On 1 January 2018, former Vice Chairman Stefaan Vandaele officially took over the chairmanship of Growing Media Europe from Norbert Siebels, who stepped down in anticipation of his retirement at the end of 2019.
Stefaan Vandaele is the CEO of Agaris and one of the founding members of Growing Media Europe. He was designated to succeed Norbert Siebels following a unanimous decision of the Board Members of Growing Media Europe last year.
Stefaan Vandaele has been actively involved in EPAGMA – the predecessor association of Growing Media Europe – since 2005. Summarizing his vision for Growing Media Europe, he emphasized that “Our sector is not only fit for the future, it is a strong basis for creating a more sustainable future! Highly innovative growing media products contribute to healthy and sustainable food production, climate change mitigation and greener living spaces. To assure the sustainable development of our sector and develop a constructive dialogue, we rely on Growing Media Europe to bring together our member´s views and act as our European focal point in Brussels. I am eager to take on my new responsibilities as Chairman and to keep moving things in the right direction for our sector.”
