Rik Missault joins ION as co-CEO

Project developer and real estate investor ION appoints Rik Missault as co-CEO. Missault has been COO at Matexi for the last 5 years and was one of the people credited with the company’s strong growth and professionalisation. ION hopes the appointment of Missault will lead to further growth over the coming years.

ION was founded in 2011 by Davy Demuynck, Kristof Vanfleteren and Paul Thiers, and has seen strong growth over the last seven years. The project developer and real estate investor has high ambitions for the coming years.

“We have been looking for a COO for some time to strengthen our team and support our growth. But from our initial contacts with Rik, it quickly became clear that he had much greater potential. Rik has a proven track record in both real estate and in leading larger international organisations.”

Davy Demuynck, co-founder of ION 

“With Rik on board, we have acquired the skills we need to support our ambitions. This, along with the launch of the second development fund ‘PDF II’ and the opening of our Brussels office, will give us a major boost.”

Kristof Vanfleteren, co-founder of ION

Expansion at home and abroad

Rik Missault, a civil and industrial engineer who also holds an executive MBA from the Vlerick Business School, will join the ION team at the beginning of January 2019. He will fulfill the role of co-CEO, managing the business alongside the founders, Davy and Kristof. His appointment coincides with the launch of a new 100-million euro real estate fund, to further support expansion at home and abroad.

“I am proud of what we have been able to achieve at Matexi, both in terms of growth, in terms of professionalisation and in the transformation of the business from land parcelling into urban development. I had five interesting years there, but it was time for a new challenge. What I find so exciting at ION is the marked entrepreneurial ambition, the enthusiasm of a young and driven, highly competent team, and the substantial pipeline of projects. Davy, Kristof and I also clearly complement one another very well, so I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with them to build on this success story.”

Rik Missault

ION’s Board of Directors is looking forward to Rik Missault’s appointment with confidence.

“This is a major milestone for ION. The company has a lot of projects, a fast-growing team and healthy financial resources, and is now strengthened by the additional management skills to implement the further professional expansion our business. We are looking forward to it,” comments Paul Thiers, Chairman of ION and co-founder." 

Paul Thiers, Chairman of ION and co-founder