BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION Participants Brochure USA - TEXAS 3 > 11 December 2016 Publication date: 20 October 2016 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. are also available on the above-mentioned website and app. BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION 3 > 11 December 2016 Organized by the regional agencies for the promotion of Foreign Trade & Investment (Brussels Invest & Export, Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT), Wallonia Export-Investment Agency), FPS Foreign Affairs and the Belgian USA - TEXAS Foreign Trade Agency. USA - TEXAS 4 BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSIONS CALENDAR 2017 REPUBLIC OF KOREA 10 > 16 June 2017 IVORY COAST mid-October 2017 (The dates are subject to change) USA - TEXAS 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 Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid, Princess mothers and people lacking in education and On 20 June 2013, the Secretariat of the of Belgium, was born in Brussels on 5 June skills. Ottawa Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention 1962. She is the second child of King Albert announced that Princess Astrid - as Special II and Queen Paola. In late June 2009, the International Envoy of the Convention - would be part of Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board a working group tasked with promoting the After her secondary education in Brussels, ratified the appointment of Princess Astrid as treaty at a diplomatic level in states that had Princess Astrid studied art history for a year a member of the IPC Honorary Board. not yet joined. at Leiden in the Netherlands. She completed her education in Geneva, at the Institute of In January 2010, the charity Action Damien/ Princess Astrid joined the Belgian Armed European Studies and in Michigan in the Damiaanactie announced that Princess Forces on 22 May 1997. She is a colonel in United States. Astrid had agreed to take over from HM the Medical Unit. Queen Fabiola as Honorary President of the In Brussels on 22 September 1984, Princess organization. The Princess is involved in the public Astrid married Lorenz, Archduke of Austria- activities of the Royal Family. Este, who became Prince of Belgium in 1995. As Honorary President of the Queen Elisabeth Medical Foundation (QEMF) and the King Princess Astrid represented the King at his 7 The couple have five children, all born in Baudouin Foundation’s Scientific and Medical request during the trade missions to Angola Belgium: Amedeo (21 February 1986), Funds, Princess Astrid lends her support & South Africa and to India in 2013, to the Maria Laura (26 August 1988), Joachim (9 to fundamental medical research. She is Kingdom of Saudi Arabia & the Sultanate of December 1991), Luisa Maria (11 October involved in the fight against epidemics and Oman, to Colombia & Peru and to Malaysia 1995) and Laetitia Maria (23 April 2003). pandemics, including from 2007 until 2015 & Singapore in 2014, to Qatar & the United as Special Representative of the Roll Back Arab Emirates and to Western Canada in Princess Astrid has always shown particular Malaria (RBM) Partnership. The Princess is 2015 and to Indonesia in 2016. concern for those in society who risk falling also committed to championing the victims through the net. She supports initiatives that of violence, most notably in efforts to combat assist the disadvantaged, in particular single antipersonnel mines. USA - TEXAS 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 European Chairman of the PRL-FDF Group (1995 - Married - 4 children Affairs, in charge of Beliris and Federal 1999) Cultural Institutions since 11 October Chairman of the Provincial and District MR 2014 GOVERNMENT POSITIONS Federation (1995-2004) Minister of Finance (1999 - 2011) Member of the Bureau and Deputy ACADEMICAL FUNCTIONS Chairman of the Liberal International Chairman of the Eurogroup (January - Lecturer at the Hautes Ecoles (2005 - 2011) December 2001) commerciales of Liège Chairman of the Mouvement Réformateur President of the Ecofin (July - December Staff member of the Public Law (2004 - 2011) 2001 / July 2010 - December 2010) Department at the University of Liège Member and Leader of the MR Group of Member of the G7 in 2001 Guest lecturer at the Université catholique the Uccle Town Council (since 3 December Chairman of the G10, which is the meeting de Louvain (Louvain business school 2012) of the main creditor States, in 2002 (UCL)) Chairman of the Brussels MR Federation Minister in charge of the Belgian Buildings (since 12 January 2013) Agency (2003 - 2011) POLITICAL ACTIVITIES 9 Deputy Prime Minister since 18 July 2004 Chief of staff of the Deputy Prime Minister, PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES Minister of Justice and Institutional Lawyer (1981 - 1985) Minister of Institutional Reforms (2004 - Reforms, Jean Gol (1987 - 1988) 2011) Director General of the Local Authorities Member of the Liège Town Council (1988 - Department of the Ministry of the Walloon Minister in charge of the National Lottery, 2012) the Federal Holding and Investment Region (1985 - 1988) Company (FHIC) Leader of the MR Group of the Liège Town Chairman of the National Railway Company Council (1995 - 2012) and the insurance companies (2007 - of Belgium (1986 - 1991) 2011) Deputy Chairman of the MR (1992 - 2004) Chairman of the National Society of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade Member of Parliament since 1992 Airways (1991 - 1993) and European Affairs (2011 - 2014) USA - TEXAS HE GEERT 10 BOURGEOIS MINISTER-PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF FLANDERS FLEMISH MINISTER FOR FOREIGN POLICY AND IMMOVABLE HERITAGE BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION PERSONALIA In 2000 he came at the helm of the Volk- °Roeselare, July 6th 1951 sunie. After the break-up of this party, he founded the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA) Master in Law, Ghent University in 2001 and became the party’s first leader. Geert Bourgeois is Minister-President of the POLITICAL CAREER Government of Flanders, in which he is also competent for foreign policy and immovable Starting out his professional career as a heritage. lawyer and solicitor, Geert Bourgeois first ac- ceded to politics in 1977, after having spent Geert has been a minister in the Government more than ten years at the service of the of Flanders since 2004. Over the years, his ‘Vlaamse Beweging’ (Flemish movement). portfolio has included local and provincial He was first elected local councillor for the government, public governance, foreign pol- Volksunie party in Izegem before moving on icy, civic integration, media, tourism, immov- to become alderman in this town. In 1995, able heritage and the ‘Vlaamse Rand’ (ring he entered the Belgian House of Representa- of Flemish municipalities around the capital 11 tives, where he distinguished himself as a Brussels). In 2009, he became Vice-Minister- legal specialist. President. He has been Minister-president of the Government of Flanders since 2014. USA - TEXAS HE JEAN-CLAUDE 12 MARCOURT VICE-PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF ECONOMY, INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES OF THE WALLOON 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 2004 - 2009 Married - 2 children Director of Cabinet of the Walloon Minister of Economy, Employment, Foreign Regional Minister for Budget, Finance, Trade and Heritage of the Walloon Re- 1974 - 1979 Employment and Formation gional Government University of Liege - Juris Doctor in Law Minister of the Wallonia-Brussels 2009 - 2014 Federation for Budget, Finance and Civil Vice-President and Minister of Economy, Service SME, Foreign Trade and New Technologies PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE of the Wallonia Region Government Since 1979 1998 - 1999 Minister of Higher Education of the Attorney and member of the Liege Bar Director of Cabinet of the Deputy Prime Wallonia-Brussels Federation (on leave since 1992) Minister and Minister of Economy and Telecommunications Since 2014 1992 - 1994 Vice-President and Minister of Director of Cabinet of the Walloon 1999 - 2003 Economy, Industry, Innovation and New Regional Minister for Internal Affairs Director of Cabinet of the Deputy Prime Technologies of the Walloon Government 13 Minister and Minister of Employment of 1994 - 1995 the Federal Government of Belgium Vice-President and Minister of Higher Director of Cabinet of the Walloon Education, Research and Media of the Regional Minister for Internal Affairs, Civil 2003 - 2004 Wallonia-Brussels Federation Service and Budget Director of Cabinet of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice of the Federal Government of Belgium USA - TEXAS HE PIETER 14 DE CREM FEDERAL SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN TRADE BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSION Born on 22 July 1962 in Aalter 1989 - 1992 10 June 2007 - 21 December 2007 Attaché at the private office of Prime Chairman of the Commission for the Married