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Curriculum vitae

Wouter De Geest

Mr. Wouter De Geest studied law at the University of Ghent, where he graduated in 1977. He started his professional career as a lawyer at the Ghent bar. In 1982 he started working at BASF Antwerp as head of the legal department, later he became personnel director. In 1998 he started working at BASF's headquarters in Ludwigshafen, where he prepared, among other things, the IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2001 he returned to BASF's Antwerp office, where he was appointed CEO in February 2007 and held this position until the beginning of January 2020. From 2009 to 2012 and 2014 to 2018, Mr. Wouter De Geest was chairman of the employers' organization Essenscia, the Belgian sector federation of the chemical industry. At the end of 2018, he became chairman of VOKA, the Flemish network of companies. Mr. Wouter De Geest is member of the board of directors of the Port of Antwerp, construction group Besix Group, Exmar Group, Aertssen Group and Ziekenhuisnetwerk Antwerpen. He is chairman of Catalisti, the Flemish spearhead cluster for chemistry and plastics. He also holds various board mandates in the socio-cultural sector, including at the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra.​

Luc Tack

Luc Tack is an entrepreneur who owns and runs an extended global network of businesses in various industries, such as cleaning and water treatment, as well as the production and trading of home textiles, Luc Tack is Managing Director of the Picanol Group (Picanol NV) and is also the director of several companies, including Acotex NV, Ter Molst International NV, Monks International NV, GTA USA, GTA India, Symphony Mills NV, Attent, De Vier Weverkens NV, Artilat NV, Vyrolat NV, Tankterminal NV and Unidet NV. On 18 December 2013, Luc Tack was appointed CEO of Tessenderlo Group.

Karel Vinck

Karel Vinck was a coordinator with the European Commission and a member of the board of directors of the Monnaie, Brussels Philharmony from 2005 to 2018. As the former CEO and Chairman of Umicore SA, Mr. Vinck held positions as Chief Executive Officer of Compagnie Financière Eternit and Belgian Railways (SNCB). Karel Vinck graduated as an electrical and mechanical engineer from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium) and followed a post-graduate production management program at the University of Ghent. He also holds a Master in Business Administration from Cornell University (US).

Management Deprez BV, with permanent representative Mrs. Veerle Deprez

Mrs. Deprez started her career with Alcatel Bell in 1980. She created in 1987 together with her brother Hein Deprez the group Univeg which merged in 2015 into Greenyard Foods, a global top player in fresh and processed fruits and vegetables listed on Euronext Brussels. Mrs. Veerle Deprez is, through her management company Management Deprez BV, non-executive director and member of the nomination committee and remuneration committee at Greenyard. Mrs. Deprez is also a member of the board of directors of a maritime and logistics company, located in Belgium. 

ANBA bv, with permanent representative Mrs. Anne-Marie Baeyaert

Mrs. Baeyaert holds a Bachelor’s degree in Maritime Sciences and completed Middle Management, Effective Management and Financial Management programs from the VLERICK Business School of Ghent. Mrs. Baeyaert is currently active as owner of ResiGrass and Cosy Lounge. Before starting these businesses she was active as board member and Business Unit director of the Katoen Natie Group. Her career within Katoen Natie Group started in 1985. She was active as a board member of the Katoen Natie Group in the period 1987 – 2013. Mrs. Baeyaert currently serves on the board of directors of Rosier Group, De Vlaamse Waterweg and Befimmo. She is also president of the audit committee at De Vlaamse Waterweg.

Pasma nv, with permanent representative Mr. Patrick Steverlynck

Mr. Patrick Steverlynck was born into a Flemish industrial family. He studied Latin Science and graduated as a Diplomingenieur Maschinebau from the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule in Aachen, Germany. After his studies, in 1975 he joined Picanol, Belgium’s renowned weaving machine manufacturer, where he started in the after sales service. Mr. Patrick Steverlynck became CEO and chairman of the board of Picanol nv in 1987, in succession of his father, Emmanuel Steverlynck. He stepped back from his function as CEO in 2001 and in 2004 also as Chairman. His experience at Picanol allows him to share with the other board members his essential experience in weaving machines and his wide network within the textile world. Until recently, Mr. Patrick Steverlynck was, amongst others, also engaged as a director in following organizations/companies: chairman of Agoria’s Committee for Mechanical Engineering and director of the board of Jan Yperman Ziekenhuis in Ypres.

Laurie Tack

Ms. Laurie Tack holds a Bachelor Degree in Finance, Accounting and Economics from the University of Kent (UK) where she graduated in 2012 and a MBA from Harvard Business School (Boston, USA). She started her professional career as analyst in a private equity firm in London in 2012, followed by holding various management positions in Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc., a company headquartered in Phoenix, AZ (USA) and part of the Tessenderlo Group where she gained experience in finance, sales and strategy execution. In 2020 she took the position of executive director of Harmony Industries – Clarysse nv, a company part of the Love Home Fabrics Group, headquartered in Belgium. Ms. Laurie Tack’s further particular interest goes to the workings, management, dynamics and governance of family businesses.

Ann Vereecke bv, with permanent representative Mrs. Ann Vereecke

Ms. Ann Vereecke is Professor and partner at Vlerick Business School, and Professor at Ghent University. She has been Faculty Dean of Vlerick Business School from 2008 till 2018. She graduated as an engineer at Ghent University, and has obtained her PhD at Ghent University in 1997, having been a visiting PhD candidate in INSEAD (France). Ms. Ann Vereecke teaches Operations and Supply Chain Management in the MBA and Master programmes at Vlerick Business School. She currently serves on the board of the food company Ter Beke, North Sea Port and bpostgroup.