Dirk Vandenberghe becomes Managing Director Aurubis Olen and Aurubis Beerse as of January 1, 2023

Aurubis AG’s Supervisory Board appointed Dirk Vandenberghe as the successor to Inge Hofkens as Managing Director of Aurubis Olen (Belgium). He will be responsible as Managing Director for both Belgian Aurubis sites in Olen and Beerse as of January 1st, 2023. The sites belong to the German Aurubis Group, global player in non-ferrous metals and recycling and pioneer in sustainability and circular economy.

Inge Hofkens said, “With his 11 years of combined experience as CEO of the former Metallo Belgium and currently as Managing Director of Aurubis Beerse, Dirk brings excellent expertise to the role. He knows the metals business and its operational activities and successfully integrated the Beerse and Berango entities into the Aurubis Group. I wish him every success in his new role.” From January 2023, Hofkens will join the Executive Board of the Aurubis Group. She also remains active within the Aurubis Olen board of directors.

Hofkens’ successor will further drive cooperation between the Belgian sites to realize the ambition and strategy of the Aurubis smelter network: pursuing growth in recycling, securing and strengthening core activities all while being an industry leader in sustainability.

I am honoured and highly motivated to embark on this new responsibility. I am very much looking forward to meeting the Olen colleagues in person soon

, said Dirk Vandenberghe.

Dirk Vandenberghe (62) studied civil engineering for electromechanics and earned his doctor’s degree at Ghent University. Afterwards, he spent most of his career at ArcelorMittal in different managerial positions, before joining the former Metallo in 2011.

As a high-performance metal recycling site in the Aurubis smelter network, the Aurubis Olen plant processes blister copper and multimetal recycling materials. The Olen plant employs 650 people and produces copper cathodes via electro refinery as well as Aurubis Rod, Foxrod, and Bars and Profiles. The Beerse plant also operates a copper tankhouse and processes complex recycling materials, ranging from the most complex residues to higher-grade scrap types – and produces metals, metal products, and minerals from them. Aurubis Beerse has 475 employees.