Amsterdam, 5 March 2025 - Arcadis, a global leader in intelligence-driven sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets, today announced that Virginie Duperat-Vergne has decided to resign as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Member of the Executive Board effective from 31 May 2025.
Willem Baars will assume the role of interim CFO on 1 June 2025. Willem currently holds the position of Global Strategy, Financing and M&A Officer and has been with Arcadis for four years, having worked closely with Virginie, Arcadis’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alan Brookes, the Arcadis leadership team and the Supervisory Board. Willem is a highly accomplished financial and strategic leader. Before joining Arcadis, he spent over 20 years at Goldman Sachs.
Virginie Duperat-Vergne said:
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as CFO to take on a new opportunity. Arcadis is an exceptional company, driven by industry leading talent, and it has been an honor to be part of its transformation and growth. Serving as CFO alongside Alan Brookes and Peter Oosterveer has been a privilege, and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished. We have strengthened Arcadis’ financial position, driven strategic acquisitions, secured a robust financing structure, and enhanced our capital market presence.”
“I am leaving the CFO role in very capable hands with Willem, a skilled and internationally experienced leader, who has contributed significantly to Arcadis’ success over the past four years. We will work closely to ensure a successful transition.”
Michiel Lap, Chair of the Arcadis Supervisory Board, expressed gratitude for Virginie Duperat-Vergne’s significant contributions to Arcadis, stating:
“The Supervisory Board sincerely thanks Virginie for her dedication and leadership over the past five years. While we understand and support her decision, it is with regret that we bid her farewell from Arcadis. We deeply appreciate her invaluable contributions to the company. With Willem’s leadership, we are confident in a smooth transition and a strong focus on executing the Arcadis 2024-2026 strategic plan.”
Alan Brookes, CEO, Arcadis said:
“Virginie’s energy, insight, and exceptional financial leadership has been an asset to Arcadis. She has been instrumental in strengthening our financial discipline and balance sheet and redefining our market presence. Under her guidance, we successfully completed several acquisitions expanding our global footprint and services, obtained an investment grade credit rating from Standard & Poor’s and fundamentally reshaped our finance function. I sincerely thank Virginie for her contributions and wish her all the best for the future.”
“Willem and I have worked closely together since he joined Arcadis, and I value his strong financial profile and business expertise. I am confident he will build on Virginie’s solid foundations and provide strong financial leadership for Arcadis.”
The Supervisory Board will initiate the process to appoint a permanent successor for Virginie Duperat-Vergne immediately.
