Chris Van Doorslaer
| Chris Van Doorslaer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 February 1961 Dendermonde, Belgium |
| Died | 16 December 2017 Turnhout, Belgium |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Education | Ghent University (mechanical engineering); Vlerick School, Ghent (general management); Royal Military Academy, Brussels (master's degree in political and military sciences) |
| Occupation | Chief executive officer, company director |
| Employer | Cartamundi |
| Title | Chief Executive Officer of Cartamundi, 1997 to 2017; Chairman of the Board, Miko, 2017 |
| Known for | Turnaround and global expansion of Cartamundi; Trends Manager of the Year, 2015 |
Chris Van Doorslaer (5 February 1961 to 16 December 2017) was a Belgian manager and company director. He was best known as chief executive officer of the Belgian playing card manufacturer Cartamundi, a position he held from 1997 until his death in 2017.
Under Van Doorslaer's leadership, Cartamundi grew from a loss making business into the world leader in playing cards and cards and components for board games, a transformation he pursued through twenty two corporate acquisitions. He also sat on the boards of several other Belgian companies and, in early 2016, was named Trends Manager of the Year for 2015.
Early life and education
Van Doorslaer spent his childhood, until the age of twelve, in Germany, where his father, a career army officer, was stationed first in Kassel and later in Cologne. After the family returned to Belgium they settled in Baasrode, near Dendermonde, where Van Doorslaer completed secondary school in the Latin mathematics track.
He then studied civil engineering at Ghent University, beginning in civil engineering and architecture before switching to mechanical engineering. After graduating he completed a general management programme at the Vlerick School in Ghent.
At the age of 24 Van Doorslaer completed his military service, becoming a reserve officer and eventually reserve lieutenant colonel. He also earned a master's degree in political and military sciences from the Royal Military Academy in Brussels.
Career
Unilever and Fiskars, 1986 to 1997
Before completing his military service, Van Doorslaer had already begun his career at the margarine producer Union in Merksem, part of Unilever, where he worked from 1986 to 1989. In 1989 he became marketing manager for another Unilever brand, Planta, but was then recruited by a headhunter to join the Finnish company Fiskars, known for its scissors and other consumer products. It was at Fiskars that Van Doorslaer gained his first experience of company acquisitions. He remained with the firm in various roles until 1997.
Chief executive of Cartamundi, 1997 to 2017
At the end of 1996 Van Doorslaer was approached by a headhunter searching for a new chief executive for Cartamundi. He was appointed after thirteen rounds of interviews. At that time the company was loss making, with declining revenue. Under Van Doorslaer's leadership, Cartamundi grew into the world leader in playing cards and cards and components for games and board games, growth he achieved through twenty two corporate acquisitions.
Other board positions and Uest, 2007 to 2017
Alongside his role at Cartamundi, Van Doorslaer served on the boards of several other companies. He joined the board of Miko in 2007 and became its chairman in June 2017, six months before his death. He joined the board of Omega Pharma in 2010 and the board of Resilux in 2011.
In 2015 Van Doorslaer co-founded Uest, a company that developed a wearable personal alarm device, launched initially under the name "Embracelet" and later renamed Zembro.
Trends Manager of the Year, 2016
In early 2016 the Belgian business magazine Trends named Van Doorslaer Manager of the Year for 2015, citing his role in Cartamundi's long term success. He had previously been nominated for the award five times.
Personal life
Van Doorslaer married soon after completing his studies. He had two sons. He died unexpectedly on 16 December 2017, in Turnhout, at the age of 56.
Assessment
Van Doorslaer is credited with turning a loss making Cartamundi into the global leader in its sector, a transformation built on a sustained programme of twenty two acquisitions over two decades, and recognised by Trends' Manager of the Year award in 2016 after five earlier nominations. He also built a portfolio of board positions across several Belgian companies, including Miko, Omega Pharma and Resilux, and co-founded a start-up in wearable personal safety technology. The dossier gives no account of controversy, opposition or setbacks during his tenure; the available record describes a period of sustained growth at Cartamundi that ended with Van Doorslaer's sudden death in office, only six months after he had taken on the additional role of board chairman at Miko.