Johan Van De Velde Email & Phone Number

Brussels, Be

Brussels, Be

I currently oversee legal affairs for Schreder, its subsidiaries, and affiliates. Additionally, I manage the global corporate legal department, including eight direct reports. I operate as a member of the executive team, a trusted advisor, and a business partner to the board of directors, the executive, and senior management.Key accomplishments: ✧ Shifted operating model from decentralized to centralized, introducing centers of excellence, services catalog✧ M&A activities include buy-out Chinese minority shareholders and in Australia largest acquisition ever✧ Optimized legal spend ✧ Introduced cost effective ways of working for both legal entity management and external law firm management✧ Initiated a structured ethics and compliance program aligned with business strategy & risks ✧ Introduced a new global contract management platform, reducing contractual costs annually ✧ Established a program based on legal risk management that ensures compliance and reputation while focusing on business-enabling aspects

Brussels, Be

Served as counsel to the CEO and senior management in line to succeed the retiring CLO. Planned and organized all legal affairs and directed the five legal staff. Reported to the Chief Legal Officer and dotted line to the CEO.Key accomplishments:✧ Supervised and successfully managed historical disputes and litigations✧ Contributed to revamp of the corporate intellectual property strategy✧ Advised on the settlement of an IP dispute with a key competitor relating to critical patents ✧ Limited risk exposure through successfully engaging in a mediation procedure with an external service provider✧ Introduced a new corporate governance redelegating authority rule globally across 57 legal entities and 2600 FTEs✧ Installed a global digital collaborative contract platform for contract management✧ Reduced financial and reputation risk exposure by initiating global and targeted training that raised awareness on various legal and business risks related to compliance

Brussels, Be

Gatwick, Gb

As the European Counsel, I managed the legal affairs of Europe, Russia, Turkey, and the Middle East, advising corporate and commercial matters, e-commerce, distribution, service and license agreements, compliance, intellectual property, corporate governance, and dispute resolution. I reported to the global general counsel (Taipei, Taiwan) and the European president (London, UK) as an active executive management team member. Key accomplishments: ✧ Transformed the legal department from a standalone back-office function to a recognized business partner✧ Enabled the sale of navigation devices on the European and US market by renegotiating a complex software license agreement✧ Supervised an important IP patent infringement litigation in Germany✧ Advised on the European distribution structure for a new product introduction with a potential multi million business ✧ Negotiated various distribution and service agreements, focusing on e-commerce ✧ Saved significant costs by bridging the gap between legal knowledge, expertise, and business opportunities✧ Initiated a 95% paperless office approach with notable savings by developing, implementing, and managing a SharePoint-based program to convert all material company records to a digital database

Brussels, Be

In this role, I counseled clients and multinational companies in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate governance and restructuring, management buyout and litigation, commercial law and finance, and advisory work on commercial contracting. I trained and mentored junior lawyers.Key accomplishments: ✧ Guided and advised more than 20 clients on successfully resolving disputes between company directors and their liability, including court cases, with 100% client satisfaction✧ Sought out speaker at conferences on directors liability✧ Represented a Luxembourg bank before the Belgian courts in defense of its interests regarding consumer credit matters saving a multi million-euro amount✧ Represented a French advertising group before the Dutch courts securing hundreds of thousands of euros✧ Completed and maximized the value for shareholders of an IT company by advising on a multimillion international share transfer deal for an acquisition by an international group✧ Enabled high investment return for a private equity fund on participations with start-ups in media and IT sector✧ Contributed to multimillion-euro savings of an Asian technology group with its restructuring and outsourcing activities through advice on commercial aspects, effectively collaborating with labor lawyers✧ Advised bandwidth infrastructure provider on Belgian aspects, allowing the expansion of its fiber-based network across Europe✧ Assisted an international credit management service provider in acquiring several Belgium companies✧ Negotiated and completed the cross-border acquisition of a Belgian entity and two vessels for a Southern European marine fuel logistics company

Antwerp, Be

Executive Development Program

Competition Law

Master Of Business Law

Master’S Degree, Banking, Corporate, Finance, And Securities Law

High School

Leadership Communication With Impact