Biography
Bart Becks is a serial innovator and entrepreneur from Belgium, with a proven track record of igniting digital innovation, fueling growth and launching new ventures.
In recent years, Bart served as the Executive Chairman at EURACTIV, steering its transformation into a premier media network covering EU policy news across 13 countries. EURACTIV was recently acquired by a prominent European media group. Concurrently, Bart serves as the Executive Chairperson at E-Health Venture, where he oversees the development of an ecosystem integrating strategic business, research, and technology partnerships. Additionally, he is a co-founder of BeCentral, which, since its establishment in 2017, has evolved into one of Europe's foremost Tech and Digital Skills campuses.
During his nearly decade-long tenure as CEO of Belgacom Skynet (now Proximus), Bart played a pivotal role in propelling the company to become Belgium's largest internet and digital media entity. Subsequently, he joined the European Media Group SBS Broadcasting, which underwent acquisition by the private equity groups KKR & Permira and merged with ProSiebenSat1 to form one of Europe's largest media groups. Following a significant period in California, Bart extended his involvement in startups and scale-ups as a founder, advisor, or angel investor - essentially in the domains of SAAS, digital media and healthcare. He also assumed the role of Chairman at iMinds (now IMEC), a renowned research, innovation, and incubation institute.
Bart believes fervently in the transformative potential of technology to enhance both personal and professional lives, positively impacting society. Considering this, he is currently focused on the opportunities and challenges associated with Artificial Intelligence, with the ambition to support and create initiatives in that domain.