VGP announces proposed changes to Board of Directors

VGP New Board Members Press Release EN (9 April 2019)

Marek Šebesťák, Alexander Saverys and Jos Thys to retire after 12 years of exemplary service
Ann Gaeremynck, Katherina Reiche and Vera Gäde-Butzlaff to be proposed as replacements at Annual Shareholders Meeting on 10 May 2019

9 April 2019, Antwerp (Berchem), Belgium: VGP NV (‘VGP’ or ‘the Group’) distributed today the Convocation for the upcoming Annual Shareholders’ Meeting and announced that the Board of Directors have nominated Mrs. Ann Gaeremynck, Mrs. Katherina Reiche and Mrs. Vera Gäde-Butzlaff for appointment as new independent board members. The Annual Meeting will be held on 10 May 2019.

Jan van Geet, CEO of VGP, said: “Following twelve years of exemplary service, the mandate of our current independent board members, Marek Šebesťák, Alexander Saverys and Jos Thys will come to an end at the upcoming Annual Shareholders Meeting and we would hereby like to express our sincere gratitude for their helpful insights, efforts and ever-lasting enthusiasm.”

Upon approval of the proposed appointments by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of Mrs. Ann Gaeremynck, Mrs. Katherina Reiche and Mrs. Vera Gäde-Butzlaff, the term of office will become effective as of 10 May 2019. In replacement of Mr. Marek Šebesťák, Mr. Bart van Malderen[1] will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors.

CEO Jan Van Geet explained: “I am extremely pleased that our Board has nominated Ann, Katherina and Vera to join the Company’s Board of Directors. They have all three enjoyed exceptional professional careers: Katherina and Vera have invaluable experience in cooperating with German municipalities, state governments and with clients at the interface of the public/private sector and Ann in financial reporting, audit and governance.”

Mrs. Ann Gaeremynck (Belgian) currently is professor of accounting and audit at the KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. Her main research area focuses on the field of audit and governance. She is also holder of the Deloitte Chair on Governance. It is the intention of the board to elect Ann Gaeremynck as chairman of the audit committee.

Mrs. Katherina Reiche (German) has been Chief Executive of the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU) in Germany since September 2015 and President of the European Confederation of Public Employers and Enterprises (CEEP) since June 2016. She was a member of the German Budestag from 1998 to 2015 and deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 2005 to 2009.

Mrs. Vera Gäde-Butzlaff (German) was Assistant Secretary of State for the Environment and Agriculture at the Ministry for Regional Planning, Agriculture and the Environment of Saxony-Anhalt, from 2001 to 2002. In 2003 she became a member of the board of Berlin city cleaning and waste management companies (BSR), and she was appointed CEO from 2007 until 2014. From 2015 to 2018 she was CEO of GASAG AG, one of the largest regional German energy providers. Since April 2018 she is Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Vivantes, the hospital group.

The full details of the proposed appointments to the board have been included in the convocation and agenda of VGP’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting scheduled for 10 May 2019 which can be found on the company’s website:

[1] Mr. Bart van Malderen as permanent representative for VM Invest NV