Patrick Verhelst Email & Phone Number

Keerbergen, Be

Oslo, Norge, No

Elopak, listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, is a global corporation with a turnover over €1BN, supplying paper-based packaging and system solutions for liquid products.Reports to: CEO Elopak & Member of the Global Leadership Team Responsible for Elopak global functions: sustainability, product management, business development, pricing, brand, marketing and communication. Driving a sustainability-driven, profitable growth agenda.

Family owned, flexible packaging leader in Fresh & Chilled Food and Medical Device Packaging. Subsidiaries in EMEA & Asia-Pacific (€500MM revenue), part of Wihuri Packaging (€1,3BN global)Reports to: MD Wipak & Member of the Executive Committee Created a solution-centric organization, centralizing meanwhile leading sales, marketing, innovation and R&D (10 direct and 120 indirect reports) for the Wipak group with a turnover of approx. €500MM.  Re-branded the company, emphasizing “collaborative innovation”. Engaged the broader organization, while optimizing & aligning internal and external communications. Realized above market, profitable growth over the past 18 months, reaching highest GM% levels in the industry and breaking with Wipak’s historical, down-ward trendline. e.g. Pro-actively built upon the environmental trend, an Innovation Agenda, regaining a strong position at market leaders in Wipak’s core markets and generating immediate €15MM+ of new business. Established a strategic alliance entering new market segment of Stand Up Pouches. Re-oriented the go-to-market approach towards the Medical Device Industry segment, concentrating on global key-accounts, accelerating to double-digit growth. Updated the entry strategy for the APAC region in accordance to market characteristics & dynamics realizing 25%+ growth, while securing international expansion. Launched the ProDirect Digital Printing Platform, winner of a Worldstar award and the German Packaging awards in the technology innovation and sustainability categories.

Vienna, Vienna, At

Reports to: President BU Food & Consumer - EMEA Led the sales organization (> 50p) with revenue of approx. 500MM€ Implemented a Commercial Excellence Program (CRM, Pricing etc.) Driving growth, specifically around vertical market strategies and key account mgmt.

Vienna, Vienna, At

Reports to: CEO Global Flexibles Division.Newly formed company, integrating 5 legacy businesses, owned by private equity firm Sun Capital –creating the 6th largest flexible packaging company globally ($3.0BN revenue). Implemented a common strategy process, now across the 5 legacy businesses globally, preparing for integration into one Global Flexibles Division. Introduced coherent reporting and management of the re-grouped, newly established BU’s (P&L’s). Agreed and drove execution of the Strategy Plan for the overall Coveris Flexibles Division.

SCA PACKAGING: EU’s 2nd largest (€3.6 bn turnover) producer of corrugated board, paper and recycled fibre with 180+ locations.Reports to: Business Group President. Strategic Development of the SCA Packaging Group P&L. Engaged pro-actively with BU MD’s & Management Teams to identify profitable growth / cost reductions, having introduced a company-wide financial performance management system. Agreed a common strategic value agenda targeting €150MM EBIT improvement (+50%), aligning BU MDs and corporate functional leaders (HR, Finance, Lean, Commercial, R&D, IT), anchored in a 3y business plan. Capex and resources allocation, maintaining the principle of maximizing value creation. Driving execution of the prioritized strategic initiatives via clear operating agendas at every level. Participated in the due diligence process performed by DS Smith. Managed the notification procedure of the concentration to the EU Commission. Created a team (15p) and lead the separation of SCAP from SCA while preparing for integration. After final deal completion, I agreed in mutual consent to step down, being a former member of the SCA Packaging management team.

Reports to: Executive steering committee. Developed and implemented a holistic commercial excellence program, transforming the go-to-market model, executing service strategies while increasing sales force effectiveness. Generated commitment from executive mgmt. around common best practices, e.g.  Activity-based costing & detailed insights into business performance. Key Performance Indicators driving margin management. Pricing excellence & value selling tools. Sales & Marketing training academy. Sales & Marketing core competency models and assessment, resulting in Individual Development Plans. Created a functional line organization consisting of a central team (5p), BU change champions and 100+ project owners to drive program development and deployment, affecting 2000+ sales staff. Realized 18% top line growth over the period for the corrugated division and a 2-7% ROS improvement depending BU with a sustainable change in mindset & behaviour.

Reports to: VP Sales & Marketing.  Set up a corporate marketing department (7p) defining the brand in a multi-product, multi-segment, international environment, ensuring consistency through an internal brand alignment program. Follow-up through a brand audit and tracking methodology. Launched a strategic brand communication framework, creating a consistent message / image across all BU’s, Product Lines and Geographies. Built a comprehensive digital platform and launched an award-winning E-campaign, generating website traffic and creating an open innovation environment for customers. Managed Innovation, introducing process while monitoring and interpreting consumer, POS and retail trends, value chain dynamics, industry structures and competitor activities. Pioneered building an Innovation Centre and Regional Design Centres to convert insights into challenging, new packaging concepts. Marketing plans by product, service, segment or geography and implementation of the marketing mix.

Reports to: VP Business Development. Established a Marketing Plan for industrial markets (40% of corrugated packaging sales) and led implementation of the marketing mix, including re-alignment of the service businesses portfolio.  Introduced Multi-material / Logistics Service Centres strengthening the offer towards electronics & automotive segments, turning involved BU’s from loss-making to 45% ROCE.

Boston, Ma, Us

GENERAL ELECTRIC PLASTICSGlobal ($9.6 bn) market-leader in polycarbonate and engineered plastics.Reports to: Global Managing Director Structured Products Division. P&L responsible with 3 Product Managers reporting.  Characterized 3 new strategic market segments and built corresponding new global product portfolios, effectively managing multi-disciplinary teams. Ensured manufacturing capability & global fulfilment through capital investments and strategic alliances.  Led commercial program execution working indirectly with 70+ sales managers globally, leading to a 3% growth in division sales in year 1 of NPI launch & a pipeline of 200+ customer projects.

Boston, Ma, Us

Reports to: BU Manager Engineered Film & Sheet. Operations Management, streamlining the product lines, to ensure cost efficiency & quality. Clear guidelines regarding price, specifications, regulatory status & product customization.

Boston, Ma, Us

Reports to: BU Manager Engineered Film & Sheet. Built a new Sales & Marketing team of 9 Area Managers and maximized profitability (+ 5 % vs. operating plan) by making sound strategic and pricing decisions. Encouraged the team to use 6 sigma tools to sell consultatively and to improve customer and distributor relationships along direct & distribution channels-to-market.

Boston, Ma, Us

Reports to: Marketing Director.  Driven the European Industry Application Development Specialist team (8p) in the development of new customer applications / business, doubling the Sales to New Closes vs. the previous year.

Boston, Ma, Us

Reports to: Area Sales Manager. Appointed & trained new distributors in Central & Eastern Europe, realizing first substantial breakthroughs, e.g. refurbishment program of the Polish railroads

Boston, Ma, Us

Reports to: Area Sales Manager. Partnership strategy with key participants in the value chain, exceeding operating plan with 23 %. Best execution of new product introductions in Europe (GE Marketer of the year award).

AMCOR FLEXIBLES (formerly UCB Transpac)European Leader in flexible plastic packaging films. Launched 2 high value product platforms and realized incremental sales reaching more than 10 % of overall company turnover.

 More than doubled the sales turnover, developing new business at existing and new accounts.

Brussel, Be

- Built an X-Ray diffraction laboratory and gave student practical in physical chemistry.- Research project in collaboration with Institute for Crystallography in Berlin- Publication: Role of Histidine – 40 in Ribonuclease T1 catalysis: Three – Dimensional Structures of the Partially Active His40Lys Mutant, Biochemistry 1992, 31, 11317 – 11325.

Master Of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Economics

Master'S Degree, Biotechnology