Proximus appoints Stijn Bijnens as new CEO
Stijn Bijnens is set to become the new CEO of Proximus, the Belgian company announced at a press conference on Tuesday. He will join the telecommunications company on 1 September.
An entrepreneur from Limburg, Bijnens has been the CEO of ICT company Cegeka since 2019. At Proximus, which is majority state-owned, he will be responsible for setting a new strategic direction and further expanding the country's gigabit network.
“When the world changes, you have to set new priorities”
The incoming CEO explicitly mentioned the challenges posed by AI. “When the world changes, you have to set new priorities,” said Bijnens, who also previously headed the Limburg investment company LRM.
Stefaan De Clerck, chair of the company's board of directors, said several candidates had been considered, but it quickly became clear that Bijnens was the best choice. Following the appointment of a Dutch-speaking CEO, the chair will soon be succeeded by a French-speaking successor.
Changing market
The company's former CEO, Guillaume Boutin, left Proximus for the British company Vodafone last month. A headhunter was hired to find a new CEO while Jan Van Acoyen acted as interim group CEO. The search for a new CEO for the international branch, Proximus Global, is still ongoing.
"Stijn Bijnens has all the qualities needed to take on the many challenges"
Vanessa Matz, Belgium's minister for Public Enterprises, welcomed the appointment in the context of a rapidly changing telecommunications market. "Stable and dynamic management is essential to successfully managing the massive rollout of fibre optics and the major investments this requires," she said.
"With his solid experience in the IT sector and as a manager in various companies, Stijn Bijnens has all the qualities needed to take on the many challenges."
Proximus CEO Stijn Bijnens © BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE
Related news
