Stéphane Verwilghen joins ERA Group as a partner. The former head of Arval Belgium and ex-chairman of Renta wants to put his many years of experience as a business leader at the service of ERA's clients.
Stéphane Verwilghen has had a rich career in senior management and executive positions at McDonald's Belgium and Arval."Stéphane Verwilghen is a great asset to our team;" says Philip Declat; Country Manager Belgium at ERA Group. "We are counting on his knowledge and commercial drive to strengthen our growing activities; particularly in Fleet & Mobility."
Stéphane Verwilghen adds: "Business leaders are going through difficult times. Even in the current period of uncertainty characterised by inflation and the geopolitical context; we are able to reduce our clients' risks and increase their competitive advantage. It is precisely these aspects that give me the most satisfaction. To achieve these objectives; we optimise costs while taking into account the specific characteristics of each organization."
Striving for continuous improvement; with both feet firmly on the ground
After studying commercial engineering at Solvay; Stéphane Verwilghen began his career at McDonald's in Belgium in 1990. After six years; he became Director of Operations. He then joined Arma; a car leasing company; as Managing Director. In 2004; Arma was absorbed by Arval Belgium. Stéphane Verwilghen took over the management of the group and successfully led the integration of the two companies.
After 15 years at the helm of Arval Belgium; in 2013 he took charge of six Arval entities (Belgium; Austria; Luxembourg; Morocco; Portugal and Switzerland). In 2016; Stéphane Verwilghen became Director of Global Operations; covering 28 countries. He was also President of Renta; the Belgian Federation of Vehicle Rental Companies; between 2009 and 2012.
Stéphane Verwilghen concludes: "I strive for continuous improvement. I like to feel what is happening on the ground. This has been my approach since I learned the trade at McDonald's restaurants as a young graduate."
"As a partner at ERA; I use my experience and skills to help managers improve their results in the long term by optimising their costs. To do this; I can rely on our ERA experts; both in Belgium and abroad. "
