PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Pasadena Private Financial Company – 2022 to present

Managing Director - Business Development, covering areas of expertise of Pasadena Private, such as commercial lending, investment banking, private wealth management.

Diplomatic Service of the Kingdom of Belgium – 1990-2022

2018-2022   -   Ambassador of Belgium to Chile - Santiago

2014-2018   -   Ambassador of Belgium to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen - Riyadh

2012-2014   -   Deputy to the Secretary General - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Brussels

2008-2012   -   Consul General - Consulate of Belgium - Los Angeles

2004-2008   -   Minister-Counselor - Embassy of Belgium - Washington

2000-2004   -   Head of the Office of H.M. Queen Paola - Royal Palace - Brussels

1990-2000   -   Diplomatic assignments in Israel, Italy and with the European Union

BNP-Paribas (formerly Fortis Bank) - Brussels/Milan - 1984-1990

Export Finance Manager, providing short- and medium-term financing for large and medium-sized companies.  

Other – 1981-1984

Military service in the Belgian Army (1983-1984)

Traineeships at the World Bank (Washington DC) and the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Trade (Belgium/Indonesia)  

EDUCATION

1981 – Fulbright Scholar - M.A. in International Relations, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

1979 – B.A. in Business Administration, University of Antwerp (with Honors)

OTHER ACTIVITIES

2022-present – Director at ELMA (European Languages and Movies in America) ELMA is a Santa Monica based non-for-profit that promotes European cinema in Los Angeles, through cooperation with local film festivals that offer a critical mass of European movies.