BESIX Real Estate Development, the real estate subsidiary of BESIX Group, announces the appointment of Laurent Maes as Chief Financial Officer, effective 1st January 2024.    

Previously, he held the position of Senior Vice President Group Controlling & Business Planning at the hospitality giant Radisson Hotel Group. Prior to moving back to his home country, Belgium, he spent 16 years of his career in Finance & Control at Johnson & Johnson – one of the world’s most renowned companies in manufacturing medical devices, pharmaceuticals and consumer packaged goods. He successively held the positions of Senior Finance Director of the California Innovation Center in the US,  Finance Director for the Nordic region, Senior Finance Director and Chief Financial Officer for Johnson & Johnson, Germany. Earlier in his career, Laurent also spent two years as Management Consultant, Strategy & Organization Practice, at Arthur D. Little. 

He is an MBA graduate from the Vlerick Leuven Ghent Management School and holds a master’s degree in Applied Economics and Engineering from the University of Antwerp.

Gabriel Uzgen, CEO BESIX RED, says: “We are very pleased to have Laurent join BESIX RED. Beyond his remarkable international experience in complex and dynamic industries, it is his personality, human touch, and vision for a more ESG-oriented future that resonate with our values. We believe Laurent will be a perfect fit for our team at BESIX RED.” 

As CFO of BESIX RED, Laurent will focus on strengthening the pan-European developer’s presence in markets where the company is already active and helping it to expand into new strategic European cities. He will also work on making sure the company achieves its ambitious ESG targets and will identify new sources of investment, co-development and equity partners, both in Belgium and internationally.    

Laurent Maes says: «As I step into the CFO role at BESIX RED, it’s both an honor and an exciting opportunity. In a challenging financial landscape and with a focus on sustainability, I join an experienced team to address new challenges. My goal is to align with BESIX RED’s objectives of growth, profitability, and sustainable performance. I look forward to contributing to our collective success.»