Kobe Verdonck appointed CEO of SD Worx Group

London, 3 September 2019 – As of today, Kobe Verdonck, currently Board Member of SD Worx Holding NV, strategic advisor and member of the SD Worx Holding Management Team, will succeed Steven Van Hoorebeke as Chief Executive Officer of SD Worx Group NV, the company’s largest business segment.

Born in Ghent (Belgium) in 1971, Kobe has a Master’s degree in Law (Universiteit Gent) and Business Administration (Université Catholique de Louvain).



Throughout his highly successful career, he has held senior leadership positions of increasing responsibility in international HR and payroll companies in several countries, including, most recently, the role of Chief Executive Officer of Raet (2014-2018), and before that Chief Sales Officer and Executive Director for Europe and Latin America of NorthgateArinso (2007-2014).



Steven Van Hoorebeke steps down as Chief Executive Officer and remains available for special assignments until the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting in June 2020. From then on, he will continue to serve SD Worx as Non-executive Board Member of SD Worx Group NV and SD Worx Holding NV for the coming years.



The governance of SD Worx Staffing and Career Solutions, the second business segment of SD Worx, will remain unchanged, under the leadership of Christophe Petit as CEO.

“Kobe’s broad international experience and proven track record in the HR and payroll service and software industry make him the ideal candidate for the position,” says Steven Van Hoorebeke. “I am confident that he has the talent, the drive, the experience and the strategic vision to take our organisation to the next level. Our company and our sector – like other service industries – are confronted with a number of far-reaching changes and challenges, not least the digitalisation and internationalisation of our business, but we have an ambitious growth strategy and investment plan in place which will enable us to face the future with confidence. Kobe and I will jointly attend the upcoming SD Worx Strategy Days in Noordwijk (the Netherlands) on 10-12 September. Over the coming months, he and I will work closely together to ensure a smooth leadership transition, while continuing to focus on our growth strategy.”



“I am excited to have been appointed CEO of SD Worx Group and to work together with the more than 4,150 colleagues,” says Kobe Verdonck. “The company has great international ambition, while already servicing tens of thousands of customers in Europe and elsewhere on the interface between people and technology. SD Worx has a clear growth plan for the future, the financial track record and, not least, the people to execute the plan. I am looking forward to contributing to this success with my own expertise from the international HR software and services industry. The HR world is transforming rapidly, and with SD Worx we will work relentlessly on developing better HR solutions so that companies and staff can give even greater focus to their customers. Steven has taken SD Worx to an unprecedented level during his tenure, and I am looking forward to working with him and the teams to guarantee a smooth transition over the coming months with continued focus on the customers, innovation and further expansion.”

“Steven’s track record in our organisation has been truly outstanding,” adds Filip Dierckx, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “He joined SD Worx in 2011 as a member of the Executive Committee, responsible for the business outside Belgium. Then, in 2013, he succeeded Jan van den Nieuwenhuijzen as Managing Director and CEO of the SD Worx Group. Under his leadership, SD Worx Group has been transformed into a highly successful international player, with a consolidated turnover of EUR 467 million and a normalised EBITDA growing to EUR 61 million in 2018. We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his relentless dedication to the success of our company. My colleagues in the Board of Directors and I are therefore extremely pleased that in the coming years we will still be able to count on his vast experience and strategic insights. Together, we will continue to focus on delivering consistent and exceptional service to our customers worldwide, developing and motivating our professional and qualified people across all countries, and executing our ambitious expansion and growth plans internationally.”