Brussels Metropolitan Area
Executive leader with over 15 years of experience in healthcare policy, association management, and organisational leadership across the healthcare and life sciences sectors. I have led European and global associations, managed multi-million-euro budgets, and co-created advocacy strategies with members to deliver tangible policy impact. As Executive Director Europe at PPTA, I steered a leadership transition, coordinated affiliates across Europe, and built visibility with EU institutions. At Medicines for Europe, I drove market access and regulatory strategies, influencing EU frameworks on pricing, reimbursement, shortages, and biosimilars. Today, as Managing Director of Van Baelen Strategic Advocacy and Senior Advisor at Weber Shandwick, I support associations, NGOs, and life sciences companies in navigating complex policy, regulatory, and advocacy challenges. My leadership is rooted in authenticity, collaboration, and strategic clarity. I thrive at the intersection of policy, governance, and organisational development — building trust with boards, affiliates, policymakers, and partners to deliver sustainable results. 📩 Let’s connect if you’re shaping healthcare policy, leading system innovation, or navigating the EU ecosystem. 📧 [email protected] — 🔍 Keywords: Association Management · Executive Leadership · Strategic Planning · Public Affairs · EU Institutions · Regulatory Policy · Market Access · Health Policy · Governance · Board Engagement · Stakeholder Alignment · Organisational Development · Crisis Management
Founder of a Brussels-based consultancy community connecting healthcare and life sciences organisations with senior experts in public affairs, market access, regulatory policy and strategic communications. VBK & Partners acts as a strategic matchmaking platform, enabling organisations to rapidly assemble high-level expertise to navigate European health policy, regulatory frameworks and access challenges. Key activities: • Built a curated network of senior advisors across EU institutions, national authorities, industry and NGOs. • Provide strategic matchmaking between organisations and expert consultants to accelerate policy influence and improve patient access to healthcare innovation. • Support organisations in developing integrated strategies across public affairs, regulatory policy, market access and stakeholder engagement. • Facilitate cross-sector collaboration between industry, policymakers, patient organisations and research institutions.
Strategic advisor supporting advocacy and public policy projects for pharmaceutical, biotech and NGO clients across Europe. Provide strategic input on EU health policy developments, regulatory trends and stakeholder engagement strategies to support effective advocacy and positioning. Key activities: • Advise clients on EU health policy, pharmaceutical legislation and regulatory developments. • Support strategy development for advocacy campaigns and policy positioning. • Contribute to stakeholder mapping, coalition building and engagement strategies. • Provide policy analysis and foresight on emerging EU regulatory and industrial policy initiatives.
Founder of an independent strategic advisory supporting healthcare organisations, associations and life sciences companies on advocacy strategy, policy foresight and organisational leadership. Key activities: • Design advocacy and policy engagement strategies with executive teams and boards. • Provide policy foresight and horizon scanning across EU health and life sciences policy developments. • Advise organisations on governance, positioning and coalition development. • Support strategic communications and stakeholder engagement with policymakers, regulators and patient organisations.
Led the Brussels office of the global trade association representing the plasma-derived medicines sector, with responsibility for European strategy, advocacy, governance, operations and team leadership. Key responsibilities: • Directed European advocacy strategy and engagement with EU institutions, national governments and international stakeholders. • Managed Brussels office operations, including budget oversight and team leadership. • Represented the sector in high-level policy forums with EU institutions, think tanks and international organisations. • Coordinated advocacy strategies across multiple European markets. Key achievements: • Secured EU recognition of plasma collection as essential infrastructure during COVID-19. • Positioned the plasma sector within EU pharmaceutical and blood legislation reforms. • Led European awareness campaigns on plasma donation and treatment access. • Strengthened national advocacy strategies across key European markets. • Served as senior spokesperson for the sector in policy and media engagements.
Co-founded a digital health start-up delivering electronic product information (ePI) to patients, bridging patients and healthcare professionals through trusted, digital access to medicines. • Designed strategic roadmap, governance model, and stakeholder engagement plan. • Collaborated with regulators, patient groups, and industry partners to build acceptance of digital solutions. Impact: positioned ePI as a patient empowerment tool aligned with EU health policy objectives; secured early pilots and proof of concept.