INSIDE INFORMATION
La Hulpe, Belgium – 23 October 2024, 7:00 am. CET – INSIDE INFORMATION - Unifiedpost Group SA (Euronext Brussels: UPG) (Unifiedpost, Company), a leading provider of integrated business communications solutions, announces the appointment of Nicolas de Beco as its CEO, effective December 1, 2024. Founder and current CEO Hans Leybaert will transition to Executive Chairman. Additionally, the Board has co-opted two new members: Crescemus BV, represented by Pieter Bourgeois, and PDMT Investments LLC, represented by Peter Mulroy. The Board further plans to nominate potential Board members at the next Ordinary General Shareholder Meeting. These changes align with our commitment to enhance governance and strengthen the position of Unifiedpost.
Summary of appointments:
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Nicolas de Beco has been appointed as the new CEO of Unifiedpost, effective December 1, 2024. Nicolas succeeds Hans Leybaert, who will transition to Executive Chairman of the Board.
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Crescemus BV, represented by Pieter Bourgeois, has been co-opted as a non-executive director, replacing AS Partner BV, represented by Stefan Yee, who stepped down on October 1, 2024. Crescemus will represent Alychlo NV in the Board. The mandate will take effect as from October 23, 2024.
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PDMT Investments LLC, represented by Peter Mulroy, has been co-opted as independent director, replacing Sopharth BV, represented by Philippe De Backer, who stepped down on October 1, 2024. The mandate will take effect as from October 23, 2024.
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The Board plans to nominate four potential Board members at the next Ordinary Shareholder Meeting in May 2025.
Appointment of Nicolas de Beco as CEO; Hans Leybaert becomes executive chairman.
Unifiedpost is pleased to announce Nicolas de Beco as its new CEO, effective December 1, 2024. Nicolas will succeed Hans Leybaert, who will transition into the role of Executive Chairman. Nicolas brings extensive experience in scaling SaaS businesses and driving operational excellence, both of which are essential to Unifiedpost’s current strategic priorities, as the company continues to execute on its organic growth plans and capitalise on opportunities arising from regulatory reforms across Europe. Hans Leybaert will remain on board to guide the strategy implementation of the company.
Hans Leybaert stated, "We welcome Nicolas as our new CEO, and I am excited to transition into the role of Executive Chairman. Nicolas brings a wealth of experience to Unifiedpost, having served as Senior Vice President of Strategy at Quadient and President of the French Foreign Trade Advisors in New England. His proven ability to understand and address customer needs aligns with our commitment to customer-centric innovation. I am confident that this transition will keep Unifiedpost on track to becoming the leading digital platform for administrative, financial, payment, and communication processes. Nicolas will bring fresh ideas that will accelerate our growth."
Nicolas de Beco stated: “I’m excited to join Unifiedpost, Europe’s leading SaaS provider for Financial Automation. With the support of 1.000+ dedicated employees and a strong base of 1,3 million customers, I look forward to leading the team towards sustained, profitable growth and shareholder returns.”
Co-optation of new Board members
Following the announcement on July 8, 2024, Stefan Yee, representing AS Partners BV, has decided to voluntarily step down as chairman and member of the Board after nearly 10 years of service since 2014, effective October 1, 2024. Additionally, Philippe De Backer, representing Sopharth BV, has also stepped down from the Board effective October 1, 2024, due to a new professional commitment that prevents his continued service on the Unifiedpost Board.
Following this, the Board of Directors has decided to co-opt Pieter Bourgeois, representing Crescemus BV, and Peter Mulroy, representing PDMT Investments LLC, as directors effective October 23, 2024. Pieter Bourgeois, who will replace Stefan Yee, is the CEO of Alychlo NV and will represent Alychlo on the Board. Peter Mulroy, replacing Philippe De Backer, will serve as an independent director and brings over 40 years of experience in global trade, receivables, and supply chain finance. The Board will seek ratification of these appointments from the Ordinary General Shareholder Meeting in May 2025. These changes reflect Unifiedpost's commitment to maintaining a diverse and experienced Board, ensuring strong corporate governance. The newly appointed members' extensive international experience aligns with Unifiedpost's ambitions to accelerate the growth of digital services and enhance value for our shareholders and customers.
Commenting on the announcement, Hans Leybaert stated, “First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Stefan Yee and Philippe De Backer for their significant contributions to Unifiedpost during their tenure on our Board. Their insights and dedication have been invaluable to our growth. As we welcome Pieter Bourgeois and Peter Mulroy as new members, I am confident that their expertise will further enhance our governance. Pieter, representing Alychlo, underscores our commitment to a strong Board, while Peter's extensive background in global trade and finance will be instrumental as we continue to advance our strategic objectives. We look forward to the fresh perspectives our new Board members will bring while building upon the strong foundation laid by their predecessors”.
Pieter Bourgeois, CEO of Alychlo, added, "As long-term investors, we have always believed in the company's potential and the value it can unlock for all shareholders. We appreciate the collaborative approach taken by Unifiedpost's leadership to implement these governance changes, which we believe are a testament to Unifiedpost's commitment to adopt best practices and strengthen oversight. I am honoured to join the board and look forward to working collaboratively with my fellow directors and management to drive sustainable growth, operational excellence, and long-term value creation for all stakeholders.”
Planned nominations by the Board.
To further expand the experience of the Board and give it a more international character, the Board shall propose to nominate four additional directors at the next Ordinary General Shareholder Meeting, scheduled for May 20, 2025:
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Nathalie Van den Haute, representing Quilaudem BV, shall be proposed to be nominated as a non-executive director. Nathalie is an Investment Principal at Alychlo NV and will represent Alychlo on the Board. She has extensive experience in corporate finance and equity capital markets, having held various leadership positions at KBC Securities.
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Koen Hoffman, representing Ahok BV, shall be proposed to be nominated as an independent director. Koen is the CEO of Value Square and serves on the boards of Greenyard, Fagron, and MDxHealth in independent capacities.
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Leanne Kemp shall be proposed to be nominated as an independent director. Leanne is the founder and CEO of Everledger. A prominent figure in the technology sector, she co-chairs the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Manufacturing and participates in the Global Future Council on Blockchain. Additionally, Leanne leads workstreams at the Global Blockchain Business Council, co-chairs the Sustainable Trade Action Group for the World Trade Board and serves on the IBM Blockchain Platform Board of Advisors.
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Nicolas de Beco, representing Beco Global Consulting LLC, shall be proposed to be nominated as executive director.
The Board shall propose to nominate them for a four-year term, effective from the next Ordinary General Shareholder Meeting. Additionally, the Board shall propose that the shareholders align the terms of the mandates for Crescemus BV and PDMT Investments LLC with this four-year term.
With these changes to its governance structure, Unifiedpost highlights the international experience of its Board. This reinforces the company’s ambition to become a leading Pan-European player in its market segment.
Please visit Unifiedpost’s website for more information about the Board of Directors.
Contact:
Alex Nicoll
Investor Relations
Unifiedpost Group
alex.nicoll@unifiedpost.com
About Unifiedpost Group
Unifiedpost is a leading cloud-based platform for SME business services built on “Documents,” “Identity” and “Payments”. Unifiedpost operates and develops a 100% cloud-based platform for administrative and financial services that allows real-time and seamless connections between Unifiedpost’s customers, their suppliers, their customers, and other parties along the financial value chain. With its one-stop-shop solutions, Unifiedpost’s mission is to make administrative and financial processes simple and smart for its customers. For more information about Unifiedpost Group and its offerings, please visit our website: Unifiedpost Group | Global leaders in digital solutions
Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: The statements contained herein may include prospects, statements of future expectations, opinions, and other forward-looking statements in relation to the expected future performance of Unifiedpost Group and the markets in which it is active. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events. By nature, they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that appear justified at the time at which they are made but may not turn out to be accurate. Actual results, performance or events may, therefore, differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, Unifiedpost Group does not undertake any obligation to update, clarify or correct any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in light of new information, future events or otherwise and disclaims any liability in respect hereto. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
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