Van de Velde appoints Erwin Van Laethem as its new CEO

Van de Velde has announced that Erwin Van Laethem will assume his new responsibility as the company’s CEO on September 1, 2016. After an induction period he will formally take over Ignace Van Doorselaere’s duties.

“I am delighted with the arrival of Erwin Van Laethem and look forward to working with him. I am confident that he is the right person to ensure the sustained success and further development of our business,” said Herman Van de Velde, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

“I am very enthusiastic and feel privileged to lead such a great company as Van de Velde in this phase of its development. The customer experience, organisation, product portfolio and brands that have been developed over the years are simply world class. I am looking forward to realising the company’s full potential together with our employees and business partners,” added Laethem.

Erwin Van Laethem, a Belgian, has a degree in civil engineering and an MBA. He was a member of the Executive Board of the Dutch energy company Essent for more than five years between 2009 and 2015, including three years as CEO.

Alongside his position as CEO of Essent, in 2014 he was also appointed chief innovation officer at RWE Group, Essent’s parent group. Before joining Essent as CEO in Belgium in 2006, Van Laethem held various international executive positions at Shell in retail, supply chain, mergers and acquisitions, market entry and strategy development, including vice president Europe supply chain and sales director Shell Netherlands.