North Sea Port starts search for new CEO
After a career of 15 years - since 2009 as director general of Ghent Port Company and since 2018 as CEO of North Sea Port - Daan Schalck is turning his career around. For personal reasons, he has decided, in consultation with the Supervisory Body, to leave the port authority. North Sea Port thanks him for the years of cooperation.
"We thank Daan Schalck for his drive and decisiveness. Thanks to his knowledge and experience, he further developed Ghent Port Authority and helped bring the merger of the port of Ghent and Zeeland Seaports (Vlissingen and Terneuzen) to a successful conclusion. With North Sea Port, he was able to set milestones, including the realisation of the Strategic Plan and the New Lock in Terneuzen. He has put the port authority on the map and guided it through difficult periods, such as the Brexit, the energy crisis and the consequences of the war in Ukraine. We are very grateful for this and wish him the best of luck," said Pieter van Geel, chairman of North Sea Port's Supervisory Body.
"Because of personal reasons, I have pressed the pause button in recent weeks. During that rest period, I put a number of things in order. For myself, I have worked out that my priorities lie elsewhere. I say goodbye with a good feeling because a number of major projects, such as the merger and the New Lock in Terneuzen, have been successfully completed. It is the culmination of a valuable project on which we have all put our shoulders in recent years," said Daan Schalck, departing CEO North Sea Port.
Daan Schalck will remain active until the end of this year and will be in close consultation with the directors. For this transition period, part of his duties have been transferred to the other directors. Continuity remains guaranteed. The search for a new CEO will be launched in the short term.
Ambitions for further development as a top European port
Meanwhile, North Sea Port's ambitions, as described in the strategic plan ‘Connect 2025,’ remain intact. The aim is to continue developing the cross-border port area in the coming years. The port authority will continue to focus on economic development and employment, sustainability and climate and work towards a financially sound foundation.
"The location, multimodality and diversification in goods make North Sea Port an important European port. It is imperative that we consolidate that position. That means we continue to focus on sustainable transport and circular economy, among other things. We are a connector that brings together many parties - such as companies, shipping companies, transporters, governments and local residents - in order to arrive at supported solutions that contribute to the prosperity of Flanders and the Netherlands. The new CEO will help shape these ambitions", according to the North Sea Port directors.
