Geert Van Poelvoorde began his career at ArcelorMittal in 1989 as a project engineer at the hot strip mill in Ghent, Belgium. Throughout his career, he held operations and engineering roles in Bremen, Germany, before returning to Ghent as Chief Operating Officer. In 2008, he was appointed CEO of ArcelorMittal Ghent.
During his career, Van Poelvoorde also served as CEO of the company's Northern Business Division, CEO of ArcelorMittal Flat Carbon Europe, and, since 2021, CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe. Between 2015 and 2022, he also served as President of the European Steel Association (EUROFER) for seven years.
Aditya Mittal: He made significant contributions to the strength of the European steel industry
Aditya Mittal, CEO of ArcelorMittal, praised Van Poelvoorde for his outstanding contribution to the company's European operations, highlighting his strong leadership, technical expertise, and vision in enhancing the competitiveness of the European steel industry.
Mittal noted that under Van Poelvoorde's leadership, the company achieved major progress in occupational safety, digitalization, low-carbon steel production, and green steel initiatives. He also emphasized the successful implementation of a dynamic pricing model and the launch of green steel certificates.
"The future of the European steel industry looks brighter"
Reflecting on his 37-year career in the steel industry, Van Poelvoorde described it as an "extraordinary journey."
He said it had been a great privilege to serve as CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe, adding that during his tenure the company had made its European operations safer, stronger, and better prepared for the transition to low-carbon steel production.
Van Poelvoorde also stated that the European Union's new Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) measures, which came into effect on 1 July 2026, together with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) introduced earlier this year, have strengthened confidence in the future of the European steel industry. According to him, the outlook for steel production in Europe is now brighter than before.
Although he is stepping down as CEO, Van Poelvoorde confirmed that he will remain closely involved with the company by serving as Chairman of the Board of ArcelorMittal Europe Steel and continuing to represent ArcelorMittal within EUROFER.
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