On Thursday, March 27, 2025, Pointury organised the first edition of BE-CEC, Belgium’s Cybersecurity Executives Conference, in Waerboomhof, Groot-Bijgaarden. It was a major succes, seen by many as the best community events they ever attended.
The event offered a good balance between inspiration, networking with an executive cybersecurity and IT community and entertainment.
Keynote speakers
Kohan Kestens
Johan Kestens is a renowned cybersecurity and fintech leader, former CIO & CISO at BNY Mellon, CIO at ING Belgium, Partner at A.T. Kearney, Global Head of Financial Services at SAP, Exco member at SWIFT, Principal at McKinsey. An award-winning speaker, he has been instrumental in securing financial systems and combating cybercrime.
Johan Kestens spoke about the current geopolitical context and how it impacts cybersecurity.
Major General Michel Van Strythem
Major General Michel Van Strythem leads Belgium’s Cyber Command, safeguarding military and critical infrastructure from cyber threats. In other words he is commander of Belgium’s Cyber Force, which is the fifth component of the Belgian Defence next to Army, Air & Space Force, Navy and the Medical service. Under his command, the unit focuses on cyber defense, intelligence gathering, and offensive operations, strengthening national resilience through partnerships with industry and research institutions.
General Van Strythem spoke about the European initiatives to deal with the daily cyber attacks, interference and sabotage actions by Russia and allies.
Taco Mulder
Taco Mulder, CISO at FPS Policy & Support (BOSA), is a cybersecurity leader with experience across business, non-profit, and public sectors. Previously a CISO in Brussels’ hospitals (CHU Brugmann and Hôpital Universitaire Des Enfants Reine Fabiola ).
Taco Mulder spoke about Belgium’s NIS2 implementation at the government.
Paul Davies
Paul Davies is the CISO at Harrods, leading cybersecurity efforts for one of the world’s most iconic luxury retailers. With a career spanning IT security, strategy, and architecture, he has held leadership roles at various IT consulting firms. His expertise helps safeguard Harrods’ reputation and customer trust in a business that thrives on innovation and exclusivity.
Paul Davies spoke about cyber protection in distribution.
Erik Valgaeren
Erik Valgaeren is a highly regarded lawyer and partner at Stibbe, specialising in IT law, data protection, and digital regulations. Recognized as a leading expert in EU digital law, he advises on GDPR, the NIS2 Directive, DORA, the Cyber Resilience Act, and other key legislative frameworks. With extensive experience in IT, AI, and cybersecurity, Erik is known for his ability to translate complex regulatory challenges into practical legal strategies.
Eric Valgaeren spoke about EU cyber security regulations.
Phédra Clouner
Phédra Clouner is the Deputy Director General at the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB), which she co-founded nearly 10 years go. Phédra played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s cybersecurity strategy. With a background in enterprise content management and cybersecurity, she has also served as CISO for the Ministry of Justice. A founding member of Women4Cyber and a board member of the Forum International de la Cybersécurité (FIC), Phédra advocates for gender diversity in the field.
Phédra Clouner explained what the CCB is doing to help protect Belgium.
The event was supported by leading cybersecurity companies.
The evening ended with a fun show by Gili.
