Baron Philippe Bodson, chairman of the board of Belgium-based gas shipping company Exmar and a former Belgian senator, passed away on 4 April in Brussels following a three-week battle with Covid-19, the company said
Baron Bodson was 75.
As a result of Baron Bodson’s passing, the board named Exmar chief executive Nicolas Saverys as executive chairman and appointed Exmar deputy chief executive Francis Mottrie as chief executive.
Baron Bodson was first named to the Exmar board in 2002 and had been chairman since 2005.
Mr Saverys penned a touching tribute to Baron Bodson in Exmar’s recently released 2019 annual report, noting his distinguished career as an industry stalwart, politician and innovator.
“Baron Philippe Bodson was an exceptional personality, admired and loved for his unconditional dedication to life, and to the Exmar Group,” wrote Mr Saverys. “The human, Baron Philippe Bodson, was a man made of granite. An enormous concentration of human qualities in one human being, his enthusiasm, was contagious. With Philippe people became better, stronger, provoking, with a touch of humour.” Added Mr Saverys, “Baron Bodson has left us with a great legacy. We shall continue to promote his wisdom and love for the entrepreneurship in innovation.”
Holding a degree in Civil Engineering in Liège and a Master’s in Business Administration at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, Baron Bodson started his professional career in the 1960s, joined the management committee of Glaverbel in 1977, later holding executive management positions, including head of the engineering consultancy Tractebel Group. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a Senator in the Belgian Senate as a member of Movement reformateur party.
Most recently, he was chairman of the board of several companies. He was also chairman of the International Polar Foundation, operator of the zero-emission research facility Princess Elisabeth Station in Antarctica. Princess Elisabeth Station hosts Belgian and international scientists engaged in climate and sustainability research.
Added Mr Saverys in the annual report, “On a personal note, I have lost a great and dear friend, an example and a source of inspiration. I shall continue to be inspired by his life and shall always follow his drive to find solutions to problems and be an innovative and cost-efficient shipowner.”
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