Flemish CEOs popular with foreign multinationals
The ten biggest companies that have currently have a Fleming as there CEO currently employ a total of 660,000 people worldwide. The West Fleming that has been Nestlé’s CEO since April 2008 Paul Bulcke (photo above) runs a company that employs 330,000 people worldwide.
Jean Van den Eynde from the headhunting bureau Russel Reynolds told ‘De Tijd’ that "Flemings fit well within the concept of a modern CEO: they are down to earth and more focused on the market rather than on power.”
“There is a generation of Flemings that has studied at very good Belgian and Foreign universities. They are multi-lingual and flexible. They combine this with loyalty, hard work and an ability to find innovative solutions.
Top 10 Flemish CEOs according to number of employees
Paul Bulcke - Nestlé (330.000)
Dirk Van den Berghe - Walmart Canada (90.000)
Jean-Fr. van Boxmeer - Heineken (81.000)
Ronnie Leten - Atlas Copco (40.000)
Patrick De Maeseneire - Adecco (31.500)
Rudy Provoost - Rexel (30.000)
Olivier Van den Bossche - Galeria Kaufhof (21.000)
Kurt Staelens - Macintosh Retail Group (11.000)
Wilfried Verstraete - Euler Hermes (6.100)