Bekaert names Yves Kerstens CEO

After having led the company over the past three years, Oswald Schmid will retire as Chief Executive Officer of Bekaert on 31 August 2023. He also will step down as member of the company’s Board of Directors on the same date. The Board has appointed former Bridgestone executive Yves Kerstens his successor as CEO, effective 1 September.

Kerstens is already a member of the Bekaert Group Executive and currently serves as Divisional CEO of Bekaert’s Specialty Businesses. The Board of Directors will coopt Kerstens as Director until the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held in May 2024.

“On behalf of the Board and the entire Bekaert team, I extend our sincere gratitude to Oswald for his dedication, leadership, and contributions during a very challenging period,” comments Jürgen Tinggren, chairman of Bekaert’s Board of Directors. “We wish him the very best on his well-deserved retirement.”

Well-prepared succession

Tinggren describes the announced leadership transition as the “culmination of a well-prepared succession planning process” and states that he is proud to announce Kerstens’ appointment. “The Board is convinced that Yves is the right person at the helm of the company. His leadership capabilities as Divisional CEO and Chief Operations Officer have been critically important in recent years and will be a key enabler to achieve Bekaert’s high ambitions for the future.”

“It has been a privilege and an honour to lead Bekaert over the past years and reposition the company as a technology leader driving the energy shift, new mobility, and low-carbon construction solutions provider,” adds Oswald Schmid. “I am confident that Yves Kerstens will further build on this and make Bekaert even stronger in the future, so that it can truly establish the new possible. I am extremely proud of our employees around the world and will miss their enthusiasm and unwavering commitment.”

From Bridgestone to Bekaert

Tyrepress.com readers may know Yves Kerstens from his 13 years at Bridgestone. During his time with the Japanese firm, he held several senior positions including Chief Operating Officer of Bridgestone Europe and, later, Chief Technology Officer of Bridgestone Asia Pacific. Kerstens left Bridgestone at the end of 2017 and joined Axalta Coating Systems, where he most recently held the role of Vice President Axalta and President EMEA. His career with Bekaert began in April 2021.

Yves Kerstens says he is honoured to assume the role as CEO of Bekaert. “It’s a responsibility I aim to take on with a passion for what Bekaert can achieve, as well as for the Bekaert culture that I believe is one of our important differentiators. I am looking forward to continuing to work with the Board, the BGE leadership team and all colleagues around the world, to position Bekaert for the future and create value for all our stakeholders.”

According to Bekaert, its steel cord reinforces 30 per cent of all tyres in the world.