Post by Olivier N. (Baron) Vanden Eynde

Congratulations, Alexander De Croo — our new UNDP United Nations Secretary-General! What an honor and joy to celebrate this incredible milestone — not only for Alexander, but for the greatness of the United Nations itself and for Belgium and Europe , in these disruptive and transformative times. As a fellow Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) alumnus (five years my senior), I feel personally proud to see one of our own take the helm of such a globally impactful institution. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege to witness Alexander’s genuine commitment to innovation, inclusion, and development — from joining us on the iconic Paterberg climb for “Bike to Close the Gap with DNS Belgium”, to championing Close the Gap co organized Belgian Tech for Development during the 2018 “Silicon Savannah” mission to Kenya, which he led as Minister of Development and ICT. That mission helped empower the launch of initiatives such as Close the Gap Kenya, Hydrobox, Elewa and many others that continue to shape sustainable ecosystems today. Another unforgettable memory: our 15th CTG anniversary celebration AT Deloitte University, Deloitte Belgium, alongside Desmond Tutu, KROES NEELIE, Christ'l Joris, Thomas Leysen, Marleen Temmerman, Jacques Buith, Rik Vanpeteghem, Guido Vandervorst Piet Vandendriessche, Peter Verlinden, and so many lasting champions of private sector for development. And yes — who could forget that legendary pizza evening at his ICT cabinet with Laurent Hublet, where BeCentral was born — an initiative I proudly co-founded with fellow Belgian EdTech believers (Jürgen Ingels, Philippe Van Ophem, Bart Steukers, Karen Boers Bart BECKS Piet Colruyt Saskia Van Uffelen Sebastien Deletaille and many others. Ten years later, after King Philippe inaugurated BeCentral in the early days, BeCentral is now Europe’s largest impact-driven EdTech hub in the Capital of Europe, Brussels. Alexander De Croo, bon vent, good luck and good courage on this next great mission. The UNDP could not be in better hands — your leadership embodies the very spirit of building a more equal, prosperous, and hopeful world where no one is left without perspective for a better future. And for sure we'll see you more often in Kenya, one of the UN headquarters of United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) . Can't wait to welcome you here with a core team of Belgian impact-entrepreneurs wanting to make you feel welcome ! Peter Maddens Thomas Poelmans Jente Rosseel Gerard Govaerts Marleen Temmerman #UNDP #Leadership #AlexanderDeCroo #SolvaySpirit #BelgianPride #InnovationForImpact #TechForDevelopment #CTG #BeCentral #PrivateSectorForDevelopment