Dear colleagues, 2025 has been a very good year for our Regional & Specialised Contractors. With more than €1.3 billion in turnover, a net result above 3% and an order book exceeding €2 billion, performance has been strong across the board. Together with BESIX Belgium-Luxembourg, Regional & Specialised Contractors are now approaching €2 billion in annual turnover, with more than 4,000 people contributing to this collective result. This achievement reflects deep market knowledge, entrepreneurial leadership and the commitment of many teams. I want to acknowledge that very clearly.
Strong results, however, bring their own responsibility. Success increases scale, complexity and expectations. The question we must now address is not whether our model works, but whether it is robust enough to remain effective and competitive as we continue to grow. In other words, how do we protect what makes our businesses successful while ensuring that the Group as a whole is able to move faster, allocate capital wisely and develop new capabilities for the future.
Our Regionals & Specialised Contractors have clear strengths. They are close to their markets and clients, they understand their business models and people. Thanks to this, they are strong performers. However, as the entities are growing in parallel across multiple areas of expertise and geographies, we now see increasing opportunities for collaboration, standardisation and integrated solutions. We also see areas where governance, decision‑making and the use of resources can be improved, without undermining local accountability.
Building on this reflection, the Executive Committee of BESIX Group, with the Board’s approval, has decided to evolve the operating models of our Regional and Specialised Contractors. The aim is to transform these models further, strengthening what already performs well to ensure long-term robustness and scalability.
With this in mind, I have asked Geert Aelbrecht, our current Chief People Officer and Group Sustainability & ESG Officer, to take on the role of General Manager Regionals & Specialised Contractors as from April. His mandate is clear: together with the leadership teams of these entities, he will co‑develop a programme looking towards 2030, with concrete objectives to strengthen the Group’s operating model while respecting the diversity of our businesses.
This work will focus on four priorities: clarifying governance to improve the speed and quality of decision‑making; ensuring that organisational structures are fit for purpose; increasing standardisation and knowledge sharing where it adds value; and supporting selective organic and non‑organic growth, with disciplined capital allocation and clear performance goals. The objective is focus and coherence, not centralisation for its own sake.
Jean Polet, who has led the Regionals & Specialised Contractors since 2020, will remain in his role until April and then further support Geert during the transition. In parallel with his existing responsibilities in key projects (e.g. COTU, ROCO, Den Bosch), Jean will subsequently concentrate on optimising our significant investments in e.g. equipment, plants and quarries. He will also support the development of our specialised activities in the Netherlands and contribute to the assessment of M&A opportunities. His experience and deep knowledge of our businesses will remain an important asset to our Group.
Following this, a number of reporting lines will also change to reinforce clarity. As from April, Alexis Laroche, Group QHSSE Director, and his team will report to Jan Van Steirteghem, COO of BESIX Construction. Alexis and his team will continue to work at Group level on the long‑term development of our QHSSE culture across business lines. Geert will hand over his Sustainability and ESG responsibilities to Patrick Baeten, Secretary General of BESIX Group, who will review the objectives and approach in this field and communicate further in the coming weeks. Sustainability remains one of our core priorities, closely linked to our strategic pillars.
We have also launched the search for a new Head of People for BESIX Group. Until this process is completed, Geert will continue to act as Chief People Officer alongside his new responsibilities. Internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will follow the same process as external applicants.
The intent behind these changes is straightforward. To remain relevant, competitive and attractive as an employer, we must continue to evolve, even when results are strong. Progress is not a break with the past. It is a conscious investment in the future, built on trust, continuity and the foundations we have already put in place. Challenges such as technological change, geopolitical uncertainty and talent scarcity require focus and collective alignment, not fragmentation.
I am confident that, with Geert, Jean and the Regional and Specialised Contractors’ leadership teams, we are taking the right step at the right moment. This evolution will strengthen our Group, support our people and ensure that our entities continue to thrive in a more connected and demanding environment.
Thank you for your continued commitment.
Pierre Sironval
CEO BESIX Group