Karel De Gucht

TLDR

Karel De Gucht is a former Belgian politician and EU Trade Commissioner who is active as a board director and investor, including a seat on the EnergyVision board alongside Herman Van Rompuy.

Overview

Karel De Gucht is identified in Omar Mohout's analysis of the Ghent tech ecosystem as a notable investor active in the Ghent startup scene. He serves on the board of EnergyVision, where he sits alongside fellow former Belgian politician Herman Van Rompuy.

He served as European Commissioner for Trade from 2010 to 2014, negotiating major trade agreements including CETA with Canada. Before that he was Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2004-2009) and Deputy Prime Minister (2008-2009). After his political career he moved into board and advisory roles in Belgian business, including director at Proximus SA, member of the European Advisory Board at CVC Capital Partners (since 2015), and board member at ArcelorMittal (since 2016). He also chairs Youston NV and is professor of European law at the Free University of Brussels.

Career History

• Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, Belgium (2004-2009)
• European Commissioner for Trade (2010-2014)
• Chairman, Youston NV
• Director, Proximus SA
• Member, European Advisory Board, CVC Capital Partners (since 2015)
• Board Member, ArcelorMittal (since 2016)
• Board Member, EnergyVision
• Professor of European Law, Free University of Brussels

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karel_De_Gucht
• https://www.cvc.com/about/our-people/karel-de-gucht/
• https://www.energyvision.be/en/news/herman-van-rompuy-joins-board-of-directors
• https://www.proximus.com/governance/board-of-directors/karel-de-gucht