Jean‑François van Boxmeer is currently Chair of Vodafone Group plc (since 2020), where he leads both the Nominations & Governance and ESG Committees, navigating the company through digital evolution and industry regulation. He is the designated Chair of Unilever Ice Cream, which is expected to demerge and list within the next year.

A seasoned figure in European business, Jean‑François chairs the European Round Table for Industry (ERT, since 2022) and sits on Henkel’s Shareholders’ Committee. He also holds non-executive directorships at Heineken Holding N.V. (since 2020) and previously served as Lead Independent Director at Mondelēz International (2010-2022).

He brings deep cross-sector expertise in:

• Telecom & digital platform governance – leading Vodafone through technological changes, sustainability oversight, and regulatory negotiation

• Global consumer leadership – driving Heineken’s brand expansion, distribution scale and market diversification across emerging economies

• Board strategy & ESG governance – Steering governance frameworks, committee structures, and stakeholder alignment in telecommunications and FMCG

• Cross-cultural expansion & M&A – orchestrating acquisitions, integration, and performance resilience in varied regulatory and growth environments

Educated in Economics at the Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix in Namur, Belgium, he is multilingual and globally attuned. He is respected for his decisive yet consensus-driven leadership, his capacity to steer legacy brands into new markets, and his clarity on boards navigating digital, societal, and regulatory complexity.