Aalst-Erembodegem, March 4, 2020 – Ontex Group NV’s (Euronext Brussels: ONTEX; ‘Ontex,’ or ‘the Company’) Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of Luc Missorten, effective from the next Annual General Meeting (‘AGM’) on May 25, 2020. On the recommendation of the Board of Directors (‘Board’), Hans Van Bylen, former CEO of Henkel, will be proposed to Ontex shareholders at the same AGM for election as an independent director, in view of naming him Chairman of the Board.
The Board would like to extend its gratitude to Luc Missorten for his commitment and valuable contribution to the development of the Company since its IPO, successfully supporting the management team. Luc Missorten will continue to provide his support until the completion of the ongoing transformation program (Transform to Grow), as a senior advisor to the Company.
After 35 years with Henkel, including 15 years as executive board member of which four years as CEO, Hans Van Bylen decided to step down as per January 2020. Having led a prominent global industrial and consumer goods company with revenues of c. €20 billion, Mr. Van Bylen will bring deep industry knowledge and breadth of experience spanning the FMCG sector, retail brand space, manufacturing and supply chain. Mr. Van Bylen has previously served on the board of GfK and Ecolab and is President of the German Chemical Industry Association.
Luc Missorten stated: “It has been an honor to serve as Chairman of Ontex since 2015. After careful consideration of where Ontex stands in its transformation journey and given my other board commitments, I have concluded that the Company now requires a Chairman with a different background able to dedicate more time to the business. I fully endorse the recommendation to appoint Hans Van Bylen given his strong industry knowledge and leadership skills”.
Hans Van Bylen added: “I would like to thank the Ontex Board for recommending my nomination as an independent director, subject to shareholders approval at the next AGM. I’m also grateful that Luc has accepted to stay involved as a senior advisor, ensuring a smooth transition. I look forward to working closely with Charles Bouaziz and to support the Company in its transformation, delivering value creation to all shareholders through sustainable profitable growth”.
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About Ontex
Ontex is a leading international provider of personal hygiene solutions, with expertise in baby care, feminine care and adult care. Ontex’s innovative products are distributed in more than 110 countries through Ontex brands such as BBTips, BioBaby, Pompom, Bigfral, Canbebe, Canped, ID and Serenity, as well as leading retailer brands.
Employing 11,000 passionate people all over the world, Ontex has a presence in 21 countries, with its headquarters in Aalst, Belgium. Ontex is part of the Bel20 and STOXX® Europe 600.
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