The Board of Directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges has appointed Rob Smeets as the new CEO of the Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority for a six-year term. Smeets, who has been serving as the interim CEO, succeeds Jacques Vandermeiren following his decision to step down from the role. The appointment concludes a selection process carried out over recent weeks by a committee of the Board of Directors, which evaluated a wide range of candidates and selected Smeets as the strongest choice to guide the organization through upcoming investments, geopolitical shifts, and industrial challenges.
Smeets brings more than twenty years of experience within the Port Authority, having previously held several senior roles including leader of the Towage Department in 2014, nautical operations director in 2017, and Chief Operations Officer (COO) since 2019. The Board highlighted his extensive experience in managing large budgets, investment programs, and change processes, as well as his familiar relationship with the port’s stakeholders.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges serves as a global maritime hub in Europe, managing an annual throughput of 267m tonnes and supporting around 164,000 direct and indirect jobs. Smeets expressed his intent to continue building a port that increases its international impact and strengthens its global position. Johan Klaps, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Dirk De fauw, Vice-Chair, both expressed full confidence in Smeets’ pragmatic leadership qualities to ensure continuity and prepare the port for future challenges.