Materialise, a Belgium-based pioneer in 3D printing, announced that the company’s Board of Directors has appointed Brigitte de Vet-Veithen as Chief Executive Officer. Brigitte de Vet-Veithen will succeed Fried Vancraen, who co-founded Materialise in 1990 and has served as the company’s CEO for 33 years. Mr. Vancraen will continue to represent Materialise as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors. The leadership transition will become effective on January 1, 2024.
Brigitte de Vet-Veithen joined Materialise in 2016 and is currently Executive Vice President of Materialise Medical, which develops software and 3D printing solutions that help improve patient outcomes. Under her leadership, the medical segment grew to become the company’s fastest growing and most profitable business segment. In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Materialise developed a non-invasive ventilation solution to support breathing in coronavirus patients.
Before joining Materialise, de Vet-Veithen held various senior management roles at Johnson & Johnson. She was a consultant in the technology industry was CEO of Acertys Group. She holds a Master of Business Administration with a major in engineering from the School of Management of the University of Liège and an MBA from the Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD).
“It will be an honor to lead Materialise, a company that helped create and continues to shape the 3D printing industry,” de Vet-Veithen said. “As we take this step, I celebrate our roots as 3D printing pioneers, but I am even more excited about our role as pioneers of tomorrow’s possibilities. As 3D printing establishes itself as an essential tool in the production toolbox, Materialise is ideally positioned to capitalise on the tremendous opportunities ahead and to continue driving the growth of our industry.”