Kruishoutem, Flemish Region, Belgium
CEO, Entrepreneur & Board Member with 30 years experience in general management, strategy, product marketing, innovation, sales and program management. Set up and managing a new Defense company with a LEAN drone factory, R&D center and a fresh high-end team, and bringing it to more than 75 mioEUR sales. Lead large departments, B2B complex sales growth and deliveries, project/program rescues and business turn-arounds with change management, internal and external communication and rebranding. This was in European, North American and Asian business cultures, including a 3 year expat contract in Asia. Deep network: C-level defense & aerospace, government Minister-level and military General/Admiral-level contacts. Several industry and company board positions in Belgium and Europe. Master in Electronic Engineering, Master of Business Administration and followed several leadership and operational excellence courses including at the Royal Military Academy and Harvard Business School. Commercial airplane pilot and flight instructor with multi-engine and single pilot IFR experience. Beechcraft King Air BE200 rated and current. Ambition: continue leading and investing in an aerospace and/or defense company by nurturing teams, leveraging network & experience, installing operational excellence, forcing innovation, fostering sales growth through customer intimacy and hard work.
Setting up and managing a new defense company, including hiring and structuring a high-end team of so far 120 people from scratch, starting an R&D innovation center in Wallonia, building and launching a brand-new 4400m² drone factory in Ostend, Flanders. Brought the company from 0 to more than 50 mioEUR in five years time. The first underwater drones have rolled off the LEAN production line in Q4 2023 within time, budget and quality. So far working 5 different R&D projects with >30 newly hired & trained engineers. This is the Belgium division of the French maritime and naval drone company Exail after the company won a 450m€ contract to build 12 drone toolboxes for Belgium and Netherland’s Navy new antimine-warfare program “rMCM”. Full P&L and statutory responsibility as the managing director. Security officer. Member of the COMEX Exail Pôle Systèmes Maritimes. Reporting into own Board & Group CEO. High level networking in Belgium & Netherlands Defense & Government, incl. EU to win new business and obtain R&D funding. Main challenges are managing growth, recruitment, cost control, LEAN introduction, constructing a factory and meeting the tight production deadlines of the program.
First officer on Beechcraft Kingair BE200. Type rated.