DEME Group has selected Luc Vandenbulcke to succeed Alain Bernard as CEO, effective from 1 January 2019.
Bernar began working at the Belgian company in 1980 and has been CEO since 2006. He will now take a Director role at DEME and its affiliated companies, as well as the position of Chairman of the Board of DEME Concessions SA and Global Sea Mineral Resources SA (GSR).
According to DEME, Bernar transformed the group from a purely dredging organization into a diversified marine engineering group with operations worldwide.
“At barely two years before my retirement I wish to pass on the torch to the new generation, under the leadership of Luc Vandenbulcke,” said Bernard .
“This will allow the organisation to tackle the challenges and opportunities that are coming our way in due time and with the sense of entrepreneurship that characterises our group. I will be dedicated to the DEME Group with the same passion as before, though I will now be able to focus primarily on several projects that are very dear to me.”
Vandenbulcke has been part of DEME for 21 years and is the founder and CEO of GeoSea. Since 2011, he is also DEME’s Deputy COO and member of the management team.
“Supported by 5,100 dedicated DEME employees I am more than ready to take on the challenges lying ahead of me as a CEO. Alain Bernard made DEME a diversified and innovative group. We will do everything to continue on the path he successfully opened up for us 12 years ago,” Vandenbulcke said.