Andre Knaepen
TLDR
Andre Knaepen is founder of Cegeka, one of Belgium's largest IT services and cloud solutions companies, headquartered in Hasselt, which he built from a 30-person spinoff in 1992 to a 9,000-employee group operating across 20 countries.
Overview
Knaepen led a management buyout of VCST's (Volvo Cars Sint-Truiden) IT software division in 1992, partnering with Herman van Halen to acquire the unit. He grew Cegeka into one of Belgium's most prominent IT services companies before stepping down as CEO in 2019, handing leadership to Stijn Bijnens while remaining as chairman of the board. In 2024 he received the "Gulden Spoor" award for outstanding economic impact in Belgium.