governance

Gouvernance

Laurence Ponchaut

President

Laurence Ponchaut is President of Letzpact since its inception in 2021.
Laurence is the founding partner and managing director of Distinct Consulting, a Reputation Management and Public Affairs consultancy in Luxembourg. In this role, she is advising various business actors, advancing their interests or helping them better understand the political/institutional/regulatory landscape of the Grand-Duchy.
Laurence Ponchaut benefits from an extensive international cross-sectoral experience acquired as an economic expert for the European Commission (Directorate-General for International Partnerships) based in Africa, as a strategic Big4 consultant and as an in-house strategic planner for a major European financial infrastructure player based in Luxembourg. She then became Head of Corporate Reputation for the largest steel producer before founding Distinct Consulting in 2009.  Laurence holds a master degree in economics from Solvay Business School (Brussels) and HEC Montréal and has an MBA from INSEAD.

Gerry Wagner

Vice-President

Gerry is Vice-president of Letzpact since its creation in 2021.
 He is Director of International Institutional Relationships at ARVAL, a 100% subsidiary of the BNP-Paribas Group. In his role, he represents Arval in international political and decision-making bodies and participates in the governance of the leasing and car rental industry associations. He also conveys Arval’s voice in the major issues decided at the European Union level (data, taxation, energy transition, etc.).
Gerry holds a degree in Computer Science and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the IAE in Nancy. He began his career in Luxembourg in the banking sector before moving on to the insurance sector. Prior of his appointment to his international role in 2020 he was General Manager of the Luxembourg subsidiary of Arval. 
Next to these activities, he is board member of different professional associations.  Among others, he is speaker of the Luxembourg House of Automobile.

Mathilde Brasseur

Secretary General

Mathilde Brasseur is Secretary General of Letzpact since its inception in 2021. 
Mathilde is Corporate Affairs Manager for JTI in Belgium and Luxembourg. In this role she conveys JTI’s voice in the major issues decided in Belgium and Luxembourg and represents the company within Belux political and decision-making bodies. Mathilde also manages JTI’s philanthropic portfolio for both countries.
 Mathilde benefits from an experience as a consultant in European Affairs with a specialization in Techs and financial services. She created the Parisian club ‘Cercle Europe et Technologies du futur’ that brings together companies, entrepreneurs, investors and researchers with the EU ecosystem to create new synergies. Mathilde holds a double Master degree in European Affairs and Lobbying from ICP and European and International Law from KU Leuven, as well as a Certificate on EU law and politics from HEC Paris

Amaury De Saint Martin

Member of the Board of Directors

Amaury is Associate Partner at Dentons Global Advisors.
Graduated from Sciences Po Paris (Master’s degree in Political Sciences) and the University of Louvain (Master’s degree in Modern History), Amaury has 20 years of international experience mainly in France and Vietnam.
After 6 months internship at the Belgian Embassy in Washington DC, Amaury lived and worked 7 years in Paris in account management roles in different PR agencies. From 2007, Amaury lived in Ho Chi Minh City where he started his work experience as Account Director & Chief Representative of one of the leading PR firm in Vietnam. In 2009, he founded his own communication and public relations consulting company based in Ho Chi Minh City with branch offices in Hanoi & Phnom Penh.
Back in Belgium since 2013, he worked 4 years at the Presidency of the Mouvement Reformateur as political advisor and deputy director of the party’s Think Tank (Centre Jean Gol). At the same time, he worked as advisor at the infrastructure & public enterprises committee of the Belgian Parliament.  From 2016 till April 2021, Amaury was also Board Director at the Brussels South Charleroi Airport. Since July 2018 till end of 2021, Amaury was General Inspector and member of the executive committee of the City of Charleroi managing 1200 public officers in his own department. Amaury is married and father of two daughters.

Mark De Zutter

Member of the Board of Directors

Mark De Zutter is Head of Public Affairs Europe & Belgium for Proximus Group.
He occupied lawyer functions in multiple sectors: for the Belgian Government as a Legal and Political Expert to the Federal Deputy Prime Minister, Telecommunication and New Media. He then moved on to being an independent lawyer for Euro1080. During these multiple accomplishments he is also intensely active as commercial lawyer for his own law firm- Law & Lobby Office DE ZUTTER.
In the most recent years Mark De Zutter became vice president of the steering committee of international sports, entertainment and technology club at Agoria. As a board member of Bepact and the recently founded Letzpact, Mark contributes with his great expertise and know how.

Jean Parente

Member of the Board of Directors

Jean Parente heads the Corporate & Legal Affairs of HUNMA Agritech Luxembourg – subsidiary of HUNMA Biotech USA, a plant-based active pharmaceutical ingredients creator with R&D facilities in Berkeley, CA and Buffalo, NY. He is liaising with Ministries of Health on policy guidance and promotion of sustainable healthcare in Europe.

Jean holds a professional degree in Logistics and Supply & Chain. Furthermore, he has constantly reinforced his skills and strategies by joining international training; Customs Procedures, “Harvard ManageMentor Leadership®”.
 
Additionally, he has gained experience by working with global organizations, having access to their leaders, and consulting with governmental Admins and EU-Commission working groups. (DG TAXUD, Excise Contact Group, Tobacco Europe, World Customs Organization, “Deutscher Zigaretten-Verband”)  

Tayanne Schlesser

Office manager

Tayanne Schlesser est Office Manager chez Letzpact depuis sa création.
À côté de ses activités chez Letzpact, Tayanne est également Office Manager pour BEPACT, Vapebel et Barnes Brabant.