Peter Leys was the Executive Chairman of Materialise from 2013 until January 2024, when he became Director of the Board. Previously, from 1990 to 2013, Mr. Leys was Corporate Finance Partner at the Brussels office of Baker & McKenzie CVBA, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions, and capital markets. Mr. Leys lectures a mergers and acquisitions contract design course at KU Leuven. Mr. Leys holds a Candidacy Degree in Philosophy from KU Leuven and Master of Law degrees from the KU Leuven and the University of Georgia.
 

Jozef Vander Sloten has served as one of our directors since January 2007. Mr. Vander Sloten is a tenured professor at the Faculty of Engineering Science, KU Leuven and has chaired the Division of Biomechanics for two terms from 2006 to 2014. He chaired the Leuven Medical Technology Centre (L-MTC), which he founded in 2008 until the end of his two terms in 2016. Mr. Vander Sloten teaches engineering mechanics, problem solving and engineering design, computer integrated surgery systems, and medical device design including regulatory affairs. From 2006 to 2012, he served as the program director of the Master in Biomedical Engineering at KU Leuven. His research interests are computer applications in musculoskeletal biomechanics and computer-integrated surgery, on which he has authored more than 160 journal papers. Mr. Vander Sloten is a Founding Fellow of the European Alliance for Medical and Biological Engineering and Science, where he previously served as president in 2006, president-elect in 2005 and secretary-general from 2003 to 2004. In 2015, he was elected as a member of the International Academy for Medical and Biological Engineering. Mr. Vander Sloten holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering – Biomedical Engineering from KU Leuven. Since 2016 he is the Vice-Dean for International Affairs at the Faculty of Engineering Science, KU Leuven.
 

Jürgen Ingels has served as one of our independent directors since November 2013. Mr. Ingels is Founder and Managing Partner of SmartFin, a growth stage private equity fund that was set up in December 2014. In October 2014, Mr. Ingels sold Clear2Pay NV/S.A., a global innovative payments software technology company he founded in 2000, to FIS Global. The clients of Clear2Pay include global and major regional financial institutions such as ING Group, Banco Santander, S.A., Crédit Agricole S.A., BNP Paribas, The U.S. Federal Reserve, Royal Bank of Scotland, The People’s Bank of China (PBOC). Mr. Ingels started his career in private equity in 1997 at Dexia NV/S.A., where his role was focused on investing in technology companies. Mr. Ingels currently serves as a director on the board of directors for Guardsquare NV, Projective NV, Itineris NV, Willemen Groep, Ghelamco NV, WDP (Euronext), and Recharge.com. In 2018, Mr. Ingels founded Scale-Ups.eu and organized Supernova, a four-day technology event in Antwerp with over 30.000 visitors. Mr. Ingels holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Political and Social Sciences from the University of Antwerp. In 2020 Mr. Ingels published his first book Start Grow Sell. In the book he reveals 50 lessons he has learned as an entrepreneur.

Hilde Ingelaere co-founded Materialise in 1990, together with the company’s CEO, Wilfried Vancraen. In her early years at Materialise, Ms. Ingelaere managed several staff departments including human resources, finance and legal. She served as executive vice president until 2023 and played an important role in strategic negotiations with a focus on partnerships and applications in the medical domain. She has served on the board since 1997. Before joining Materialise, Ms. Ingelaere conducted cardiovascular clinical research at Bristol-Myers Squibb from 1986 to 1989. She then worked as a business analyst with Plant Genetic Systems from 1989 to 1992. Ms. Ingelaere holds a Master’s degree in Bioengineering from KU Leuven, where she focused on Biotechnology, and a Master in Business Administration from KU Leuven.

Wilfried Vancraen served as one of our directors and as our Chief Executive Officer since founding Materialise in July 1990. On January 1, 2024, Mr. Vancraen became Chairman of the Board and was succeeded as CEO by Brigitte de Vet-Veithen. Previously, he worked as a research engineer and consultant at the Research Institute of the Belgian Metalworking Industry, where he was introduced to 3D Printing. Passionate about this new technology and firm in his belief that it could help create a better and healthier world, he founded Materialise in July 1990. Mr. Vancraen holds several patents related to the technical and medical applications of 3D Printing and remains committed to using the technology for positive changes in people’s lives. In recent years, Mr. Vancraen has been awarded the RTAM/SME Industry Achievement Award, the highest honor in the 3D printing industry, has been selected as the most influential person in additive manufacturing by industry professionals and TCT Magazine, and has been listed as one of the five leading players in his sector by the Financial Times. He is also the recipient of a 2013 Visionaries! award from the Museum of Art and Design in New York. Mr. Vancraen holds a Master of Science in Electro-Mechanical Engineering and a Master in Business Administration from KU Leuven. Wilfried Vancraen was included in the TCT Hall of Fame in 2017 for his contributions to the 3D printing industry.
 

Johan has been with Materialise since it was founded, holding a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering from KU Leuven. In 1990, he completed his Master’s thesis on Stereolithography by studying the very first 3D printing machine at Materialise. After graduating in 1991, he stayed on with the company, focusing on software development to support our 3D printing services. Throughout his career at Materialise, Johan has held several positions, including Software Sales Manager and Director of Sales, as well as Executive Vice President, responsible for global sales organization. In March 2021 he was named Chief Operating Officer.