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Western Canada Belgian Economic Mission WESTERN CANADA BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION Participants Brochure 24 > 31 October 2015 Publication date: August 2015 This publication contains information on all participants who have registered before its publication date. The profiles of all participants and companies, including the ones who have registered at a later date, are however published on the website of the mission www.belgianeconomicmission.be and on the app of the mission “Belgian Economic Mission” in the App Store and Google Play. Besides this participants brochure, other publications, such as economic studies, useful information guide, etc. aree also available on the above-mentioned website and app. WESTERN CANADA BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION 24 > 31 October 2015 Organised by the regional agencies for the promotion of Foreign Trade & Investment (Brussels Invest & Export, Flanders Investment & Trade-FIT, Wallonia Export-Investment Agency-AWEX), FPS Foreign Affairs and the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency. WESTERN CANADA 4 BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSIONS CALENDAR 2016 INDONESIA 12 > 19 March 2016 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: TEXAS Second half of 2016 (The dates are subject to change) WESTERN CANADA HRH PRINCESS ASTRID 6 OF BELGIUM REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS MAJESTY THE KING BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION © FPS Chancery of the Prime Minister-Directorate-General External Communication-Belgium-Photographe: Shimera-Ansotte HRH Princess Astrid, Princess of Belgium was The Princess is also active in the fight against Since 22 November 1996, HRH Princess born in Brussels on 5 June 1962. She is the epidemics and pandemics: i.e. as “Special Astrid has been a member of the Belgian Sen- second child of King Albert II and Queen Paola, Representative” of the Roll Back Malaria part- ate as senator by right. She also joined the and the sister of the King. nership to fight malaria. Belgian Armed Forces on 22 May 1997. The Princess is a Colonel in the Medical Unit. At the request of His Majesty the King, HRH Prin- HRH Princess Astrid is also particularly con- cess Astrid represented him and presided over cerned by the plight of victims of violence. She HRH Princess Astrid performs her public du- the economic missions to Angola and South is therefore fully engaged in the efforts to ban ties as expected within the context of the Africa in October 2013, to India in November antipersonnel mines. Royal Family with particular interest for the 2013, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the problems of our contemporary society. Sultanate of Oman in March 2014, to Colom- HRH Princess Astrid is also a member of the bia and Peru in October 2014, to Malaysia and International Paralympics Committee Honorary HRH Princess Astrid studied art history at Lei- Singapore in November 2014 and to Qatar and Board. She is also the Honorary President of den in the Netherlands. She completed her ed- the United Arab Emirates in March 2015. It is the non-profit association Damien Action. ucation in Geneva, at the Institute of European widely recognised that missions such as these Studies and in Michigan in the United States. have a positive impact on the development of HRH Princess Astrid is known to be highly con- 7 economic and trade relations between Belgium cerned about persons who - through a variety On 22 September 1984, HRH Princess and its regions and many overseas partners. of circumstances - become marginalised citi- Astrid married in Brussels Lorenz, Arch-Duke They also enable bridges to be built between zens. She visits and encourages in many ways d’Autriche-Este, who became Prince of Bel- Belgian and foreign companies as well as be- those Organisations which offer assistance to gium in 1995. The Prince was born in Bou- tween Belgian companies themselves. those who are in need of help. logne-Billancourt on 16 December 1955. As Honorary Chairwoman of the Queen Elisa- On June 20th 2013, the Secretariat of the Anti- The princely couple has five children, all born beth Medical Foundation (QEMF), the European Personnel Mine Ban Convention/Ottawa Con- in Belgium: Amedeo (21 February 1986), Ma- Organisation on Research and Treatment of vention announced that HRH Princess Astrid ria Laura (26 August 1988), Joachim (9 De- Cancer (EORTC) Charitable Trust and the Sci- - as Special Envoy of the Convention - has cember 1991), Luisa Maria (11 October 1995) ence and Medical Funds of the King Baudouin joined a task force which will undertake dip- and Laetitia Maria (23 April 2003). Foundation, HRH Princess Astrid supports clini- lomatic efforts to obtain the signature of the cal and fundamental research. Convention by States not yet party to it. WESTERN CANADA HE DIDIER 8 REYNDERS FEDERAL DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION Born in Liège on August 6th, 1958 Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the MR (1992 - 2004) Married - 4 children European Affairs, in charge of Beliris Member of Parliament since 1992 and Federal Cultural Institutions since 11 October 2014 Chairman of the PRL-FDF Group GOVERNMENT POSITIONS (1995 - 1999) Minister of Finance (1999 - 2011) ACADEMICAL FUNCTIONS Chairman of the Mouvement Réformateur Chairman of the Eurogroup (2004 - 2011) Lecturer at the Hautes Ecoles (January - December 2001) commerciales of Liège Member and Leader of the MR Group of President of the Ecofin (July - December the Uccle Town Council (since 3 December Staff member of the Public Law 2001 / July 2010 - December 2010) 2012) Department at the University of Liège Minister in charge of the Belgian Buildings Chairman of the Brussels MR Federation Guest lecturer at the Université catholique Agency (2003 - 2011) (since 12 January 2013) de Louvain (Louvain business school Deputy Prime Minister since 18 July 2004 (UCL)) 9 Minister of Institutional Reforms PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES (2004 - 2011) POLITICAL ACTIVITIES Lawyer (1981 - 1985) Minister in charge of the National Lottery, Chief of staff of the Deputy Prime Minister, Director General of the Local Authorities the Federal Holding and Investment Minister of Justice and Institutional Department of the Ministry of the Walloon Company (FHIC) and the insurance Reforms, Mr Jean Gol (1987 - 1988) Region (1985 - 1988) companies (2007 - 2011) Member of the Liège Town Council since Chairman of the National Railway Minister of Foreign Affairs, October 1988 Company of Belgium (1986 - 1991) Foreign Trade and European Affairs Leader of the MR Group of the Liège Town Chairman of the National Society of since 6 December 2011 Council since 1995 Airways (1991 - 1993) WESTERN CANADA H E GEERT 10 BOURGEOIS MINISTER-PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF FLANDERS FLEMISH MINISTER FOR FOREIGN POLICY AND IMMOVABLE HERITAGE BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION Geert Bourgeois is Minister-President of the FLEMISH COMMITMENT COMMEMORATION OF Government of Flanders, the first government Lawyer and attorney Geert Bourgeois took WORLD WAR I to be led by the N-VA. He is also responsible his first steps in local politics in 1977. In Under the vision and steering of Geert Bour- in the government for Foreign Policy and Im- 1995, he entered the Belgian House of Rep- geois, the Government of Flanders has de- movable Cultural Heritage. resentatives, where he was known as a legal cided to frame the commemoration of the Geert has been Minister in the Government specialist. After the break-up of his former Great War Centennial 2014-2018 within an of Flanders since 2004. In 2009, he became party, the Volksunie, he founded the Nieuw- overarching compass that embraces themes Vice-Minister-President. Over the years, he Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA) in 2001 and became ‘war and peace’, ‘remembrance and aware- has been responsible for matters, such as: the first Chairman. In 2004, he moved to the ness’, ‘the European idea’, thus to open our Local and Provincial Government, Administra- Government of Flanders. minds to the perpetuating memory of our tive Affairs, Foreign Policy, Civic Orientation, past ... thus to learn an indelible lesson for Media and Tourism, Immovable Cultural Herit- the future. age and the Flemish Rand municipalities (ring EXPERTISE AND of Flemish municipalities around the capital INDUSTRIOUSNESS Brussels). Geert is respected, both by friends and oppo- 11 nents, as a passionate politician and a hard worker who possesses first-class knowledge of his dossiers. Moreover, he is known to be a man of his word, invariably straightforward and result-oriented. WESTERN CANADA H E JEAN-CLAUDE 12 MARCOURT VICE-PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF ECONOMY, INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES OF THE WALLONIA REGION GOVERNMENT VICE-PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND MEDIA OF THE WALLONIA-BRUSSELS FEDERATION BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION Born in Awans on October 16th, 1956 1995 - 1997 26/10/2005 - 2009 Married - 2 children Chief of Staff of the Walloon Regional Minister for Economy, Employment and Minister for Budget, Finance, Employment Foreign Trade of the Walloon Regional 1974 - 1979 and Formation and French Community Government University of Liege - Jurist Doctor in Law Minister for Budget, Finance and Civil Service 26/07/2007 - 2009 Minister for Economy, Employment, PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE 1998 - 1999 Foreign Trade and Heritage of the Walloon Chief of Staff of the Deputy Prime Regional Government Since 1979 Minister and Minister for the Economy Attorney at the Liege Bar 2009 - 2014 and Telecommunications (On leave since 1992) Vice-President and Minister of Economy, SME, Foreign Trade and New Technologies 1999 - 2003 1992 - 1994 of the Wallonia Region Government
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