SI 100 Europe - 2015, Belgian -

Herwig Muyldermans is the general director of the Belgian staffing association, Federgon. He plays a central role in negotiating with the Belgian government and social partners on behalf of the Belgian staffing industry. In 2014, his perseverance resulted in the removal of one of the last restrictions to temporary agency work in the country: the coalition government announced staffing providers would be able to provide services to the public sector. Before joining the association in 1990, he occupied senior positions at the Belgian association representing the clothing industry.

SI 100 Europe - 2017, Belgian -

Mark Verstraete is the managing director of t-groep, the sixth-largest staffing firm in Belgium and the 31st-largest in Europe with operations in the Netherlands and Poland. In 2008, Verstraete led the acquisition of the Dutch privately held human resource company Luba by t-groep, starting its international expansion and strengthening its position in the Benelux market for personnel services. In 2016, the t-groep management, alongside investor Gilde Buy Out Partners, acquired all the remaining shares held by the Flemish government. Verstraete currently sits at the management board of Federgon, the Belgian staffing association, as president of the Temporary Agency Work Commission.

SI 100 Europe - 2020, Belgian -

Staffing 100 Europe | 2020

Rika Coppens has been CEO of House of HR since 2017. She joined the board of directors of House of HR in May 2016 and until the beginning of 2017 was active as CEO of EFR Group, a retailer that operates fuel stations and convenience stores in France and the Benelux countries. With turnover of €1.8 billion, House of HR is one of the largest European staffing and recruitment companies. It originated from Accent Jobs and is the holding company for nine operational companies representing 38 brands, all active in specialised staffing, engineering and consulting. The company has a very strong emphasis on digital innovation and entrepreneurship, two things in which Coppens plays a pioneering role.

SI 100 Europe - 2021, Belgian -

Herman Nijns is CEO of Randstad Belgium and Luxembourg and is president of the World Employment Confederation – Europe, a regional organization that represents the European staffing industry. Nijns also served from 2017 to 2020 as president of Federgon, the Belgian staffing industry association. Nijns started in staffing in 1988 at Interlabor Interim, a part of Randstad. He has led Randstad Group BeLux since 2005. This past May, Nijns added Denmark, Norway and Sweden to his list of responsibilities. He aims to strengthen the image of the World Employment Confederation – Europe through evidence-based thought leadership and a broader representation of HR Services.

Staffing 100 Europe | 2021

SI 100 Europe - 2016, Belgian -

Mark de Smedt is Adecco’s regional head of Northern Europe. He served as Adecco Group chief HR officer from January 2014 until March 2016. He joined Adecco in March 2009 as country manager for Belgium and Luxembourg and was a founder of professional staffing specialist XPE Group, acquired by Adecco. Before this, he was responsible for Adecco’s Benelux operations between 2002 and 2007. Before joining the staffing industry, de Smedt held various executive positions at Wang, Apple, Citibank and Scoot in France, Spain and Belgium.

SI 100 Europe - 2017, Belgian -

Alain Dehaze became CEO of Adecco in 2015. He joined the Adecco Group in 2009 as regional head of Northern Europe and was appointed regional head of France in 2011. Between 2002 and 2009, Dehaze held executive roles at Humares, USG People and Solvus. Prior to 2002, he held a number of leadership positions at Creyf’s Interim in Belgium (now Start People), Henkel and ISS.

Since January 2016, Dehaze has been chair of the Global Apprenticeship Network. He was VP of the European Confederation of Private Employment Agencies, now the World Employment Confederation Europe, and a board member of Ciett, now the World Employment Confederation, between December 2010 and December 2015.

SI 100 Europe - 2016, Belgian -

Denis Pennel has held the role of managing director of Ciett since April 2005. Pennel promotes the interests of the staffing industry before international institutions, such as the European Union (EU), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the World Bank or the OECD. Pennel published a book in 2013, Travailler pour soit (Working for oneself), which explores recent trends in the labour market. Prior to his current role, he served as corporate communications director for Manpower France (1998- 2005). He is best known for his advocacy work during the writing phase of the Agency Work Directive as well as his efforts to ensure the optimal transposition of the directive across Europe.

SI 100 Europe - 2014, Belgian -

Denis Pennel was appointed managing director of Ciett, the International Confederation of Private Employment Agencies, in April 2005. Pennel promotes the interests of the staffing industry before international institutions, such as the European Union, the International Labour Organisation, the World Bank or the OECD. Prior to his appointment, he served as corporate communications director for Manpower France (1998-2005). He is best known for his advocacy work during the writing phase of the Agency Work Directive as well as his efforts to ensure the optimal transposition of the directive across Europe.

SI 100 Europe - 2014, Belgian -

Patrick De Maeseneire rejoined the Adecco Group as CEO in 2009. He had held leading positions within the Adecco Group between 1998 and 2002, starting as country manager for the Benelux region before leading the Adecco Group’s worldwide professional staffing business from New York. De Maeseneire served as CEO of Barry Callebaut from 2002 to 2009 and in 2007, he was granted the title of Baron by King Albert II of Belgium. From 1980 to 1997, De Maeseneire held executive positions at Sun International and Apple Computer, as well as senior positions at Wang in Belgium and Arthur Andersen Consulting.

SI 100 Europe - 2017, Belgian -

Herwig Muyldermans is the general director of Federgon, the Belgian staffing association. He plays a central role in negotiating with the Belgian government and its social partners on behalf of the Belgian staffing industry. His perseverance is helping result in the removal of one of the last restrictions to temporary agency work in the country; the federal government announced in 2014 that staffing providers would be able to provide services to the public sector, and the Flemish government echoed the decision in 2016. Before joining the association in 1990, Muyldermans occupied senior positions at the Belgian association representing the clothing industry.