Koen Verniers

Koen is a non-executive director, strategic advisor and social investor with extensive international experience in running businesses across different cultures. Koen has lived and worked in Asia, Europe, and the US; and on his travels developed a keen understanding of how not just tolerating but indeed embracing diversity is a key enabler of leadership success.

His executive advisory work is building from experience built over 20 plus years in various leadership roles and is underpinned by a curious mind, always seeking to understand the framework within which decisions and actions are taken in order to offer fresh perspectives and thoughts that help challenge the status quo. Koen is particularly keen on working with clients in areas of organizational development, strategy review and execution discipline as well as stakeholder and culture mapping.

Koen holds a master’s degree in applied economic sciences from the University of Antwerp. From 2015 to 2019 he served as Group Managing Director for Hamburg-based Oiltanking, a global independent operator of petroleum, chemicals, and gas storage terminals.

During his 20-plus years career with the company he worked as a commercial manager in Houston, as corporate finance manager and head of controlling in Hamburg and subsequently in various senior leadership roles in the US, followed by China and Singapore where he was responsible for Asia Pacific. Koen served as a (non-)executive director or chairman on several supervisory and executive (joint venture) boards in Europe, Africa and Asia incl. India and the Middle East.

Koen currently runs an advisory business working with several infrastructure investment companies as well as with social impact organizations in the capacity of advisor, executive mentor and independent board member.

Koen has the Belgian nationality and was born in 1970. He is married and has three children. After more than 20 years living and working abroad, he returned to Belgium in 2020 and since lives in Ghent. Besides reading, Koen loves sailing and bike touring with family and friends.