Jos Decleer

I was appointed Visiting Assistant Professor at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in October 2015 where I teach an elective course on Leadership, Innovation, and Intra/Entrepreneurship for Geoscientists to Belgian and international MSc students. In addition to my teaching duties, I also hold several departmental responsibilities, including serving on the educational council, coaching and reviewing MSc theses, and mentoring PhD and postdoctoral students.

I graduated summa cum laude in 1983 from KU Leuven with a PhD in Applied Clay Mineralogy. In 1985, I joined Royal Dutch Shell in Amsterdam as a Catalyst Research Scientist, followed by a role as Catalyst Product Technologist in Ghent. In 1993, I transitioned to the Supply & Distribution sector in Brussels, taking on the position of Finance, IT, and Engineering Manager. I subsequently held various leadership roles in Scheduling & Transport of Fuels, working in Ghent, Rotterdam, and Paris. Later, I managed projects related to Shell%27s Downstream Business Model and the global implementation of SAP, coordinated from London and Hamburg.

Beyond my business responsibilities, I was actively involved in Shell%27s recruitment activities in Belgium for over a decade, serving as Campus Ambassador for KU Leuven, UGent, and Vlerick Management School, under the direction of Shell%27s central HR offices in The Hague.

I was a Fellow of the Faculty of Science at KU Leuven and served on the Editorial Board of Applied Clay Science. I remain active in various professional and non-profit organizations. I have published numerous articles and reviews in national and international journals and have delivered many scientific lectures in Belgium and abroad.

In 2012, I founded ESSENCE CONSULT, which focuses on leadership training and development, career coaching and advice, and organizational design and change. These activities are fully in line with my current teaching assignment at KU Leuven.