A year ago, I was still undecided. Law or consultancy? I was drawn to both paths, and no amount of reading or lectures would have helped me make up my mind. So I decided to give it a go rather than just speculate. Three months at Bleen Consulting, from late June to September 2025, to test my instincts against the reality on the ground.
Delivery and staffing: two aspects to explore
What struck me right from the first few weeks was the breadth of the roles. On the one hand, delivery – that is, designing workshops and producing client deliverables – on the other, staffing, internal management and coordination with consultants. One week spent designing an awareness-raising workshop, the next dissecting the ESG risks of various investment sectors.
The most memorable project was undoubtedly the business proposal for a Belgian private bank: identifying and analysing key sectors from an ESG perspective, designing a flexible scoring model with its standardised questionnaire, then drafting the associated sector reports. A head-first dive into sustainable finance.
I also carried out a benchmarking exercise on artificial intelligence models, comparing them in terms of their performance, environmental impact and best practices for responsible use. I had the opportunity to present my findings to the whole team. Being an intern and being entrusted with this sort of presentation sums up quite well the level of trust placed in you at Bleen.
Education as a catalyst
The other main part of my traineeship centred on frescoes and workshops. At Bleen, sustainability doesn’t stop at assessment: it’s passed on. In particular, I worked on creating a ‘Construction Fresco – Junior Version’, by adapting the content and language of the adult version for a younger audience. This was the exercise from which I learnt the most: simplifying without losing substance is far more challenging than it seems. I also contributed to revamping the storytelling for a workshop on planetary health, to designing a workshop on climate communication, to the ‘Consumption Fresco’ and ‘Inclusion Fresco’, as well as to adapting them into English and Dutch.
More unexpectedly: for the Impact Run, an orienteering race, I devised five immersive stories designed to punctuate the route. A way of reminding people that raising awareness can also be fun.
Alongside these client projects, I also contributed to the firm’s internal operations: a concise catalogue of existing workshops, a standardised CV template, an individual presentation slide to help internal and external consultants get to know one another better, and the search for media contacts ahead of the premiere of the ‘Greenwashing Fresco’. These tasks gave me an inside perspective on how a young, growing organisation is built.
What high standards have taught me
At Bleen, everything is built in an iterative process: we produce, we receive feedback, we make adjustments, and we start again. Quality standards are high and feedback is direct. You have to be willing to accept correction in order to make rapid progress – and we do make rapid progress. Above all, I have learnt a sense of humility. Before this traineeship, I thought I had a clear understanding of sustainability. I discovered a field where you have to bring together environmental, social, regulatory, economic and strategic considerations, and where there is almost never a simple answer.
A team that makes a difference
Bleen is deliberately structured as a flat organisation, and you can really feel that in day-to-day life. The co-founders are approachable, decisions are made quickly, and everyone has a genuine role to play in the projects. The atmosphere is both demanding and supportive: two words that are often wrongly seen as opposites, but which go hand in hand very well on Avenue Louise.
I was also lucky not to have to get through those three months on my own. Another summer intern arrived at the same time as me, and having a partner made a huge difference: someone with whom I could test my novice instincts, have a deliverable proofread before sending it off, and above all wind down with a game of table tennis when the day had been intense. These matches eventually became a ritual, and account for many of my fondest memories of the summer. As for the final standings, well, that’s still open to debate.
What I’ve taken away from it
This traineeship gave me exactly what I’d come here for: clarity. It confirmed my interest in strategic consultancy and teamwork. But above all, it left me with a conviction that still guides me today: sustainability is not a separate sector; it is a framework that cuts across all professions. A lawyer, a financier or a strategist will come across it sooner or later. It’s best to understand it from the inside.
Thank you to the whole team for these three months.
Arno
