September 14, 2022
13:28
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A few weeks after Johan Willemen temporarily replaced his son Tom as CEO, the Mechelen construction group gets another prominent man. The loss-making group is cutting 40 jobs and returning to the Benelux to reverse the trend.
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The construction company Willemen once again gets a new boss. Marc Jonckheere will be the new CEO of the Mechelen family business, the group told the Belgian news agency on Wednesday and confirmed the company to De Tijd.
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With Jonckheere, Willemen gets his first CEO from outside the family. The commercial engineer only started working as director of the infrastructure branch in June. Jonckheere was the managing director of the Aclagro contractor (Square Group) for many years. Previously he worked extensively in the concrete and cement industry.
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The father and son were then told that Tom Willemen would be back in a few weeks or months. That plan is not working out. “My father’s return was a temporary solution because my brother indicated that he needed time for his mental wellbeing,” says Bram Willemen. “That’s why my father took over for a good month. But Tom needs a little more time to get back. And my father is already 72 years old. That’s why we need a permanent CEO to make the decisions. ‘
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“I have long been looking for an outside person who could take over some of my duties,” says Tom Willemen in a reply. “We have started a building leave procedure. Now the sense of urgency is greater. We canceled the search because we found the right person internally. ‘
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Willemen points out that Marc Jonckheere will definitely be the boss. “Marc is not an interim CEO,” the spokesperson said. “He will remain CEO. Tom has time to return to a strategic role at his pace. ‘ Willemen also has a new CFO, Jan Gesquière (formerly Besix), since August 1, after the former CFO moved to the Befimmo real estate group.
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Fired
With a recovery plan, the company hopes to “stop losses, adjust the cost structure to the decrease in turnover and increase profitability again”. For example, about 20 jobs in support services and 20 jobs in construction companies will disappear. Some are absorbed by not replacing departing employees, but there will also be layoffs. The Willemen group has 2,200 employees, including between 800 and 900 employees.
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Furthermore, Willemen is returning to its home market, the Benelux. The company wants to finish existing projects outside that market, in Germany and Morocco, but no longer wants to start new projects there. “We want to keep the focus here and make things right,” says Bram Willemen. Due to the reorganization, the company may no longer be at a loss in 2023, but at the latest in 2024.
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The company vehemently denies that Tom Willemen was sidelined to put things in order. “Tom was certainly not sidelined,” says his brother Bram. ‘The savings and reorganization were initiated under the impulse of Tom and will be carried on by Marc. It is an unfortunate coincidence ». Johan Willemen refused to answer.
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Willemen
- Established in 1956.
- It includes a construction, infrastructure, technical and project development department.
- Turnover (2021): 813 million euros.
- Gross operating margin (EBITDA): 3 million euros.
- Net loss: € 13.5 million.
- Employees: 2,200.
- Order backlog: 1.386 billion euros.
- Active in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Morocco.
- Owner: Willemen family.
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