André Leysen
Encyclopedia
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
businessman. In 1951, he married Anne Ahlers, daughter of a shipping family from Bremen, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Together they have four children: Bettina, Christian
Christian Leysen
Christian Leysen is a Belgian businessman. He obtained a Commercial engineer - Masters degree in Law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 1976. There he was president of the fraternity "$olvay" in 1974-1975 . Christian Leysen developed several Belgian ventures to large international companies...
, Thomas
Thomas Leysen
Thomas Leysen is a Belgian businessman. He obtained a law degree at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Thomas Leysen became Chairman of Umicore in November 2008 after having served as Chief Executive Officer of Umicore since 2000. Since April 2011 he is a member of the board of KBC Group, a...
, and Sabina. André Leysen, at age of 17, was a member of the Hitler Youth and the Waffen SS during World War II.
Main career
From 1952 until 1976 he worked for the shipping company Ahlers N.V., Antwerp (family estate). Since 1974 he is a member of the supervisory board of the Agfa-GevaertAgfa-Gevaert
Agfa-Gevaert N.V. is a European multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, and distributes analogue and digital imaging products and systems, as well as IT solutions. The company has three divisions. Agfa Graphics offers integrated prepress and industrial inkjet systems to the...
group, (Belgium). From 1978 until 1984 he was a member and chairman of the executive committee of the Agfa Gevaert group, and since 1984 he is chairman of the supervisory board
Supervisory board
A supervisory board or supervisory committee, often called board of directors, is a group of individuals chosen by the stockholders of a company to promote their interests through the governance of the company and to hire and supervise the executive directors and CEO.Corporate governance varies...
.
In 1976, he was one of the co-founders of the VUM, which took over the newspapers of the Standaard
De Standaard
De Standaard is a Flemish daily newspaper published in Belgium by Corelio . Circulation was about 102.280 in 2007. It was traditionally a Christian-Democratic paper, associated with the Christian-Democratic and Flemish Party, and in opposition to the Socialist Flemish daily De Morgen...
group after its bankruptcy. He led the VUM until 1978, when his son Thomas
Thomas Leysen
Thomas Leysen is a Belgian businessman. He obtained a law degree at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Thomas Leysen became Chairman of Umicore in November 2008 after having served as Chief Executive Officer of Umicore since 2000. Since April 2011 he is a member of the board of KBC Group, a...
took over. From 1990 until 1994 he was a member of the presidency in the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of the Treuhandanstalt in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Former positions
- Director of Bayerische Motoren Werke AGBMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
(BMW) (1988 to 1997) - Vice-Chairman of BMW AG (1997 to 1998)
- Member of Advisory Board of Deutsche BankDeutsche BankDeutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
AG (1988 to 1999) - Vice-Chairman of Koninklijke Philips ElectronicsPhilipsKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
N.V. (1983 to 1999) - Director of Hapag-LloydHapag-LloydHapag-Lloyd is a German transportation company comprising a cargo container shipping line, Hapag-Lloyd AG, which in turn owns other subsidiaries such as Hapag-Lloyd Ships and a cruise line, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises which is now integrated into TUI AG, Hanover...
AG (1981 to 1999) - Director of BayerBayerBayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
AG (until 2002)
Current positions
- Director of Deutsche TelekomDeutsche TelekomDeutsche Telekom AG is a telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is the largest telecommunications company in Europe....
AG - Member of the Supervisory Board of E.onE.ONE.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity....
AG - Director of Schenker AGSchenker AGSchenker AG is a German logistics company and a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, the German railway company. Within DB Logistics, the logistics branch of Deutsche Bahn, Schenker is responsible for land, sea, and air transport and contract logistics...
Source
- Jan Bohets, Met weloverwogen lichtzinnigheid, Lannoo (biography).
- Luc Rosenzweig, En Belgique, une mémoire collective divisée, Le Monde, 14 March 1998 (http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-641295,36-658136@51-658124,0.html)