority in the Belgian market," Michielssens says. "When companies face something truly complex, we want them to think of us first." 

Cleeren agrees, and he wants the team to talk more openly about its work. "We may be Antwerp's best-kept secret right now. Let's not keep it that way. We need to make sure more organizations know about us and how we can help ambitious organizations to achieve more!" 

Talk to the team 

Planning your next step in cloud, data, or AI? Meet the architects behind Xebia Belgium. Book a conversation with our Antwerp team and find out how we can help you move from idea to production.