Gert Van Mol
Gert Van Mol (born 1969) is a Belgian entrepreneur and CEO.
Van Mol was a student leader at the Catholic University of Louvain.[1] While studying he founded The Publishing Company, a publishing house, in 1990. Between 1990 and 2000 The Publishing Company initiated and published a series of youth magazines and books, such as TEEK magazine,[2] the bestselling movie and music magazine in Flanders, as well as The Official PlayStation Magazine Benelux a Sony franchise, as well as IGLOO, Motel Flamingo, Bancoteek for KBC Bank and Impact magazine, the bestselling business youth magazine in Belgium.[3] The catchall term for all sorts of micro publishing "guerrilla publishing" was introduced by Van Mol. For publishing a series of religious books Van Mol received the Silver Cross "Arts, Sciences, Lettres" (Académie Française, Paris)(2002). He also founded Filmbank, a chain of shops specialised in selling movie memorabilia in Belgium and The Netherlands.
In 2000 Van Mol sold his company to a company noted on the Euronext Stock Market.
The Wall Street Journal
In 2002 Van Mol started to work for The Wall Street Journal where he founded The Wall Street Journal Future Leadership Institute, a virtual institute bridging university and industry.[4][5][6] In 2011 British newspaper auditors raised concerns over WSJ Europe's circulation figures being artificially inflated. Van Mol, who worked initially in the WSJE's international distribution operations before moving to its circulation marketing department, turned out to be at the heart of a bulk-buying scheme. His role at WSJE had been eliminated earlier that year. [7]
In 2012 The Wall Street Journal Future Leadership Institute became independent. Since 2012 it is called The Future Leadership Institute. The Future Leadership Institute operates worldwide organizing lunches, seminars and conferences always bringing student leaders and executives together around topics significant to society. The Future Leadership Institute is based in London.[8] For his work with the Institute Van Mol was awarded a Spanish medal, the Socio Distinguido de L'Agrupacion Espanole de Fomento Europea (Barcelona) and a French medal, the Silver Cross Encouragemant Public (Œuvre d’Entraide Sociale Française, Paris).
In 2005 Van Mol started the technology company Groep G publishing the first digital newspaper in Belgium following the birth of a son. Within the Groep new digital search technologies were developed making Van Mol a sought after speaker at universities and business schools.[9][10]
TV
In 2011 Van Mol was asked to become CEO/Crisis Manager of the TV station Life!TV Broadcasting Company, a digital TV station distributed via Telenet, a subsidiary of Liberty Bell. In his capacity he introduced the first female presenter with a headscarf on Belgian TV. Van Mol’s life was threatened, although he also received great support by many groups in Belgian society.[11] The TV station grew 600 percent in viewer participation between 2011 and 2013 upon which the station was sold.
Giant Ferris Wheels
Between 2013 and 2015 Van Mol was CEO of Skyview in Amsterdam, an entertainment company installing Giant Ferris Wheels all over the world. Van Mol initiated the installation of a Giant Ferris Wheel at the Scheveningen Pier in the Netherlands. The Giant Ferris Wheel of Scheveningen is the first 40-meter wheel that was built in the sea.[12]
By mid 2015 Van Mol was asked to save the digital company foto.com by the family Grimaldi. The company was nearly bankrupt and was operating under Chapter 11 conditions by the Court of Nivelles in Wallonia. Within the framework of the Court of Nivelles Van Mol succeeded in turning around the company upon which the Court freed the company from the Chapter 11 condition.
References
- ""In I.L.O. tempore". Verbeeld verleden van de Faculteit Bewegings- en ..." google.be.
- K.G. "Haalt Delhaize choquerende Teek weer uit haar rekken?". Het Belang van Limburg.
- "Teek start met zakentijdschrift". loenochod.com.
- "Diplomatie.be" (PDF). diplomatie.be.
- "LSE SU AIC - Media". lseaic.com.
- "Beyond the Sound Bite 2010 - Common Room @ CJBS". cam.ac.uk.
- Clark, Nick (14 October 2011). "Wall Street Journal faces inquiry into sales 'scam'". The Independent. London. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "History of The Future Leadership Institute".
- "Van Mol speaking at The Oxford Cambridge Boat Race Seminar".
- "Van Mol speaking at Knowledge Economy Network in Slovenia on the topic of One Laptop Per Child".
- "First woman with headscarf on Belgian TV".
- "Scheveningers bang voor inkijk door enorm reuzenrad".