Presidency

President

Willy Robijns, Assistant Manager Flemish Waterways and Sea Canal

Willy Robijns was born in Flanders (Belgium). Since 1996 he has been working as assistant manager at the Flemish Waterways and Sea Canal - “Waterwegen en Zeekanaal NV”, a Flemish Waterway Manager.

He is project manager of important development projects along the Sea Canal. He has developed an excellent knowledge of international and European matters and inter-modal transport solutions. Mr. Robijns has also been responsible for innovative transport and transshipment systems, hydro-electric power stations and quality standards (ISO).

Vice-Presidents

Bernard Pacory, Managing Director of Ports of Lille

56 years old, a former Commercial officer of the merchant navy, Bernard Pacory has sailed during 8 years on behalf of the Compagnie Maritime des Chargeurs Réunis. In 1982, he was transferred to the main office in Paris. He was first operations Manager at the Reefer department, then from 1985 to 1988 he became the deputy of the Director for the Caribbean Europe Zone.

In 1989, he was appointed Director of the Ports of Lille. He has guided the port towards new horizons: the containerization, the development of logistic activities in co-operation with global players and, more recently, that of the recycling sector. At present, he is also in charge of the general management of the Platform of Dourges/Delta 3 and of the Industrial Land Agency of Lille Métropole.
President of the AFPI (French Association of Inland Ports) from its creation in 1994 until 2008 and now vice-President, Bernard Pacory is also Adviser on foreign trade in France. Since 2004, he is Honorary Consul of the Republic of Hungary in Lille.

Roland Hörner, Managing Director Port of Mannheim

Roland Hörner was born in Germany. He made his military service and obtained the rank of Colonel. He studied law obtaining the First German State Law Examination at the University of Heidelberg and Second German State Law Examination in the State Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He has also further education from the Federal Tax Academy in Siegburg and Führungsakademie Baden-Württemberg in Karlsruhe.

Since 1998, Mr Hörner is Managing Director of the Mannheim Port Authority and since 2000 Ranking Member of the German Inland Ports Association (BöB). In the past, he has been responsible for policy of commercial holdings (infrastructure, services, lotteries) at the State Ministry of Finance in Stuttgart and member of the supervisory board of several State-operated companies. In addition, in the 80’s he worked for the State Treasury Office Heidelberg. He was responsible for Mannheim municipality and parts of Rhine-Neckar-Region (County) and Head of Appeals Unit at the IRS Office Villingen-Schwenningen for the Inland Revenue Service, State of Baden-Württemberg.

Carmen Costache, President of Romanian Inland Ports Union

Carmen Costache is an economist, who comes with 25 years experience in port administration and port operations. She began as manager for the commercial department of Maritime Danube Ports Administration. In 1997 she was appointed Economic Manager for two port operator companies located in Galati Port. In 2004 she obtained a master degree in ports management and in 2005 she returned to the Maritime Danube Ports Administration as General Manager.
At present she is President of the Romanian Inland Ports Union and manages her own company for business valuation and quality management systems.

Rainier Reekmans, Commercial Director of the Port of Brussels

Rainier Reekmans was born in Genk (Belgium) in 1974. He is Commercial Director of the Port of Brussels since 2009, responsible for renting of free space in the port (land, warehouses and offices) and for the development of new projects. Before becoming the Commercial director, he was CFO of the Brussels' Port. He is since 2009 invited professor at the HEFF (Haute Ecole Francisco Ferrer) in “Transport economics”. Mr Reekmans started his carreer as financial auditor for Ernst & Young.

He holds a master degree in Law from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a Master in Business Administration from the Université Catholique de Louvain and a Master in International and Comparative Law (Institute for European Studies of Brussels).