Jürgen Ingels has served as one of our independent directors since November 2013. Mr. Ingels is Founder and Managing Partner of SmartFin, a growth stage private equity fund that was set up in December 2014. In October 2014, Mr. Ingels sold Clear2Pay NV/S.A., a global innovative payments software technology company he founded in 2000, to FIS Global. The clients of Clear2Pay include global and major regional financial institutions such as ING Group, Banco Santander, S.A., Crédit Agricole S.A., BNP Paribas, The U.S. Federal Reserve, Royal Bank of Scotland, The People’s Bank of China (PBOC). Mr. Ingels started his career in private equity in 1997 at Dexia NV/S.A., where his role was focused on investing in technology companies. Mr. Ingels currently serves as a director on the board of directors for Guardsquare NV, Projective NV, Itineris NV, Willemen Groep, Ghelamco NV, WDP (Euronext), and Recharge.com. In 2018, Mr. Ingels founded Scale-Ups.eu and organized Supernova, a four-day technology event in Antwerp with over 30.000 visitors. Mr. Ingels holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Political and Social Sciences from the University of Antwerp. In 2020 Mr. Ingels published his first book Start Grow Sell. In the book he reveals 50 lessons he has learned as an entrepreneur.

Hilde Ingelaere co-founded Materialise in 1990, together with the company’s CEO, Wilfried Vancraen. In her early years at Materialise, Ms. Ingelaere managed several staff departments including human resources, finance and legal. She served as executive vice president until 2023 and played an important role in strategic negotiations with a focus on partnerships and applications in the medical domain. She has served on the board since 1997. Before joining Materialise, Ms. Ingelaere conducted cardiovascular clinical research at Bristol-Myers Squibb from 1986 to 1989. She then worked as a business analyst with Plant Genetic Systems from 1989 to 1992. Ms. Ingelaere holds a Master’s degree in Bioengineering from KU Leuven, where she focused on Biotechnology, and a Master in Business Administration from KU Leuven.

Wilfried Vancraen served as one of our directors and as our Chief Executive Officer since founding Materialise in July 1990. On January 1, 2024, Mr. Vancraen became Chairman of the Board and was succeeded as CEO by Brigitte de Vet-Veithen. Previously, he worked as a research engineer and consultant at the Research Institute of the Belgian Metalworking Industry, where he was introduced to 3D Printing. Passionate about this new technology and firm in his belief that it could help create a better and healthier world, he founded Materialise in July 1990. Mr. Vancraen holds several patents related to the technical and medical applications of 3D Printing and remains committed to using the technology for positive changes in people’s lives. In recent years, Mr. Vancraen has been awarded the RTAM/SME Industry Achievement Award, the highest honor in the 3D printing industry, has been selected as the most influential person in additive manufacturing by industry professionals and TCT Magazine, and has been listed as one of the five leading players in his sector by the Financial Times. He is also the recipient of a 2013 Visionaries! award from the Museum of Art and Design in New York. Mr. Vancraen holds a Master of Science in Electro-Mechanical Engineering and a Master in Business Administration from KU Leuven. Wilfried Vancraen was included in the TCT Hall of Fame in 2017 for his contributions to the 3D printing industry.
 

Johan has been with Materialise since it was founded, holding a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering from KU Leuven. In 1990, he completed his Master’s thesis on Stereolithography by studying the very first 3D printing machine at Materialise. After graduating in 1991, he stayed on with the company, focusing on software development to support our 3D printing services. Throughout his career at Materialise, Johan has held several positions, including Software Sales Manager and Director of Sales, as well as Executive Vice President, responsible for global sales organization. In March 2021 he was named Chief Operating Officer.