GOVERNANCE
Stefaan Fiers
Stefaan is president of Bepact since its creation in 2016. He is Head of Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Patient Advocacy at Takeda Belgium, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Belgium. With his team, he secures the analysis of the healthcare policy, engages with external stakeholders and the coordinates the communication strategy of the company. Additionally, he oversees Takeda’s public affairs activities in the 24 mid-sized countries in Europe.
Before joining Takeda in June 2020, he was Director Communications and Public Policy at the Belgian pharma industry association ‘pharma.be’ and held public policy positions in the pharma industry, at Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium/Luxembourg and at MSD Belgium.
Next to his activities at Takeda, Stefaan is Associate Professor in Public Affairs and Comparative Politics at KU Leuven, Board member of PACE (Public Affairs Community Europe), and author of several books and peer reviewed articles.
Isabelle De Vinck
As Managing Partner of Political Intelligence Belgium, Isabelle is in charge of the overall practice, management, client coordination and day-to-day operations of their Brussels office.
Isabelle has extensive experience setting up and running industry trade bodies, grouping and coalitions and has been involved in a wide range of EU and Belgium regulatory issues. Political Intelligence’s vision is one of transparency and best practice, where the teams abide with ethical standards. That’s also why Isabelle has been actively participates for more than 10 years in the transparency debate.
As chairwoman of EPACA, the European Public affairs’ consultancy associations and as Bepact board members she wishes to contribute improving the professional standards of Public affairs in Brussels and more broadly in Belgium.
Jeroen Dhanens
Jeroen is Director Corporate Affairs & Communications at Japan Tobacco International (JTI) for Belgium and Luxembourg.
Initially pursuing his career as a tax lawyer, Jeroen joined in 2003 the British American Tobacco Co-ordination centre as Legal counsel within the Corporate Affairs & Legal Department. In 2009, he moved to JTI heading the Corporate Affairs & Communications department for Belgium and Luxembourg where he is responsible for government and external stakeholder’s relations, media relations, crisis management, internal communication and CSR projects.
JORD VAN WASSENHOVE
Jord Van Wassenhove is Corporate Affairs Manager Benelux at PepsiCo, one of the largest food & beverage companies in the world.
Jord started his career in government at the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) and at the public affairs department of the sector federation of the Antwerp diamond sector before joining PepsiCo in January 2023.
Jord has developed expertise in stakeholder management and public affairs at European, national, regional and local level as well as in corporate social responsibility and supply chain due diligence.
He obtained a Master’s degree in Political Science at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and completed parts of his studies in South-Korea (Seoul) and China (Shanghai).
Kathy Galloy
Kathy Galloy holds a Master Degree in Comparative and International Politics from the KU Leuven.
She currently works as an advisor Innovation & Digitization at technology federation Agoria, where she liaises with companies, Flemish politics and administration for innovation dossiers.
In 2016, she started her career as a public affairs consultant at akkanto, before becoming a parliamentary assistant in the Flemish Parliament in 2020.
Amaury De Saint Martin
Amaury is Associate Partner at Dentons Global Advisors.
Graduated from Sciences Po Paris (Master’s degree in Political Sciences) and the University of Louvain (Master’s degree in Modern History), Amaury has 20 years of international experience mainly in France and Vietnam.
After 6 months internship at the Belgian Embassy in Washington DC, Amaury lived and worked 7 years in Paris in account management roles in different PR agencies. From 2007, Amaury lived in Ho Chi Minh City where he started his work experience as Account Director & Chief Representative of one of the leading PR firm in Vietnam. In 2009, he founded his own communication and public relations consulting company based in Ho Chi Minh City with branch offices in Hanoi & Phnom Penh.
Back in Belgium since 2013, he worked 4 years at the Presidency of the Mouvement Reformateur as political advisor and deputy director of the party's Think Tank (Centre Jean Gol). At the same time, he worked as advisor at the infrastructure & public enterprises committee of the Belgian Parliament. From 2016 till April 2021, Amaury was also Board Director at the Brussels South Charleroi Airport. Since July 2018 till end of 2021, Amaury was General Inspector and member of the executive committee of the City of Charleroi managing 1200 public officers in his own department. Amaury is married and father of two daughters.
Charline Desmecht
Charline Desmecht is Belgian Corporate Affairs Lead at UCB.
Charline joined UCB in 2021. Before that, she was active as a lawyer, a teaching assistant in constitutional law, an advisor in federal cabinets, a consultant and a business coach. This diverse yet coherent experience of over 20 years makes her a curious, value-driven and permanently evolving professional.
She is also a board member for the Board of Urban Youth Games, a not for profit organization fostering inclusion through sport.
Mark De Zutter
Mark De Zutter is CEO of the well known Law & Lobby practice, specialising in innovation-digitalisation-defense
He was 8 years 2024 Director Public Affairs Europe & Belgium for Proximus Group, including Proximus, BICS (Belgacom International Carrier Services),....
He occupied lawyer functions in multiple sectors: for the Belgian Government as a Legal and Political Expert to the Federal Deputy Prime Minister, Telecommunication and New Media. He then moved on to being an independent lawyer and public affairs directo for Alfacam and Euro1080. During these multiple accomplishments he is also intensely active as commercial lawyer for his own law firm: Law & Lobby Office DE ZUTTER.
In the most recent years Mark De Zutter became vice president of the steering committee of international sports, entertainment and technology club at Agoria. As a board member of Bepact responsible for the International part, he recently founded Letzpact, where he sits on the board; Mark contributes with his great expertise and know how.
Isabelle Marchand
At Febelfin, the Belgian Financial Sector Federation, she is responsible for European and Public Affairs, as well as Director Marketing & Communication and Spokesperson. She represents the financial sector in trade associations, like the Belgian Federation of Enterprises (FEB/VBO) and the European Banking Federation (EBF), as well as towards policymakers and the larger public.
Isabelle has built up expertise in stakeholder management and public affairs at European and national level, with a particular focus on advocacy towards the European institutions. In addition, she is since several years responsible for the contacts with the Belgian press, as spokesperson of Febelfin.
Before joining Febelfin in 2011, she assisted the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU during the Belgian Presidency, as a Bernheim stagiair.
Pierre Deraedt
Pierre Deraedt is Partner-Director at the public affairs and communications agency SoWhatCommunications International (SWC).
He initially started his career at Philip Morris International (PMI), where he held a wide variety of functions, spanning from commercial, business development to public affairs and communications roles. His last position before joining SWC was Director External Affairs for Belgium and Luxembourg, heading the in-house public affairs and communications department in PMI’s Benelux affiliate.
With his extensive experience in commercial strategy and business operations within a multinational environment, Pierre specializes in collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop and implement effective public relations campaigns that ensure alignment between public affairs and communications objectives and overarching business goals.
Pierre Deraedt holds a master’s degree in Sciences of Business Economics and a master’s degree in Operations and Technology Management from the University of Ghent.
Linde Verheyden
Linde Verheyden is Director Public Affairs at BNP Paribas Fortis, one of the leading banks in Belgium. She is based in Brussels and is working on the crossroads of Public Affairs, CSR and Business Development.
Before starting at the Public Affairs department, Linde held multiple positions within the bank. Starting as Management Trainee in 1999, she built up an extensive expertise in risk management, trade finance, business development, stakeholder management and public affairs during her career. She has a direct line with key political, diplomatic and trade representatives and an ongoing dialogue with various Belgian stakeholder organizations and ngo’s on topics such as banking, international trade, digital inclusion and sustainability.
She holds a Master in Slavonic Languages and degrees in International Relations and Business Economics at the Catholic University of Leuven, and studied for a short while in Kazan, Russia
Laurent Fierens Gevaert
Laurent is Senior Government Affairs Manager at British American Tobacco, leading the company’s external engagement in Belgium and Luxembourg. He works between Brussels and Luxembourg.
Laurent has over 12 years’ experience in Public Affairs and has previously worked in this role at Napoleon, Philip Morris International, Whyte Corporate Affairs and Delhaize. He was also an active member of AmCham Belgium for 5 years where he sat at the Government Relations Forum (GRF), the main committee within the American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium, where he served as Vice-Chair for 2 mandates.
Laurent has a broad experience working in challenging environments, with a solid track record in developing and executing public affairs strategies, managing stakeholders’ relations, and engaging with decision-makers at local, regional, national, and European level. Laurent holds a master’s degree in finance & business management from ICHEC and has taken several professional development courses in leadership and management, the latest in Sustainability Management at Vlerick Brussels.
Laurent has been a member of Bepact since its creation in 2016.
Tayanne Schlesser
Tayanne Schlesser is Office Manager at Bepact.
After a bachelor degree in Marketing she did many internship for event companies.
Next to her activities at Bepact, Tayanne is also Office Manager for Letzpact (Luxembourg Public Affairs Community) and Simply Better (Event Company).
Tayanne will secure the Bepact administration part-time.
info@bepact.be