Maarten den Dekker definitively responsible for commercial portfolio within North Sea Port’s executive board

Effective immediately, Maarten den Dekker will permanently assume the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) on the executive board of North Sea Port. Peter Van Parys will henceforth, as Chief Operations Officer, also be responsible for digitalisation. 

The 34-year-old Maarten den Dekker has already been serving as interim lead for the commercial portfolio for about a year. Seven months after Cas König took office as CEO, Den Dekker is now formally confirmed in this role by the Supervisory Body of North Sea Port. He will combine this with his sustainability portfolio, under his new job title: Chief Commercial & Sustainability Officer (CCSO). 

Maarten has been with the port authority for more than eight years and has been jointly responsible for the strategic steps North Sea Port has taken in recent years as a sustainable port. In addition, he has been serving for more than three years as director of the Dutch branch of Smart Delta Resources (SDR)—a role he will continue to fulfil. SDR is the key partnership of industry, port, knowledge institutions, and governments in the region working towards a future-proof, sustainable industrial sector, with a climate-neutral port and industrial cluster by 2050 as its guiding objective. 

“By appointing Maarten den Dekker as CCO, we are continuing the course we have already set,” says Cas König, CEO of North Sea Port. “Maarten’s insights and experience with societal responsibilities relating to sustainability, climate, the energy transition and the circular economy can be well combined with representing the commercial interests of the industries and companies in our port area. After all, they are the ones who will make our port more sustainable, while the position of our industry in the Netherlands, Belgium and Europe is under pressure.” 

Maarten den Dekker on his new role: “This opportunity to combine my experience and insights in developing a sustainable port with strengthening ties with our companies and potential investors is a real challenge. I am eager to take on this highly engaging and ambitious task with both hands and will dedicate myself fully—together with our entire organisation—to making it happen. In this way, we deliver on our ambition as a top European port for our customers.” 

Chair of the Supervisory Body, Sofie Bracke, on the appointment: “As Supervisory Body, we look with confidence at Maarten’s appointment as CCSO. Together with the organisation, he will be an important link in North Sea Port’s customer intimacy approach. At its core, this approach is about creating a strong bond between North Sea Port and its customers, and connecting customers with one another, with the goal of realising the strategic ambitions of Impact 2030.” 

Digitalisation 
Maarten den Dekker also took on the position of Chief Digital Officer on 1 September 2024. This domain has since become well integrated into our new strategic plan, Impact 2030. Responsibility for digitalisation will henceforth be carried by Peter Van Parys (Chief Operations Officer) and Els Verfaillie (Head of Digital). 

In addition to CEO Cas König, the full executive board consists of Maarten den Dekker as Chief Commercial & Sustainability Officer, Peter Van Parys as Chief Operations Officer, and Sofie Monteyne as Chief Financial Officer.