Location Belgium, Europe Regions European Union (EU), Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Gender Male
John Dejaeger (Tienen, 1955) studied chemical engineering at the Catholic University of Louvain (1978). He started his career at BASF Antwerp in the production of nitric acid and complex fertilizers. From 1985 till 1987 he joined Exxon Chemicals in Meerhout in the department of Process Engineering and from 1987 till 1988 he joined Avery in Turnhout
in the department Adhesives Development. In 1988 he returned to BASF in Antwerp as start-up manager and plant manager of the new world scale ammonia unit. From 1997 till 2000 he was located at the BASF headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany, in the central division ‘Planning and Controlling’, where the strategy and the economical evaluation of all major investments of the group are handled. In 2001 he returned to BASF Antwerp as a member of the Management Committee responsible for the whole production. From July 2003 till February 2007 he was President and CEO of BASF Antwerp N.V.
In June 2007 he joined Agfa-Gevaert N.V. as a consultant to prepare the at that time still planned division of the company in three independent units. From May 2008 till March 2009 he was COO of Reynaers Aluminium N.V. in Duffel, Belgium. September 2009 till October 2010 , he was CEO of the ARPADIS Group , which is active in handling , distribution and production of chemicals.
During his career, John Dejaeger executed several mandates at the FEB/VBO, VOKA/VEV and Fedichem/Essenscia, in Employee Associations and in the High Council of the University of Antwerp.He was also President of the Commission ‘Accent op Talent’ of the King Baudoin Foundation. He is presently serving “Rent A Port” as Head of their Petrochemical Advisory Board in order to evaluate the integration of chemical facilities in new harbour developments worldwide and is also Chairman of the Board of D square and EcoSynth , Member of the Board of Soudal , Ascure , ‘Werkhaven Antwerpen’,Member of the Executive Board of KUL-LRD, Member of the Advisory Board of KUL-CIT and Sopraco and involved in several projects which are port or chemical industry related , connected to spin off companies or in the social sector.He is also member of the ‘Commission for Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Authorities’ of the Flemish Government and Chairman of the Board of CCS ( Cargo Community System) a platform on identical IT systems for the four Flemish ports . At the University of Louvain, John Dejaeger is presently teaching as a host Professor in Applied Sciences, Chemical Engineering. John Dejaeger is married , has three children and lives in Kapellen , near Antwerp.
