Maurice Lippens (businessman)
{{short description|Belgian businessman and banker (born 1943)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = The Count Lippens
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1943|05|09}}
| birth_place = Knokke, Belgium
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Belgian
| other_names = Uncle Maurice
| occupation = Businessman
| years_active =
| known_for = Chairman of Fortis
| notable_works =
}}
Maurice Robert Josse Marie Ghislain, Count Lippens (born 9 May 1943 in Knokke, Belgium) is a Belgian businessman and banker. He is the grandson of Maurice Lippens (1875) and brother of Leopold Lippens, mayor of Knokke-Heist.
Education
Maurice Lippens obtained a doctorate in law from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) (Brussels, Belgium) in 1967, and an MBA degree from the Harvard Business School (U.S.) in 1972.
Career
Maurice Lippens started his professional career in South Africa to assist with the reorganisation of the Maatschappij voor Zeevisserij where he stayed for five months, and then served his military service duties in the Belgian army.
Afterwards, he went through an apprenticeship at the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas (financial analysis), followed by the Générale de Banque in financial management. After he graduated from Harvard Business School (MBA), he held management positions at Scienta S.A., the Société Européenne de Venture Capital. He then took over a company in Brussels on his own account, which was resold in 1979.
Maurice Lippens joined the {{Interlanguage link|AG Group|nl|3=AG Groep}} in 1981, in 1983, he became managing director, and then Chairman / Managing Director in 1988. He has been the Chairman of Fortis since 1990, participating to the creation of the group. In 2000, he became chairman of the executive committee of Fortis. In 2004, he became the sole President of the group.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ageas.com/newsroom/fortis-president-maurice-lippens-made-grand-officer-order-leopold-ii|title=Fortis President Maurice Lippens is made Grand Officer of the Order of Léopold II {{!}} Ageas|website=www.ageas.com|access-date=2019-09-20}}
Mr Lippens was relieved of his position after a government bailout of the bank on 28 September 2008.{{Cite web|url=http://portfolio.lesoir.be//v/economie/fortis/4511022_RedacSel4_Lippens31_jpg_0KQW7PGU.JPG.html|title=Maurice Lippens|website=lesoir.be|language=en|access-date=2019-09-20}} He has been involved in numerous law suits and was accused of calling for private investors to buy more Fortis shares in June 2008.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2013/09/21/did_maurice_lippensdeceivesmallinvestors-1-1734811/|title=Did Maurice Lippens deceive small investors?|last=News|first=Flanders|date=2013-09-21|website=vrtnws.be|language=en|access-date=2019-09-20}} In 2009, he still owned his shares (920,000 shares) of Fortis.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gva.be/cnt/aid822072/maurice-lippens-beschikt-nog-over-1-miljoen-aandelen-fortis|title=Maurice Lippens beschikt nog over 1 miljoen aandelen Fortis|website=Gazet van Antwerpen|date=11 April 2009 |language=nl-BE|access-date=2019-09-20}} In 2012, a Dutch court cleared Maurice Lippens for the misleading financial information published by Fortis in May–June 2008.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ageas-fine-idUSL5N0EV0JD20130619|title=UPDATE 2-Ex-Fortis CEOs fined for misleading markets|date=2013-06-19|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-09-20|language=en}} In 2018, the Belgian justice dropped charges against seven ex-directors of Fortis, including Maurice Lippens, considering that they could not have foreseen the subprime mortgage crisis.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crime-belgium-fortis-idUSKCN1OJ0YK|title=Ten years on, Belgium drops case against Fortis ex-directors|date=2018-12-20|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-09-20|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.lecho.be/entreprises/banques/maurice-lippens-et-le-top-de-fortis-vont-echapper-au-proces/10080700.html|title=Maurice Lippens et le top de Fortis vont échapper au procès|date=2018-12-20|website=L'Echo|language=fr|access-date=2019-09-20}}
After leaving Fortis in 2008, he lived off his family's real estate company.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2009/07/22/hier-leeft-maurice-lippens-van-en-zijn-familie-11757755-a1074857|title=Hier leeft Maurice Lippens van, en zijn familie|website=NRC|date=22 July 2009 |language=nl|access-date=2019-09-20}}
Other positions
- Director Total
- Director GBL (Group Bruxelles Lambert)
- Director Belgacom
- Director Suez-Tractebel
- 1983-...: President of Companie Het Zoute{{Cite web|url=https://www.lalibre.be/economie/entreprises-startup/maurice-lippens-on-est-a-un-tournant-51b88fa2e4b0de6db9ae6092|title=Maurice Lippens: "On est à un tournant"|last=Libre.be|first=La|date=2006-08-14|website=www.lalibre.be|language=fr|access-date=2019-09-20}}
- Director Iscal Sugar
- Director Finasucre
- Director Groupe Sucrier
- Member Trilateral Commission
- Member Harvard Business School European Advisory Council
- Member Insead Belgium Council
- Member of the Belgian businessclub Cercle de Lorraine.
Awards
2004: Grand Officer of the Order of Léopold II
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lippens, Maurice}}
Category:Flemish businesspeople
Category:People from Knokke-Heist
Category:Free University of Brussels (1834–1969) alumni
Category:Grand Officers of the Order of Leopold II
Category:Harvard Business School alumni
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