The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has announced the departure of Jacques Vandermeiren as CEO of what is the second largest port in Europe by traffic volume. Vandermeiren, 62 years old and in charge of the port authority since January 2017, is leaving the position at a time when the organization is starting a new strategic phase focused on cost efficiency and the creation of sustainable value.
According to a statement from the port released this Tuesday, discussions about a change in management have been taking place behind the scenes for some time. The decision is based on the desire for the new strategic phase to be led by someone who can design and implement the plan from the beginning. No specific date has been provided for Vandermeiren's departure nor a timeline for the appointment of his successor.
On an interim basis, the general management will be taken over by the current Chief Operating Officer (COO), Rob Smeets, who will be responsible for ensuring the continuity of the policy and daily operations of the port until a new CEO is appointed.
The chairman of the board of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Johan Klaps, has expressed his appreciation for Vandermeiren's work over these years. "Under his leadership, not only was the position of our port strengthened on the world map, but important steps were also taken in innovation and the necessary ecological transition of our sector," Klaps noted, who described the merger between the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge as "his greatest achievement, a historic path that has turned us into the unified and solid organization that we are today."
The merger between the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, completed in 2022, was one of the most significant operations in the European port sector in recent years. The integration led to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, an entity that jointly manages the facilities of both sites and positions itself as one of the main logistics nodes on the continent, playing a central role in container, liquid bulk, and chemical trade.
Vandermeiren, a native of Antwerp, has stated that "it is time for a new era, for the company and for me personally. I have carried out this job with all my dedication. As an Antwerpian, the port has always been close to my heart, and it was a privilege to transform this organization into a modern, dynamic, and high-performing company."
For his part, Rob Smeets has stated that he takes on the interim management "with full dedication, prioritizing continuity for our employees and clients."
The transition at the top of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges occurs in a complex context for European ports, marked by geopolitical tensions stemming from the crisis in the Middle East, the disruption of international maritime routes, and the challenges posed by the energy transition and European environmental regulations to the shipping sector. The Belgian port, as one of the largest centers for container and energy product traffic in Europe, faces this new phase with the need to adapt its management model to a transforming environment.