Dipl.-Ing. Luc J. Mechelaere

President and Managing Director. P/L responsibility for EMEA, CIS and APAC and head of global business development including M&A reporting to the CEO. Commercial, Manufacturing, HR and Finance & Shared Services (legal, IT) reporting into me. Chairman of the Russian JV established in 2014 together with a Russian partner. Factories in the UK, Russia and China. Monthly reporting towards ownership Castle Harlan Inc a PE fund from NYC.

Assisting organizations to build, formulate and implement growth strategies.

Member of the Steelcord Executive Management Committee a $2bn SBU. Leading the SBU Incubator focused on breakthrough/disruptive innovations. Accelerated the venture lifecycle from front end ideation to innovation, industrialisation and commercialisation with open innovation at the core of each project. Worked in partnership with leading elevator companies on NextGen elevators and expanded the fine steelcord business into China.

Heading the global inorganic growth initiatives for Building Products, including the globalization strategy for building insulation and roofing systems, including merger and acquisition initiatives.

P&L owner of a $400m business spread over EMEA, Russia and China. Directing operations of 11 nonwoven, woven and glass fibres plants with 2,800 employees and industry leading EBIT margins. Led the expansion of Johns Manville in Europe with $250m investment program including the acquisition and expansion of a glass fibre plant in Slovakia, the integration of 2 nonwoven business in Germany and the consolidation of 4 weaving plants in Sweden, Poland and the UK.

Managed $200m P&L, the operations of five plants in Germany with 1,060 employees, and sales offices and agents throughout Western and Eastern Europe and increased EBIT significantly to high double digit percentage of sales.

P/L responsibility for the global monofilament business with 2 plants in Europe and 1 in the US. Prepared the business for exit as non-core. Consolidated all functions and operations into 1 location.

Executed strategic sales & marketing management and technical support for an organization in Europe and North America, with a JV in Japan, representing high annual sales and double digit EBIT, serving PMC and industrial filter manufacturers.

Served as executive assistant to a board member (Vorstand). contributed to the sale of the global fibers entity and the restructuring within the European & Africa region; personally oversaw the execution of the Hoechst AG corporate restructuring strategy in Benelux, France, UK, Ireland, Switzerland and French speaking Africa.

Increased profit and revenue by establishing successful sales and technology initiatives for products including polyester filament, acetate, tri-acetate, and viscose fibers produced in Belgium, Germany and Denmark. Spearheaded a service program that delivered improvements in product development, shop floor assistance and claim response.

Strategy, operations, HR, IT, Finance

Sales & Marketing

Textiles