Four Belgians rank among best-performing CEO's in the world

In this year’s list of 100 best-performing CEO’s in the world, compiled by Harvard Business Review, there are four Belgians, but no Dutch CEO’s at all. Among them two retailers, as Heineken and Colruyt are led by Belgians.

Inditex highest rated retailer

The Belgians on the list are: KBC’s Johan Thijs  (placed 19), Heineken‘s Jean François van Boxmeer (who just this week was asked to serve four more years after doubling the company’s turnover, placed 25), Atlas Copco’s Ronnie Leten (placed 52) en Colruyt‘s Jef Colruyt (placed 70).

Harvard Business Review has put Spanish Inditex’ Pablo Isla as the highest-rated CEO of a retail company. He is placed third, following WPP’s Martin Sorrell and Novo Nordisk’s Lars Rebien Sorensen. Other well-known CEO’s on the list are LVMH’s Bernard Arnault, AB InBev’s Carlos Alves de Brito, Fast Retailing’s Tadashi Yanai and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.

Harvard Business Review takes several things into consideration to rank the CEO’s: they have to be part of the 1,200 largest listed companies and they have to have been CEO for at least two years. Financial results, social policy and sustainability are but a few other topics considered to create the ranking.