Patient capital in an impatient age

For more than a century, Sofina has been a quiet but powerful force in European and global finance. Today, the family-controlled holding company is active across the world, investing in consumer goods, healthcare, education, and some of the most disruptive tech firms—from Vinted to ByteDance.

At the helm since 2008, Harold Boël has guided Sofina with a philosophy summed up in two words: purpose and patience. In an era obsessed with quarterly returns and fast exits, Sofina stands out for its long-term vision, its willingness to back entrepreneurs over decades, and its resilience through economic crises.

In this conversation at TheMerode, Harold Boël will sit down with Serge Mampaey, senior financial writer at De Tijd and creator of CEO Talks. Together, they will reflect on the legacy of a Belgian industrial family, the balance between values and performance, and the lessons Sofina draws from more than 125 years of navigating booms, busts, and technological revolutions. Beyond the company’s story lies a broader question: what can “patient capital” teach us about building resilience—in business and in society—when uncertainty has become the new normal?