Non-Executive Directors

Johan Goossens, aged 51

Johan Goossens co-founded the Company in 2000 having gained over 20 years’ experience in private and investment banking, starting with KBC in 1979 and holding positions at a number of other institutions, including, Nedee & Co, Defever and BNP-Naegelmackers. He left BNP-Naegelmackers in 1994 to focus on ‘Beurstips’, a weekly investment magazine published in Belgium, which he founded in 1992. This publication grew to be one of the most successful Belgian investor magazines and was sold by Mr Goossens in 2005. Mr Goossens holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Ghent as well as a postgraduate qualification in marketing.


Werner Spinner, aged 58

Served for 30 years with A.G. Bayer where he was a member of the Executive Board until 2003. Since 2003 he has served in an advisory capacity on the boards of Hülsta Group GmbH, GFK AG, CSM n.v., 15 Altana AG, and Celerant plc, as vice chairman of Merz Holding and as chairman of both BIOTEST AG and Grünenthal/Dalli-Group. Mr Spinner holds an MBA from Koeln University and is a graduate of the Harvard University Advanced Management Program.


Walter van Pottelberge, aged 62 (Chairman of the Audit Committtee)

Walter van Pottelberge joined the Company’s board as a non-executive Director in 2007. Mr van Pottelberge was previously chief executive officer of ING Insurance Belgium-Luxembourg for eight years up until 2001. Mr van Pottelberge was also president of the executive committee of Mercator Bank NV between 2003 and 2005. He has served on the advisory board of Goffin Bank since 2005 where he was also Chairman of its Audit Committee. Mr van Pottelberge also serves in an advisory capacity on various other company boards and organisations including UBCA N.V., DELA R´e, VOKA, Argenta (where he served as a member of Argenta’s Audit Committee), the University of Antwerp and Vlerik Leuven Management School. Mr van Pottelberge holds a university degree in physics and actuarial science from Leuven University. Mr van Pottelberge will be the Company’s Audit Committee Chairman.