Jacques Vandermeiren (63), the CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, is stepping down after nearly ten years of service. He had been CEO since 2017 and would normally have remained in office until the end of 2029. The Dutchman Rob Smeets, currently COO, will temporarily take over the leadership.

Next week, the port authority will start negotiations in Singapore regarding the complex Extra Container Capacity Antwerp (ECA) project, and according to Vandermeiren, it is not ideal to embark on such a monster project if you cannot see it through. That is why he is stepping down now.

‘Beginning of a strategic phase’

Antwerp Port Alderman Johan Klaps spoke of the end of an era on Tuesday, when the news was announced. “Vandermeiren transformed the port into a modern company,” Klaps said, full of praise.

According to the port authority, discussions regarding a change of leadership had been ongoing behind the scenes for quite some time. “The organization is currently at the beginning of a new strategic phase, in which a strong emphasis will be placed on cost efficiency and sustainable value creation,” the official statement reads. “Therefore, it was decided that it is appropriate to have this phase led by a new CEO, who can outline and implement the new strategic plan from the outset.”