en.Wedoany.com Reported - Rob Smeets has been officially appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges for a six-year term. He succeeds Jacques Vandermeiren, who announced his resignation on April 14. Since Vandermeiren's departure, Smeets has been serving as the port's interim CEO.

Smeets has worked at the port for over two decades, holding several senior management positions: he took charge of the tugboat division in 2014, was promoted to Director of Nautical Operations in 2017, and has served as Chief Operating Officer since 2019. According to the port authority, the selection process began with the evaluation of a large number of candidates by a selection committee formed by the board of directors, and "Rob Smeets emerged as the strongest candidate."

Johan Klaps, Chairman of the Port Authority, commented that Smeets is a "familiar face" both within the organization and externally, "knows our stakeholders well, and is able to reconcile different interests." "Rob knows the port authority and the port better than anyone," Klaps added. Vice Chairman of the Board Dirk De fauw noted that the selection process was swift and thorough, and "based on his experience, knowledge of the port, and leadership skills, Rob became the strongest candidate in this process."

In his response, Smeets thanked the board for their trust, stating that the Port of Antwerp-Bruges "holds a strong international position, with excellent employees, customers, and partners." He expressed his desire to work with all parties to build a port that "can continuously increase its influence, prepare for future challenges, and further strengthen its status as a leading global port."

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