Chris Danckaerts, managing director of De Vlaamse Waterweg will retire at the end of October 2024. On Tuesday evening 22 October, he officially bid farewell at the headquarters in Hasselt together with a lot of prominent guests and looked back on his career.
Since 1 October 1985, Danckaerts was employed by what has since become De Vlaamse Waterweg. “I never expected that after 39 years I would still be driving into this car park,” he said in his farewell speech. “Although, of course, a lot has changed since then: our administrative headquarters and the surrounding area underwent a major makeover, the Dienst voor de Scheepvaart borne off as De Vlaamse Waterweg over the years and, unlike in 1985, I don’t usually drive into the car park myself anymore,” he says proudly.
“I dare say they were 39 years of commitment and dedication; at the start as a project engineer, pretty soon as head of the technical department, then as director-engineer and from 2009 as general manager,” he continues. “All these years, I could count on the support of the then managements and colleagues. On 1 May 2014, I was appointed by the Flemish government as managing director of nv De Scheepvaart in succession to Erik Portugaels and so the chapter of ‘leading civil servant’ began. From 1 December 2016, when the merger process of both waterway authorities was underway, I was also already appointed as acting managing director of Waterwegen en Zeekanaal in succession to Leo Clinckers. Once the merger of both waterway managers was successfully completed, I eventually became managing director of the merger company De Vlaamse Waterweg.”
Fish in the water
Danckaerts managed to transform the company into a dynamic organisation where humanity and collegiality were paramount. “It gave me a lot of energy all those years to experience such a transition from close by and to be able to contribute to it myself,” he says. “Waterways and their environment are also an enormously fascinating subject, this because of their diversity in the form of rivers and the many functions our waterways fulfil. There are also all the stakeholders, each with their specific expectations. No matter whether it is about economy and transport, water safety, tourism and recreation, water experience or about safeguarding or strengthening natural values, this is an organisation and working environment in which I felt like a fish in the water from the very beginning.”
Nice compliment
“At the time, one of my evaluations allowed me to read ‘Chris breathes The Flemish Waterway’. I still consider that a very nice compliment,” he says. “In those 39 years, many special and beautiful moments have obviously stayed with me. For instance, I cannot ignore the merger of Waterwegen en Zeekanaal and De Scheepvaart. Together with the then chairmen Frieda Brepoels and Tom Dehaene, my then colleague Leo Clinckers and later Ludo Vanmeer, we made sure the merger was a reality on 1 January 2018. From then on, we put The Flemish Waterway on the map ever stronger in the interest of Flanders and our stakeholders.”
“I also see the raising of the last bridge over the Albert Canal in Wijnegem early this year as an absolute milestone,” he continues. “I also had the privilege of being part of the Intergovernmental Commission directing the Seine-Scheldt project from 1 May 2016. Together with French and Walloon authorities, the Seine-Scheldt link has been taking shape over the past few years. In Flanders, all lock complexes have now been adapted, some bridges still need to be raised and the widening of the river Lys and the creation of wetlands is under way. The Sigma Plan – with dyke heightening and the creation of flood plains – and the Room for the Meuse project, a collaboration with the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management, have also proved their worth to excess. Without the works carried out, the consequences in Flanders during Northwest storms with spring tides and during the Waterbomb in July 2021 would have been much more dramatic.”
Thanks to the cooperation between the Flemish government, the province of Limburg, Vlaio, the city of Genk, POM and De Vlaamse Waterweg, the closure of Ford Genk on 18 December 2014 was seized upon to transform the site into a ‘state-of-the-art’ multimodal business park, called Logistic Valley Flanders, in just a few years’ time.
Visionary regulations
“De Vlaamse Waterweg’s Smart Shipping programme ensured that Flanders is today a pioneer in inland shipping innovation,” he continues. “With visionary regulations, automated shipping – with remotely controlled ships – is further ahead in Flanders than elsewhere in Europe or even the world. On top of that, De Vlaamse Waterweg’s vessel management tool Visuris became the standard in 13 European countries.”
United Nations
Danckaerts also cherishes some personal highlights. “In March 2023, I participated in the United Nations Water Conference in New York. That conference made it clear that climate change and its impact on our water systems leaves no country untouched,” he says. “And, there were the visits of King Philip on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Albert Canal in 2014 and of the royal couple to the Sigma flood plain Polders of Kruibeke in 2017.”
Finally, Danckaerts thanked many ministers and people he had the privilege of working with over the past 39 years. “Thanks also to all 1,250 employees of The Flemish Waterway without whom our organisation and our waterways would sometimes literally stand still,” he said.
Time for wife, grandchildren and guitars
When Danckaerts wants to thank his wife Anita, he gets a little difficult and loud applause from the audience follows. “My dear wife Anita has constantly supported me all these years and always gave me good advice with common sense. For the last ten years I was quite out of touch, but other times are coming and she is very happy about that. The rest of the family will also be happy that dad and ‘vava’ will have a bit more time for them.”
Danckaerts will also finally have time to attend concerts by some of his musical heroes. “For instance, I am greatly looking forward to a concert by Robert Plant, the singer of Led Zeppelin,” he says. “And I have also already bought tickets for guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa’s concert at Antwerp’s Lotto Arena on 10 May 2025.”
Mercy Ships
Finally, Danckaerts drew special attention to the relief organisation Mercy Ships Belgium. “The philosophy and approach of Mercy Ships have moved me a lot and hence my request to support them.”
Mercy Ships is an aid organisation that provides free medical and surgical support to the poorest of the poor in African countries with two large hospital ships, the ‘Global Mercy’ and the ‘Africa Mercy’, and some 1,100 volunteers on board. Currently, those ships are operational in Sierra Leone and Madagascar. Through Danckaerts’ appeal, more than 11,000 euros have already been raised for Mercy Ships.
Krista Maes
The Flemish Government decided on Friday 25 October 2024 to appoint Krista Maes as acting managing director, De Vlaamse Waterweg said in a release. Maes has been operational director at De Vlaamse Waterweg nv since 1 February 2018. She will take up her post from 1 November 2024 and will work closely with managing director Dominique Van Hecke.
