On 1 April Freddy Evens took up the position of acting Secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs. He succeeds Koen Verlaeckt, who leaves the department after 10 years for a new challenge at the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR). Freddy Evens takes over until the Government of Flanders appoints a new secretary general.
Freddy Evens started his career in 1987 at the Flemish Department of Education. In 1997 he moved to the Administration for Foreign Policy, the predecessor of the current Foreign Affairs Department. For 11 years he was Head of the Division Europe. In 2008 he also became acting secretary general for a few months.
In 2009 he became Executive Secretary of the Flanders Foreign Affairs Council (SARiV), which advised the Government of Flanders and the Flemish Parliament on international policy. In 2015 he returned to the department where he became responsible for stakeholder management.
After 10 years Koen Verlaeckt leaves the department and starts working as secretary general of the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR). The VLIR is the consultative body of the Flemish universities. Under his leadership, the department converted into the current Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs Department and expanded in terms of responsibilities and representations abroad.