Vincent Herbert
Chairman

Vincent has served as the Chief Executive Officer of PQ Licensing S.A. since 2003.  In this capacity, he manages the company-owned operations in the United States, France and the United Kingdom and oversees the international franchise business.

Prior to joining Le Pain Quotidien, Vincent served as the Treasurer of Bank Brussels Lambert ING from 1990 to 1999.  In 1989, Vincent joined the Prince Albert Fund (PAF), a program that gives talented Belgian professionals the opportunity to work abroad in business development.  Before joining the PAF, Vincent spent two years with JP Morgan.

Vincent holds an MBA from the University of Antwerp UFSIA, from which he also graduated cum laude with a degree in International Business Affairs. Vincent resides in New York City with his wife and three children.

Olivier Smekens
President & Chief Executive

Olivier Smekens is Vice-President with KBC USA and Head of the Corporate Network Banking Department.

Follow the blog of our President Olivier Smekens in "De Tijd" on banking versus/and entrepreneurship. (Sorry, only in Dutch).

After graduating, Olivier joined KBC Bank and has built international expertise in corporate relationship and investment banking and entrepreneurship focusing on small caps (Belgium, 1997-
2001), midcaps (London 2001-2004) and large multinationals (2004-2007). Olivier is also President of the Round Table New York and heads the Round Table-GMF Marathon team, using the power of sports to enhance the lives of the less fortunate. Olivier holds a Master in Applied Economic Sciences (University of Antwerp) and Financial Sciences (Norwegian School of Management). Olivier is married to Nele and has 3 children.

Patrick Daems
Treasurer & Vice Chairman

Patrick Daems is Vice President & General Manager of KBC Bank New York.

He joined KBC Bank 17 years ago in a variety of senior leadership roles within the Corporate Banking Unit in the US and Brussels. Before taking up his position in New York, Patrick offered his expertise in Corporate Banking, Credit and Finance as a Member of the Board of Directors and Senior Executive Director as CSOB, Prague (KBC's largest subsidiary in Central Europe.). Patrick graduated from the University Antwerp Belgium in Applied Economics and has a MBA from the University of Minnesota.

Edward R. Schiettecatte
Vice-President

Edward R. Schiettecatte is Managing Partner of NS Capital Group LLC.

Charles-Antoine Wauters
Secretary-General

Charles-Antoine Wauters is an attorney at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.

Tamara Zouboff
Director & Event Manager

Tamara Zouboff is Executive Director at the Belgian-American Chamber of Commerce.

Frederic Fournier
Senior Manager

Frederic  is Vice President - US Corporate Coverage, BNP Paribas Corporate & Investment Banking .

Rudy Hallez
Senior Manager

Rudy is an  IT Project Manager, PMP & Head of IT PMO at Dexia Credit Local - New York Branch.

Geert Debecker
Managing Partner, Debecker & Co.

Geert is an entrepreneur.

Fabienne Wilmes
Senior Manager

Fabienne is Executive Director, JPMorgan, Equity Derivatives Group.

Senior Advisors

Ambassador Herman Portocarero
Consul General of Belgium in New York

Marc Struyvelt
Investment & Trade Commissioner, FIT Flanders Investment
&Trade

Edith Mayeux
Investment & Trade Commissioner, AWEX Wallonia Trade &
Investment

Luc Lippens
Investment & Trade Commissioner, Brussels Trade Commission

Brigitte Peleman-Vantieghem (Atlanta Chapter)
Kristof Abbeloos (Houston Chapter)
Diane Van Hoof (Chicago Chapter)
Matt Van Steenkiste (Detroit Chapter)
Frederic Bien (New Social Networks BACC)
Pierre Dodion (Senior Advisor Boston Chapter)
Claudine De Scheemaecker (Silicon Valley Chapter)

And of course… our `Young BACC students team`

Every year, the U.S. hosts many young, bright, ambitious Belgian students. The Chamber can count on their support, know-how and bright ideas making it more successful every single day.

In 2009, this is Tine Van den Haute, Nathalie Ryckaert, Annelies Hamers, Louis Culot and Tine Vlietinck. The Chamber would like to thank Professor Emile Boulpaep (Yale University) and his organization ‘Belgian-American Educational Foundation`, supporting and guiding this ‘Young BACC students Team`.