Marleen Vaesen Appointed CEO of Van de Velde

17 December 2018

The Belgium-based lingerie giant hands the reins to a long-time board member with a robust business background.

Effective immediately upon the December 12 announcement, Marleen Vaesen has been appointed CEO of Van de Velde, the Belgian group producing internationally best-selling brands PrimaDonna, Marie Jo and Andres Sarda. She replaces Erwin Van Laetham, who took on the role in late 2016 and now parts ways with the company in mutual agreement. Marleen has served as a board member of Van de Velde since 2012, endowing her with a firm knowledge of the company to match her extensive business experience. She began her career at Procter & Gamble before moving to Sara Lee / Douwe Egberts, where she was responsible for the launch of the Senseo coffee brewing system. During her tenure, she shouldered international responsibilities across marketing and innovation. Marleen was also CEO of Greenyard where, after the merger in 2016, she transformed the group into an integrated company.

In an official statement, Herman Van de Velde commented, "We thank Erwin Van Laethem for his contribution to the digitalization of the business and the improvement of the processes. We wish him all the best for the future. The announced change is the next step to put our brand experience and our customers at the center. Marleen Vaesen is a good choice for this due to the fact that she has been a board member of the company for years."