Terms and Conditions

Version: 1.0

Effective date: 30 August 2026

These Terms and Conditions set out the general framework for Galactus Lead, Galactus Talent, our website, advisory, assessments, recruitment, executive search and related services. A proposal, statement of work, order form or other agreement may contain assignment-specific terms. If those specific terms conflict with these Terms, the specific terms prevail for that assignment.

Important: Unless Galactus expressly agrees otherwise in writing, paid Galactus Lead and Galactus Talent services are supplied only to businesses and professional clients. Candidates and applicants are never charged for recruitment or mediation services. Mandatory rights that cannot lawfully be limited remain unaffected.

1. Identity and contact details

The service provider is Galactus BV, with registered office at Gamsterstraat 13, 2850 Boom, Belgium, enterprise and VAT number BE 1029.767.737. Galactus® is registered with BOIP under number 1537512. You can contact us at hello@galactus.be.

2. Scope, availability and acceptance

These Terms apply to website use, requests for information, Galactus Lead, Galactus Talent, advisory engagements, assessments, recruitment and search assignments, candidate interactions and related deliverables.

A paid agreement is formed only when the parties sign or otherwise accept a proposal, order, statement of work or other confirmation that identifies the services and refers to these Terms, or when the client asks Galactus to start after receiving those documents. Merely visiting the website does not create a paid agreement.

For candidates, the candidate-specific provisions apply when they apply, participate in a selection process or ask Galactus to represent them for a role. These provisions do not create an employment, freelance or agency agreement between the candidate and Galactus.

3. Definitions and order of precedence

• Client: the business or professional customer ordering paid services.

• Candidate: a person who applies, is approached or participates in a Talent process.

• Assignment: the specific Lead, Talent, assessment, advisory or related engagement described in an accepted proposal or confirmation.

• Deliverables: the reports, analyses, recommendations or other work products expressly listed for an Assignment.

The following order applies in case of conflict: a signed agreement or order form, the accepted proposal or statement of work, any applicable data processing agreement, these Terms, and then other descriptive material. A document prevails only for the subject it specifically regulates.

4. Website and general information

We take reasonable care to keep the website and published information accurate and available. Website content is general information and is not legal, tax, financial, investment, employment or other regulated professional advice. A decision should not be based solely on a website article, automated result or preliminary assessment.

We may maintain, secure, change or temporarily suspend the website. External links and third-party services are provided for convenience. Galactus does not control their content, availability or terms.

Users may not misuse the website, bypass security, upload unlawful or malicious material, scrape personal data, interfere with availability, impersonate another person or use content in a way that infringes rights or applicable law.

5. Galactus Lead

Galactus Lead may include interim CIO or IT Director mandates, executive IT leadership, diagnostics, assessments, crisis or transformation support, due diligence, second opinions, governance, technology strategy and related advisory work. The exact scope, decision rights, availability, milestones and Deliverables are defined in the accepted Assignment.

Unless the Assignment expressly states otherwise, Lead services are obligations of means. Galactus applies professional care, experience and independent judgement but does not guarantee a particular commercial, technical, transaction or transformation outcome. The Client remains responsible for corporate decisions, statutory duties, budgets, approvals and implementation choices reserved to it.

6. Galactus Talent for Clients

Galactus Talent may include permanent recruitment, freelance search, interim search and leadership or executive search. Galactus first clarifies the mandate and then identifies, approaches, assesses or introduces potentially suitable Candidates. The accepted Assignment determines the search method, fee, exclusivity if any, milestones, expenses and any expressly agreed replacement arrangement.

The Client must provide a genuine mandate or vacancy, accurate and timely information about the role, working conditions, location, compensation framework and selection criteria. Requirements and decisions must be lawful, objective and non-discriminatory.

Galactus may initially describe a confidential Client without naming it. Before identifying Candidate information is disclosed to that Client, Galactus informs the Candidate of the intended recipient and obtains any permission required for that disclosure. Candidate information may be used only for the stated selection process and may not be circulated internally beyond persons who need it, sent to another organisation or retained for unrelated purposes without a separate lawful basis.

The Client makes the final hiring or engagement decision and remains responsible for its own checks, references, permits, employment or freelance contract, classification, remuneration, workplace, onboarding and legal obligations. Galactus is not the employer, payroll provider or contracting principal of a Candidate unless a separate written agreement expressly states otherwise.

Galactus does not guarantee that a search will produce a hire, that a Candidate will accept or remain available, or that a hired person will achieve a particular result. A replacement search, refund or guarantee applies only if expressly stated in the accepted Assignment and subject to its conditions.

7. Introductions and Talent fees

An introduction occurs when Galactus provides identifying Candidate information, arranges contact or otherwise materially brings a Candidate and Client into a recruitment or engagement process. If the Client or an affiliated entity hires or engages that Candidate within twelve months after the most recent introduction or substantive Galactus-facilitated contact, the fee agreed for the relevant type of hire or engagement remains due.

No introduction fee is due where the Client proves that it was already in an active, documented recruitment process with that Candidate during the six months before Galactus introduced them and informs Galactus within five business days after the introduction. This exception does not apply where Galactus materially reactivated the relationship, clarified a new mandate or performed an agreed assessment that led to the engagement.

The Client must promptly inform Galactus of an offer, hire or engagement involving an introduced Candidate and provide the information reasonably needed to calculate the agreed fee. This section survives completion or termination of the search only for introductions made during the Assignment and only for the twelve-month period stated above.

8. Rights and responsibilities of Candidates

Participation is voluntary. Galactus does not charge Candidates for recruitment or mediation and does not claim compensation if a Candidate stops a process or declines a role. We treat Candidates objectively, respectfully and without unlawful discrimination.

Candidates must provide information that is accurate to the best of their knowledge and must have the right to share their CV, work samples, qualifications and reference details. They should promptly correct material errors or changes in availability.

Galactus uses Candidate information for professional placement in accordance with the Privacy Policy. A Candidate may request information about relevant interview, test or practical-assessment results where applicable and may exercise the access and file-copy rights provided by applicable law, subject to the rights of others. References are contacted only with the Candidate's knowledge and where required permission.

Where a personality assessment or psychological test is used, it will be performed by or under the responsibility required by applicable law. Practical tests must be proportionate to assessing suitability and are not intended to obtain unpaid productive work.

A vacancy, conversation, assessment or introduction is not an employment offer. Any employment or freelance agreement is concluded with the relevant Client or other contracting party, which remains responsible for its terms.

9. Proposals, scope and change control

A proposal is valid for the period stated in it. If no period is stated, it may be accepted for thirty calendar days. Timelines start only when the agreed information, access, decisions and initial payment, if any, have been received.

Work outside the agreed scope, material changes in assumptions or delays caused by missing Client input may require a revised timeline, fee or written change confirmation. Galactus will identify the impact before performing material additional work where reasonably possible.

10. Client cooperation

The Client provides timely, complete and accurate information, appropriate access, a competent contact person and decisions needed for the Assignment. It remains responsible for the legality of its instructions and for backing up its systems and data before changes are implemented.

Galactus may rely on information supplied by the Client and third parties unless there is a clear reason to question it. Galactus is not responsible for delay, rework or error caused by incomplete, inaccurate or late information outside its control.

11. Fees, expenses, invoices and payment

Fees and billing milestones are set out in the accepted Assignment and exclude VAT unless expressly stated otherwise. Reasonable third-party costs and travel expenses are charged only where the Assignment allows them or the Client approves them in advance.

Unless the Assignment states a shorter lawful period, invoices are payable within thirty calendar days of the invoice date. A good-faith invoice dispute must be explained in writing within fourteen calendar days. The undisputed portion remains payable on time.

Where structured electronic invoicing is legally required, invoices are issued and received through the applicable compliant channel. The Client provides and maintains the identifiers and routing information reasonably needed for delivery. A technical routing issue does not remove the underlying payment obligation, but Galactus will correct a verified delivery problem without unreasonable delay.

For late B2B payment, Galactus may charge the statutory interest and recovery compensation applicable to late payment in commercial transactions, without prejudice to reasonable additional recovery costs permitted by law. Galactus may suspend affected services after written notice and a reasonable opportunity to cure.

12. Planning, cancellation and delay

Both parties inform each other promptly of a likely delay. A Client-requested pause, cancellation or rescheduling does not remove payment obligations for work already performed, non-cancellable commitments or reserved capacity where a cancellation arrangement was expressly agreed in the Assignment.

If no specific cancellation fee was agreed, Galactus may invoice completed work and demonstrable non-cancellable costs, but no invented percentage or penalty. Revised timing depends on then-available capacity.

13. Delivery, review and use

The Client reviews Deliverables within a reasonable period and reports specific material defects against the agreed scope. Galactus will correct a verified material non-conformity within a reasonable time. Changes in preference, new information or additional scope are handled through change control.

Interim findings, drafts and oral comments may change after further work and should not be treated as final. Deliverables are prepared for the Client and purpose stated in the Assignment. Third parties may not rely on them unless Galactus expressly agrees in writing.

14. Intellectual property

Each party retains its pre-existing materials, methods, software, templates, data and know-how. The Client grants Galactus a limited right to use Client materials only as needed to perform the Assignment.

After full payment, the Client receives a non-exclusive, perpetual right to use final Deliverables internally for the agreed business purpose. Galactus retains its general methods, frameworks, models, reusable components, tools and know-how, including improvements that do not disclose Client confidential information. A broader transfer or exclusive licence applies only if expressly agreed in writing.

Website content, Galactus branding and template materials may not be republished, sold, used to train a commercial model or presented as another party's work without written permission. Candidate information is personal data and confidential process information, not a reusable Client asset.

15. Confidentiality

Each party protects non-public information received from the other with reasonable care and uses it only for the Assignment. This duty does not apply to information that is public without breach, was lawfully known already, is independently developed or is lawfully received from another source.

Disclosure is permitted to personnel, advisers and subcontractors who need the information and are bound by appropriate duties, or where required by law or a competent authority. Where legally permitted, the receiving party gives advance notice of a compelled disclosure.

Confidentiality applies during the Assignment and for five years afterwards. Trade secrets and personal data remain protected for as long as applicable law or their nature requires.

16. Personal data

Each party complies with applicable data-protection law for the processing it controls. Our Privacy Policy explains how Galactus processes personal data as a controller. A recruiting Client may be a separate controller for Candidate information it receives.

If Galactus processes personal data solely on documented Client instructions as a processor, the parties will enter into an appropriate data processing agreement before that processing starts. These Terms do not replace such an agreement or create blanket Candidate consent.

17. Digital tools, assessments and AI-supported work

Galactus may use secure business tools, analytics, matching signals or AI-supported features to organise information, identify patterns or assist professional work. These tools support human judgement. Galactus does not make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects on a Candidate solely through automated processing.

Automated or generated output can contain errors and is reviewed in proportion to its purpose. The Client remains responsible for its decisions and should not use preliminary or automated output as the sole basis for a high-impact decision.

18. Subcontractors and third-party services

Galactus may use qualified personnel, subcontractors and technology providers while remaining responsible for its own contractual obligations. Where relevant, they are subject to confidentiality and data-protection safeguards.

A third-party product, platform or licence selected by the Client may be subject to the provider's own terms and availability. Galactus is not responsible for a third party's independent act, outage or change, but will take reasonable steps to mitigate impact within the Assignment.

19. Professional standard and warranties

Galactus performs services with the reasonable skill and care expected from an experienced professional in the relevant context. Except for express commitments in an Assignment and warranties that cannot lawfully be excluded, no other warranty is given.

Recommendations depend on the information, constraints and time available. Technology, labour markets, Candidates and business conditions can change. Galactus therefore does not warrant uninterrupted availability, a specific Candidate, a transaction outcome, savings, revenue, regulatory approval or error-free third-party systems.

20. Liability

Each party is responsible for direct, foreseeable damage caused by its attributable contractual breach. To the extent permitted by law, neither party is liable for indirect or consequential loss such as loss of opportunity, anticipated profit, goodwill or business interruption, except where that loss is a direct and foreseeable object of the Assignment.

To the extent permitted by law, Galactus' aggregate liability arising from an Assignment is limited to the professional fees paid or payable to Galactus for that Assignment during the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. A specific Assignment may set a different reasonable cap.

To the extent permitted by law, the exclusions, limitations and defences in the Assignment and these Terms apply regardless of whether a claim is characterised as contractual or extra-contractual. Galactus' directors, employees, independent professionals, subcontractors and other auxiliaries may invoke the defences available to them under the applicable agreement and law. This does not create a broader exclusion than the law permits.

No limitation applies to fraud, wilful misconduct, gross negligence, death or personal injury, or to liability that cannot lawfully be limited. Limitations concerning confidentiality, data protection or intellectual-property infringement apply only to the extent permitted by the applicable mandatory rules.

A party must notify the other of a claim without unreasonable delay and take reasonable steps to limit avoidable damage. Nothing in this section excuses either party from performing its essential contractual obligations.

21. Force majeure

A party is not liable for delay or non-performance caused by an event beyond its reasonable control that could not reasonably have been prevented, provided it informs the other party promptly and takes reasonable mitigating steps. Payment for services already supplied remains due.

If force majeure materially prevents performance for more than thirty consecutive days, either party may terminate the affected part of the Assignment by written notice without a termination penalty. Completed work and unavoidable commitments remain payable.

22. Suspension and termination

Either party may terminate an Assignment for a material breach that is not remedied within ten business days after written notice, or immediately where the breach cannot be remedied, continued performance would be unlawful, insolvency materially threatens performance, or serious security or integrity concerns require immediate action.

Termination for convenience is possible with thirty calendar days' written notice unless the Assignment provides another reasonable arrangement. The Client pays for services performed, accepted milestones, properly reserved capacity where expressly agreed, and non-cancellable commitments up to the effective termination date.

Rights concerning payment, confidentiality, intellectual property, Candidate introductions, data protection, liability and dispute resolution survive to the extent needed to give them effect.

23. Communications, complaints and evidence

Operational notices may be sent to the contact details used for the Assignment. A notice concerning breach or termination should be sent by email with a clear subject and, where appropriate, by another method that provides evidence of delivery.

Questions or complaints can be sent to hello@galactus.be. We aim to acknowledge a substantive complaint within five business days and to work toward a practical solution before court proceedings.

24. Changes and version history

The version accepted when an agreement is formed remains applicable to that agreement unless the parties accept a later version or mandatory law requires a change. New website versions apply prospectively and do not silently rewrite an existing Assignment.

For a material change proposed for an ongoing service, Galactus provides reasonable notice, normally at least thirty days. If the change materially disadvantages the Client and is not legally required, the Client may terminate the affected recurring service before the change takes effect without a change-related termination penalty.

Galactus keeps prior versions internally and provides the applicable version and its effective period on reasonable request.

25. Belgian law and disputes

Belgian law governs these Terms and each Assignment, excluding conflict-of-law rules, unless mandatory law requires otherwise. The parties first try in good faith to resolve a dispute through direct discussion.

For disputes between businesses that are not resolved amicably, the courts of the judicial district of Antwerp, Antwerp division, have jurisdiction. This choice does not restrict any mandatory jurisdiction or protection applicable to a Candidate, consumer or other person who cannot lawfully be bound by it.

26. Final provisions

If a provision is invalid or unenforceable, it is limited or replaced only to the minimum extent necessary and the remainder stays effective. Failure to enforce a right once is not a waiver. Neither party may transfer an Assignment without the other's reasonable written consent, except as part of a genuine transfer of business where the successor assumes the obligations.

These Terms are available in Dutch and English. The parties may designate the controlling language in the Assignment. If they do not, the language used in the accepted proposal or order controls for the contractual relationship.

27. Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent to Galactus BV, Gamsterstraat 13, 2850 Boom, Belgium, or hello@galactus.be.