Brussels Region, Belgium
As CEO of Enabel, a state owned public limited company, I oversee a portfolio of 200+ projects in 21 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, supported by a team of 2,500 professionals. Enabel operates as as an enterprise, delivering impactful solutions in the fields of climate change, economic development and peace & security. With over 20 years of experience in leadership, management, international cooperation, diplomacy, and organizational strategy, I specialize in aligning policy with results, building cross-sector partnerships, and driving innovation at scale. My approach blends visionary thinking with pragmatic execution. I work closely with international institutions, governments, academia, and private sector actors to co-create solutions that are future-proof and locally grounded. I believe international cooperation is not just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic investment in global stability and shared prosperity.
Enabel is the Belgian agency for international cooperation, a state owned public limited company. Our mission is to build a sustainable world where all live under the rule of law and are free to thrive. With our partners, we offer solutions addressing pressing global challenges – Climate Change, Social and Economic Inequalities, Urbanisation, Peace and Security, Human Mobility – and promoting Global Citizenship. We have over 20 years' experience in areas ranging from education and health care to agriculture, environmental protection, digitalisation, employment and governance. Enabel’s expertise is eagerly sought-after by partners around the globe – ranging from the Belgian government, European Union institutions, governments of other countries and the private sector. We work with civil society, research institutes as well as businesses and we foster fruitful interaction between development policy and other areas. With over 2,500 staff, Enabel manages about 170 projects in more than twenty countries, in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
As co‑chair of the Practitioner Network, a coalition of EU Member State development agencies that shares operational expertise and provides coordinated input to EU institutions, I lead the network’s strategic agenda by turning field‑based experience into collective guidance that shapes European development policy.
- Advising VSO programs across Sub-Saharan Africa on local private sector development. - Negotiating partnerships with multinational corporations investing in Africa.
- Management and scale-up of the Tanzania program of VSO (annual turnover has increased eight-fold), with a portfolio of 15 projects in the fields of education, health and private sector development. - Leading a multidisciplinary and international team of 120 people - Successful identification and negotiation of partnerships with leading institutional donors (EU, UK, Swiss and Canadian Governments), multinational firms (Shell, Accenture), foundations (MasterCard) as well as local Government and non-state actors. - Set-up of innovative monitoring, learning and research tools demonstrating impact.