Bekaert unveils succession plan

Steek cord supplier Bekaert has revealed details of its succession plans for boths its chairman and CEO. Baron Buysse, chairman of the board of directors of Bekaert, will retire in May 2014 after 14 years in the chair of the company’s board.
Bert De Graeve, CEO of Bekaert since 2006, will become chairman of the board in succession of Baron Buysse as of May 2014.

The board of directors of Bekaert appointed Matthew Taylor as CEO designate. He will take up this position on 1 September 2013 and become a member of the Bekaert Group Executive. Matthew Taylor will assume the position of CEO of Bekaert in May 2014. His nomination as a member of the board of directors will then be subject to approval by the Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Board overview

Matthew Taylor (°1960), British, served from 2010-2013 as CEO of Edwards Group, a global market leader of vacuum pump technologies and abatement systems, with headquarters in the UK and stock listed on Nasdaq. Matthew Taylor graduated from the London School of Economics. After serving the British Royal Navy (1981-1985), he joined Ford Motor Company where he held various international management positions in marketing and sales before he became managing director of Land Rover in 2002. After more than 20 years at Ford Motor Company, Matthew Taylor joined J.C. Bamford Excavators Ltd, where he was promoted CEO in 2008. He stepped down in 2010 to become CEO of Edwards.

Bert De Graeve (°1955) joined Bekaert as chief financial and administration officer in 2002 and was appointed CEO in 2006. He started his career in 1980 with Arthur Andersen & Co. He joined Alcatel Bell in 1982, became general manager Shanghai Bell Telephone Equipment Mfg. Cy in Shanghai in 1991 and was appointed vice president, director operations at Alcatel Trade International in Paris in 1994, and director international affairs at Alcatel Alsthom in Paris in 1996. Bert De Graeve then transferred to the Flemish Public Radio & TV Broadcaster (VRT) and became managing director VRT (1996-2002). In 2002 he left the VRT and joined Bekaert.

Baron Buysse (°1945) has been chairman of the board of directors of Bekaert since 2000. He began his career in 1966 at Ford Motor Company in different marketing and sales functions. He joined British Leyland Belgium in 1976, became Executive director of Tenneco Belgium and managing director of J.I. Case Benelux in 1980, and General Manager Europe North – J.I. Case, International Harvester and Poclain in 1984. In 1988 Baron Buysse joined BTR where he took up several international executive positions before being appointed executive director BTR plc (London) in 1992. Before joining the Bekaert Group, Baron Buysse was CEO of Vickers plc (London, 1998-2000).