After it is now the turn of , founder of the Betic engineering consultancy, to announce that he will be leaving the company. This decision is part of a chain of events that began with the decision to be acquired by VK architects+engineers . Christnach will officially step down at the end of the year.

24 years of commitment

Christnach founded Betic, a consultancy specialising in technical engineering, 24 years ago. He was joined in 2001 by , and together they led the company to become one of the leading consultancies in its category, with innovation at the heart of their approach.

In 2020, fuelled by the hope of even greater growth and diversification of their knowledge, they took the strategic decision to a takeover by VK architects+engineers. In 2023, VK architects+engineers was acquired by Sweco, one of the biggest architecture and engineering consultancies in Europe, offering the prospect of even greater growth.

But here’s the thing. It’s not always easy to come to an agreement. And it seems that an agreement on how to develop the company could not be reached, even if the objectives remained shared by all parties. This disagreement led to the voluntary departure of its founder on 31 December 2024.

Christnach in an annoucement: “Serving the office, the clients and the team, without whom nothing would have been possible, has been the greatest privilege of my life. These 24 years have been very demanding, both in terms of energy and investment. The vision that we share with the group regarding the evolution of the business and the organization that will result from will be as demanding. It had therefore become necessary for me to reflect on my expectations, both professional and personal. Although we share a common vision, we haven't always been in agreement with corporate management in Belgium on the means to achieve these objectives, and so, out of respect for myself, my family and the team, I had to start thinking about my future involvement. Positions such as mine are extremely demanding, requiring dedication and commitment to the team and, whether we like it or not, have an impact on our personal lives. Entering this new phase, knowing that our opinions could differ and that I also wish to devote more time to my family, is not in line with my convictions to complete this next chapter with the same perseverance. That is how I came to this decision.”

Erwin Malcorps, chair of Sweco Belgium, said: “I am pleased to know that he will still be with us over the next 6 months to ensure the best possible transition. During this period, he will devote himself to projects, passing on strategic information, finalizing specific concepts and continuing to support the team by sharing his expertise. Pierre Van Den Eynde, appointed Country Manager last May, will be in charge for the day-to-day management of the Luxembourg business. We also know that we can rely on the Luxembourg team and management to successfully implement our development strategy in the grand duchy.”

Originally published in French by and translated for Delano