Last Wednesday, March 15, the REO Veiling board of directors unanimously appointed Filip Vanaken as general manager of the Belgian cooperative growers' association. Filip has held the position on an ad interim basis since late October last year.
"The board of directors is satisfied with the way Mr. Vanaken has worked over these past five or so months. He proved he is very familiar with the auction business. We'd thus like to further develop our partnership with Mr. Vanaken and keep working hard as a team to build a future-oriented, strong organization in the interest of our member-producers, employees, and stakeholders," says Rita Demaré, REO Veiling chairperson.
"This is going to be an important year for REO Veiling," Filip continues. "One of renewal, modernization, and strategic adjustments to changing conditions in a continually evolving sector. This summer, we'll give all our producer-cooperators a chance to engage with us. Those talks will be based on cooperation and flexibility. Once a strategy is determined, much attention will go to guidance to make this change process successful."
"Guidance for both our producer-shareholders and staff to transition to a grower association that's ready for the future and its challenges. Internally, we've already started realizing a modern, renewed organizational structure in which a culture of collaboration, team spirit, mutual respect, and flexibility is central. In summary, REO Veiling faces the challenge of keeping the fresh fruit and vegetable sector relevant and expanding it."
"It will keep supplying the fresh market with sustainably and locally grown, healthy products from its skilled growers in the most efficient way possible. Efficient logistical and administrative-financial processes support that. In this clear goal, management takes the importance of coaching and mentoring very seriously," Filip concludes.
For more information:
REO Veiling
101 Oostnieuwkerksesteenweg
8800, Roeselare, BE
Tel: +32 (0) 512 31 211
Email: info@reo.be
Website: www.reo.be