Education
Master's degree in applied economics at IAG, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium; MBA from Harvard Business School
Career
Store Manager for bakery firm in Belgium (1982-1983); Delhaize Group (1983-2013); Store operations from trainee to store manager, Cub Foods, Atlanta, USA (1983-1986); Buyer, Director of purchasing, member of the Executive Committee and Director and Executive Vice-President of the Executive Committee in charge of international activities, Delhaize Belgium (1988-1998); President and Chief Executive Officer, Delhaize Group (1999-2013); Member of the Board of Directors of the Delhaize Groupe
Sports practised
Field hockey, swimming, cycling, skiing, mountain climbing, trekking
Sports administration
Board Member of the Belgian National Olympic Committee (COIB) (2002-); President of the COIB (2004-)
Other activities
Co-Chair of the Consumer Goods Forum (2009-2010); Chair of CIES, the Food Business Forum (2002-2004 and 2008-2009); Board Member of the Food Marketing Institute (1995-2013); Vice-President of FEB/VBO, Belgian Employers Federation (2008-); Board Member of Guberna (2006-); Member of the Belgian Commission on Corporate Governance (till 2010); Member of the board of Directors of Aramark inc, The Bata Shoe Company, D'Ieteren SA and Belron Ltd
Awards and distinctions
Belgium's Manager of the year (1999); Belgium’s BEL 20 CEO of the year (2008); Best CEO for investor relations for Belgium – Thomson Extel (2010); Commander of the Order of Leopold (2013)
IOC History
Chair of the Audit Committee (2014-); Member of the following Commissions: Finance (2013-), Ethics (2014-)