Since October 2017, Karel has been CEO of Febelfin, which is the umbrella organisation for the banking sector. In addition, he is chairman of the public employment service of Flanders, the VDAB. He spent 13 years as managing director of UNIZO, which represents the interests of over 85,000 Flemish entrepreneurs. This involved acting as a spokesperson for the thousands of SMEs and self-employed people who help to keep our economy running. However, he does not come from a family of entrepreneurs. When he was young, he dreamed of becoming a professional sportsman, but discovered his first professional challenge elsewhere. Since 2004, he has been a passionate advocate of future-oriented enterprise. And his sports background has also resulted in another area of focus: the need for an effective health policy, also in the world of business.
