Experience

Materia Nova

• Belgium
• Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• orbiting internally and externally imagining new original combinations

  • Oct 2019 - Present



PVAC Management SA/NV

• Director

  • Mar 1988 - Present



"ZERI Europe - Foundation for a Blue Economy" vzw (ZERI.EU vzw)

• Brussels Area, Belgium

• Co-Founder, Chaiman and CEO

  • Jan 2015 - Present

  Purpose as in statutes: I decided to put an end to the activities of this association and cease collaboration with Gunter Pauli in theZERI and Blue Economy networks see article published on September 3rd 2019 on this site Purpose as in statutes: I decided to put an end to the activities of this association and cease collaboration with Gunter Pauli in theZERI and Blue Economy networks see article published on September 3rd 2019 on this site



SOL (Society for Organizational Learning)

• Active member and benevolent contributor

  • May 2005 - Present

  SoL, the Society for Organizational Learning, is an intentional learning community composed of organizations, individuals, and local SoL communities around the world. A not-for-profit, member-governed corporation, SoL is devoted to the interdependent development of people and their institutions in service of inspired performance and meaningful results. SoL serves as a space in which individuals and institutions can create together that which they cannot create alone. I am very active in SOL, cutrrently as a benevolent contributor, member in the Netherlands, in the UK, in the European Sustainability Group, in the European Research Café and The European Coordinator's Group. Show less



Finance & Management International

• Director

  • Jun 1992 - Present



Self Employed

• United States
• 700 & Above Employee

• Grandfather on a Mission towards Edgar Morin's still invisible and unconceivable Métamorphoses

  • Oct 2019 - Oct 2019



Cities for Good (scientific and sociatal initiative)

• Design

• Impossibility Sherpa & Wicked Problem Solver

  • Feb 2011 - Oct 2019

  Is it possible to re-engineer the infrastructure of cities such that — in the popular metaphor of the urban ecological footprint (EF) — cities might “walk on air”? How might the infrastructure of a city be re-engineered so that that infrastructure can be used deliberately to restore natural capital and enhance ecosystem services? These are the challenges that motivate our work on “Cities as Forces for Good in the Environment”, or CFG. They are grand indeed. They were first expressed in an essay on “Cities” by Paul Crutzen (Nobel Laureate in Chemistry), Bruce Beck (Engineer), and Michael Thompson (Anthropologist). The essay was prepared as a discussion piece for the US National Academy of Engineering’s (2006/7) Blue Ribbon Panel on “Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century”. Our “big” questions will remain in front of us, out of reach, not fully answerable. Yet they are more likely than not to lead us to other interesting questions that we can answer — but which would never have been asked had those grand challenges not been posed in the first place. Look at the website http://cfgnet.org to see more Show less



ZERI 'Zero Emissions Research & Initiatives"

• Belgium

• Blue Economy Entrepreneur

  • Sep 2012 - Sep 2019

  What is ZERI? Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (ZERI) is a global network of creative minds, seeking solutions to the ever increasing problems of the world. The members take on challenges, other will consider impossible or too complex. Starting from ideas, based on science, the common vision shared by each and every member of the ZERI network is to seek sustainable solutions for society, from unreached communities to corporations inspired by nature's design principles. Innovative solutions are constantly designed by the ZERI teams drawn from many walks of life and expertise. see www.zeri.org Show less



Comind

• Banking
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Owner

  • Jun 2005 - May 2010

  With two other partners I founded CoMind in 2005. Our mission was to enable organizations to become agile for seizing the opportunities of the rapidly and fundamentally changing world. Our aim was also to help create the necessary surrounding conditions enabling organizations to develop naturally. So we are also involved in building flourishing community systems and regions. CoMind allowed its partners to learn a lot, to experience other ways than traditional consulting for uplifting client's organizations as independent third party. We always intervened in Action Research mode, basing our interventions on cutting edge science. By actively searching out a wide variety of interventions and client types we did build out and strengthen our experience and competence. A highlight was when a company we had been involved with for 5 years received the Most Innovative Company Award in France, for its managerial innovation. After 6 years of working together, experience gained, we decided it was time for each partner to follow his own path. CoMind was gradually phased out without discontinuity for our existing clients. It still exists as a closed learning network of like-minded people. Show less



United Anodisers SA

• Member of the Board of Directors

  • Apr 1989 - Jun 2009



Brussels Business Mediation Center

• Certified Mediator

  • Sep 2000 - Jan 2005



Galvapower Group

• Managing Director

  • Apr 2000 - Jan 2001

  The company was held in majority by the Carmeuse Group. It comprised 17 plants specialised in job shop galvanising of steel, with leading market shares in France and Begium and one plant in Holland. I was appoiinted a turn-around manager, in charge of restoring business profitability and financial health, whilst at the same time mandated to negotiate a profitable transfer of ownership of the group on behalf of its shareholders. Eventually the group was sold to a German private industrial Group in its sector, leading to above normal profits for the selling shareholders. Show less



Coil SA

• Managing Director

  • Apr 1991 - Feb 2000

  This company was acquired in April 1989 from the founding shareholder through a Management Buy In, organized by Ace Inventures. Upon the passing away, after a short illness, of my Partner in Ace Inventures, Armand Popowsky , I took the leadership position in the company, as Managing Director. I applied an ambitious growth strategy, supported by major investments, which lead to the MBO of the company in September 1992. I organised this MBO through a new partnership formed mainly with Tim Hutton. French, UK, US, and Belgian Institutional Investors and a new Bank Pool supported this Buy-Out. In July 1996 the company was floated on the French Nouveau March� (Paris Stock Exchange). I transferred the daily leadership in the company to Tim Hutton in February 2000, resigned as Managing Director, whilst remaining member of the Board of Directors. Show less



Ace Inventures Management

• Founding Partner

  • Jun 1992 - Jun 1996

  Ace Inventures was created by Tim Hutton and myself, as a follow-up of the activities after the unwinding of the partnership Ace Investures after the passing away of Armand Popowsky. Main projectrs were: Acquisition and management of COIL and subsequent IPO of the company on the Paris Nouveau March� Acquisition of the ailing Zincpower Group, turn-around management, organizational and financial restructuring leading to sales of the assets to a consortium of Shareholders lead by the Carmeuse Group Acquisition of the ailing LAG (mainly manufacturing of trailers for transport of liquids) in need of urgent financial restructuring. Turn-around management, organizational and financial restructuring leading to the sale of the company to a Dutch Group in the same sector. Turn-around management of the remains of the Donnay group on behalf of the Walloon Governement. This lead to the disposal of the main activities of Donnay to a UK trade buyer. Show less



Ace Inventures

• Founding Partner

  • Jun 1987 - Sep 1992

  Ace Inventures was founded by 4 partners, of which Armand Popowsky and myself. The goal of the company was to acquire promising companies with high unexploited growth and profit potential. The acquisition of Coil, world leader in the anodizing of aluminium flat rolled products, remained the first and only deal. The premature passing away of Armand Popowsky in April 1991, after a short illness cut short a number of bidding processes for which substantial financial commitments were organized and secured. I lead to substantial financial and legal rearrangement with a view of organizing Armands very compex succession, which also imposed to stop the activities of the company and unwind the other partnerships. Show less



Prodata Group

• Turn Around Manager

  • Oct 1986 - Jun 1987

  The Prodata Group shareholding was held in majority by its founder, Franky Carbonez. Minority Private and Institutional Shareholders and a Pool of Banking Institutions had financed the substantial growth of the company. After some years of flat earnings, Franky Carbonez hired me and my Partrner Armand Popowsky as Turn Around Managers to reorganize the company for increased performance, solve urgent financial issues including breaches of covenants in Banking arrangements, and solving minority sharehoding issues. Our intervenntion led to increased performance, and the successfull transfer of the minority shareholding. Show less



Sidel

• France
• Machinery Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• CEO

  • Sep 1984 - Aug 1986

  I was hired as crisis manager by the Sidmar Group (subsiduary of Arbed) to restructure and grow their information technology diversification venture which was conducted through Sidel (majority held companies) and Sidinvest (minority participations) under the chaimanship of Alphonse Helfen. I applied a ambitious development plan to SIDEL, This lead the company to become a significant player in Computer Retail, Turn-Key Solutions, Outsourcing Services, and Technical and Strategic Information Technology Consulting. Upon Mr. Helfen's dramatic departure from Sidmar and Arbed, I resigned from the company together with my deputy, Armand Popowsky, to start a venture of our own. Show less



Sidel NV

• President

  • 1985 - 1986



SGS

• Switzerland
• Professional Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Member of the Board of Directors

  • May 1983 - Nov 1984

  SGS Qualitest was set-up to allow the SGS Group to enter the market of Quality management consultancy and certification in Belgium. I was hired as a consultant to study and launch this new activity. I resigned from the Board once the venture was stabilized, and also to avoid potential conflicts of interests with my position at SIDEL SGS Qualitest was set-up to allow the SGS Group to enter the market of Quality management consultancy and certification in Belgium. I was hired as a consultant to study and launch this new activity. I resigned from the Board once the venture was stabilized, and also to avoid potential conflicts of interests with my position at SIDEL



Siemens PLM Software

• Software Development
• 700 & Above Employee

• CEO

  • Mar 1982 - Nov 1983

  I founded Tecnomatix in 1982 as part of the MBO of a research and manaufacturing facility belonging to Thomson Brandt's Medical Division (CGR). As newly appointed COO of their Benelux Operations, I was faced with decisions requiring Thomson Medical to transfer all foreign industrial activities to French factories (in the aftermath of Thomson's nationalization by the French left government). I resisted these decisions and successfully negotiated an MBO, supported by the Flemish Government and the GIMV (Regional Investment Company). The operation aimed at redirecting the considerable competences of the workforce in the field of Robotics and Industrial Automation, thereby saving 170 jobs (70% of the workforce). Internal political battles within Thomson lead to legal struggles over the application of transitional modalities. I was forced to prematurely negotiate the sale of the company to the Oshap Group (Israel). Show less



CGR Benelux

• COO

  • Jun 1981 - Apr 1982

  I was appiointted head of the Benelux operations of Thomson's Medical Division in June 1981. I was immediately confronted with decisions from the group (inspired by the French newly appointed feft Government) to transfer all WW industrial and research activities to France. I negotiated a better arrangement for all parties, and lead an MBO of the industrial activities in Antwerpen. I resigned from All my mandates within the Thomson Group upon completion of the MBO( see Tecnomatix) I was appiointted head of the Benelux operations of Thomson's Medical Division in June 1981. I was immediately confronted with decisions from the group (inspired by the French newly appointed feft Government) to transfer all WW industrial and research activities to France. I negotiated a better arrangement for all parties, and lead an MBO of the industrial activities in Antwerpen. I resigned from All my mandates within the Thomson Group upon completion of the MBO( see Tecnomatix)



CGR Nederland

• Algemeen directeur

  • Feb 1978 - Apr 1982

  In 1978 I was requested by the Thomson Medical Division to develop their penetration in the Dutch Market. This was decided after the acquisition by Thomson of the WW Medical Division of GE (US General Electric Group). Starting in a Portakabin, CGR Nederland eventually ended up becoming a major player in Medical diagnostic imaging, radiotherapy, nuclear medecine, pacemakers, medical electrinic monitoring, with 25% market share in the main target markets, conquered from the long established players in the Netherlands, Philips and Siemens . Show less



CGR Benelux

• Director Finance, Admin, IT and After sales

  • Apr 1971 - Mar 1978

  Starting as controller in a very small company of 70 people, I moved to my position in this company which, following the example of its mother company in France (Compagnie de Radiologie- subsequently Thomson Medical Division) expanded very quickly on the Belgian market with research, manufacturing and commercial activities. The company was mainly active in the fields of Medical Diagnoctic Imaging (radiology, nuvclear medecine, computer tomographs, pet scans, ultrasound, etc...), Radiotherapy, and Medical Electronics. Show less



Femmes d'aujourd'hui (Hachette Group)

• Deputy to the Commercial Director

  • Sep 1969 - Apr 1971

  Upon completion of University I started my carreer in what was then a star pick on the Belgian Stock Market. I learned how quickly things can turn soar when the leadership grows blind and fat by past successes. Untimely investments, market launches, and a spoiled management structure lead this group to very quickly become marginal and loss making. A very good lesson at the very start of my carreer; Upon completion of University I started my carreer in what was then a star pick on the Belgian Stock Market. I learned how quickly things can turn soar when the leadership grows blind and fat by past successes. Untimely investments, market launches, and a spoiled management structure lead this group to very quickly become marginal and loss making. A very good lesson at the very start of my carreer;