After serving as Chairman for six years, Stefaan Vanhooren has indicated he was not seeking another term as Chairman of the Board of the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC). As a founding member of the FCCC, Stefaan became a Board Member in 2005, was Vice-Chairman from 2010 to 2015, and thereafter Chairman. At the General Assembly on May 12, 2021, Kurt Vandeputte was appointed Chairman of the Board effective immediately. Kurt Vandeputte is Senior Vice-President Government Affairs at Umicore and has been leading the battery materials unit till July 2019. He has a long-term experience in China in commercial and leading positions at the local joint-venture.

Kurt Vandeputte said: “I intend to take on the chairmanship of the FCCC with a lot of commitment and enthusiasm. Thanks to the many years of efforts of Stefaan and his colleagues in the Board and the unrelenting commitment of Gwenn Sonck, the FCCC has become a healthy and valued organization.” He added: “I am looking forward to further strengthen networking and dialogue between our Flemish members and Chinese academic and business circles. I also would like to explicitly thank Stefaan Vanhooren for his long-term contribution to the FCCC.”

During the General Assembly, Filip Coremans (Managing Director Asia, AGEAS) and Luc Delagaye (Member of the Executive Committee Agfa-Gevaert) were appointed Vice-Chairman and Member of the Board respectively, replacing Vice-Chairmen Bart De Smet (Chairman AGEAS) and Philippe Van der Donckt (Business Development Director, UMICORE), who did not seek another term of office.

The Board of Directors expressed its gratitude to Stefaan, Bart and Philippe for their enthusiastic commitment, efficiency and vision through the years, turning the FCCC into the respected voice of the many companies and organizations in Flanders-China trade relations.