Michel van Geyte, chief executive officer of Nextensa, has been appointed as the next Chair of the ULI Belgium & Luxembourg National Council, and will officially begin his term on 1 July 2023, serving on a voluntary basis for the next two years.

Under the leadership of van Geyte, a key priority for ULI Belgium & Luxembourg will be to engage with the global vision and expertise of the ULI network. “In my view, ULI is the strongest platform for us all to exchange ideas and to learn from each other across real estate sectors, industry disciplines and national borders, as we all seek to find solutions and establish best practice for some of the most pressing challenges faced by our industry around the world,” said Van Geyte. “We can all benefit from this global vision in our approach, as we work to strengthen our industry and the communities that we serve.”

Another of van Geyte’s priorities is to increase ULI’s outreach in Luxembourg: “It is my aim to nurture and expand our relationships with the real estate leaders in Luxembourg and encourage their increased participation in ULI. I intend to leverage my more than two decades of experience working in Belgium and Luxembourg in this aim, to establish ULI as an exemplary organisation that can have a sustainable impact in the region.”

Michel van Geyte’s appointment was announced during the National Council’s Annual Conference in Brussels. He succeeds Gabriel Uzgen, chief executive officer of BESIX Real Estate Development.

“It is with great humility that I take over the chair of ULI Belgium and Luxembourg from Gabriel Uzgen, who has done a fantastic job in leading the national council over the last two years. My sincere thanks go to Gabriel. My aim is to work towards building upon the great legacy left by his successful tenure,” said Van Geyte.

Outgoing chair Gabriel Uzgen welcomed his successor’s appointment: “Michel has been an enthusiastic member of our Executive Committee for several years and I’m sure he will bring great energy and passion with him. As an influential industry leader, he also brings an impressive commitment to issues such as sustainable urban real estate investment and development, reflecting many of the priorities of ULI in Europe.”

Lisette van Doorn, CEO of ULI Europe, said: “Michel’s vision to proactively engage with ULI’s leadership network internationally to exchange ideas and expertise, his commitment to our mission, his real estate expertise and his strong network in the Belgium and Luxembourg markets makes him an ideal chair to lead and further develop ULI and its activities in Belgium and Luxembourg at a time when the industry faces significant cyclical and structural challenges. I’m looking forward to working with Michel as he implements his vision, ensuring the continued success of the council and its activities and developing our membership, including leveraging the opportunities for further growth in Luxembourg.”

“I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Gabriel Uzgen for his long-standing commitment to ULI and leadership of the national council, which has significantly contributed to its continuing success. Under Gabriel’s leadership ULI Belgium and Luxembourg grew almost 30% to nearly 300 members currently.”

Michel van Geyte is a visionary real estate leader with over 20 years’ experience working in the Belgium and Luxembourg markets. He is CEO of Nextensa, a combined real estate investor and developer that is listed on the Brussels Stock Exchange with a balance sheet of 1.6 billion euros. He was instrumental in the formation of the company: in 2018, he spearheaded the amalgamation of Leasinvest Real Estate, an international real estate investor where he was CEO, and Extensa, a large project developer in urban mixed zonings, creating Nextensa. Prior to this he was Chief Operating Officer at Leasinvest and before that managing partner at Knight Frank.

Ends

About the Urban Land Institute:

• The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has over 48,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.

• ULI has almost 5,500 members in Europe across 15 National Council country networks. For more information, please visituli.org, follow us on Twitter or follow our LinkedIn page.

Visit ULI Belgium & Luxembourg and ULI Europe.

Contact:

Tony Nokling – [email protected]