Former Belgian energy minister named as CEO of WindEurope
Pamela Largue
Posted on: 13 January 2026
Tinne Van der Straeten is also former chair of North Sea Energy Cooperation and European Energy Council.
Tinne Van der Straeten, who served as Belgium’s Energy Minister from 2020 to 2025, is to become the new chief executive of WindEurope from the beginning of February.
As minister, Van der Straeten oversaw the country’s wind energy expansion and contributed to the response to the energy crisis in 2022.
She chaired the North Sea Energy Cooperation in 2020 and at the start of 2025, the European Energy Council in 2024, and was vice-chair of the IEA Ministerial meeting in 2022. Most recently, she served as a Member of the Belgian Parliament.
Van der Straeten said she was taking up her new role "at a defining moment for Europe", adding that wind is critical to Europe’s energy independence and in meeting climate ambitions, while maintaining industrial competitiveness.
Have you read?
Germany awards 3.5GW wind tenders as renewable capacity rises
Nordex bags turbine contract for Spanish repowering project
“Wind is a home-grown and scalable technology. It delivers affordable power, strengthens energy independence and sustains a competitive industrial base with high-quality jobs across Europe.”
WindEurope chairman Henrik Andersen said: “As one of Europe’s influential energy leaders, Tinne has passionately ensured wind is kept high on the political agenda in her home country of Belgium and across the EU. She has collaborated across industry and government to shape energy policy and build positive long-term investment frameworks that enable sustainable wind deployment.”
As CEO of WindEurope, van der Straeten will focus on maximising wind to secure an affordable and secure energy supply. She will also look to reduce Europe’s dependence on fossil imports, a critical issue as geopolitical tensions rise.
WindEurope suggests that building a renewables-based energy system, with wind at its core, will save Europe up to €1.6 trillion.
However, wind power needs to be developed more rapidly. In 2025, states WindEurope, the EU installed 13GW of new capacity, which is less than half of what is needed to deliver its 2030 energy security and climate targets.
“The wind sector is at a turning point. The industry is ready to accelerate and to provide more than 600,000 jobs by 2030. But it is held back by permitting issues and infrastructure delays. I look forward to working with all stakeholders to help unlock the full potential of wind energy for Europe”, concluded Tinne Van der Straeten.
Van der Straeten will replace former CEO Giles Dickson, who served in the role for a decade. In July 2025, Dickson announced his plan to return to the UK and become a teacher.
