Bekaert’s De Graeve Elected Belgium’s ‘Manager of the Year’

Belgium’s Bekaert reports with pride that its CEO, Bert De Graeve, has been voted the country’s Manager of the Year by a jury panel made up of industry and academic specialists. Commenting on the jury’s report, the steel cord manufacturer notes that De Graeve is “praised for his strong leadership skills with which he guided Bekaert through a crisis year and his pro-active management and entrepreneurship which added to the company’s resilience.” Other qualities specifically singled out, Bekaert adds, were De Graeve’s “future-oriented approach focusing on innovation and internationalisation, the sustainability demonstrated in his work and the societal role he takes up in his function as CEO.”

“The award is a valuable recognition for Bekaert and its 23000 employees who all have their share in Bekaert’s success,” commented De Graeve. “It is nice to see that we are publicly acknowledged as an excellent performer especially in challenging times like these. It shows that a consistent strategy focusing on sustainable growth and innovation pays off.”

The Manager of the Year award, which crowns the best-performing manager of the year, is a key annual event for Belgium’s business world and a joint initiative of the business magazine Trends, TV channel Kanaal Z and the Flemish Management Association (Vlaamse Management Associatie). Ten candidates are nominated by the jury each year, and several criteria are considered to find an ultimate winner, including the company’s financial performance and corporate governance; how the company relates to its peers; the management techniques displayed by the manager and the collaboration with the management team. Since 2007 Bert De Graeve has been short-listed for the award on three consecutive occasions.