Hire Female Executives in Belgium

Belgium Fixed Its Boards — Now the Quota Is Climbing to the Executive Committee

Belgium was one of Europe's earliest movers on board gender quotas: since 2011, at least one-third of the board of listed companies and public enterprises must be of each sex, on pain of void appointments. The law worked — all-male boards have almost disappeared. But executive committees were never covered, and that is exactly where regulation is now heading, driven by the EU Women on Boards Directive.

At Female Executive Search, we help businesses in Belgium prepare for this shift with genuinely qualified female C-level executives — leaders who strengthen your business, not just your ratios. Whether you need a board director, an executive committee member or a C-level appointment, our tailored search process connects you with vetted female executives across all major industries.

Explore the profiles of top female executives below, or read on to understand exactly what Belgian law requires of your company — and what is coming next.

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Belgium's gender quota laws: what applies to your company

The 2011 Quota Act: one-third on boards

Following Norway's example, Belgium's Quota Act of 28 July 2011 (now integrated in the Code of Companies and Associations) requires that at least one-third of the members of the board of directors — or the supervisory board in a two-tier structure — be of a different sex than the other members. The rule applies to listed companies and public-interest organisations with their registered office in Belgium, regardless of size, as well as to autonomous public enterprises. Unlike many other regimes, the Belgian quota makes no distinction between executive and non-executive directors on a one-tier board: it covers all of them.

Sanctions: void appointments, frozen benefits

An appointment made in breach of the quota is null and void. On top of that, if the board is not validly composed, the financial and other benefits attached to the directors' mandates can be suspended until gender balance is restored — a sanction that gives the whole board a direct stake in compliance.

The quota reaches the executive committee

The Quota Act never covered executive committees — and it showed: while boards became balanced, BEL 20 executive committees remained around 16% female. That is now changing. In December 2025, the federal government decided that the executive committees of autonomous public enterprises such as bpost, SNCB/NMBS, Proximus and Infrabel must include at least 33% women — the first time a Belgian quota applies at directiecomité level. Proposals to raise the board quota from one-third to 40% and to extend executive-committee quotas to large listed companies, in line with the EU directive, remain under political discussion.

The EU Women on Boards Directive

Directive (EU) 2022/2381 required large listed companies to reach 40% of the underrepresented sex among non-executive directors, or 33% across all director roles, by 30 June 2026 — a deadline that has now passed. Belgium had not completed its full transposition when the European Commission began reviewing Member States' implementation in early 2025, which means further Belgian legislation is a question of when, not if. Large listed companies that wait for the final text before acting will be recruiting under time pressure; those that build their pipeline now will not.

The boards are balanced — the executive suite is not

The Belgian quota is one of Europe's clearest success stories at board level: the share of women on boards has risen from around 8% in 2008 to over 37% today, and the number of boards without a single woman has fallen from 62 to just 2. But executive committees, never covered by the Act, still hover around 16% women in the BEL 20, and female CEOs remain rare. Belgium's next compliance frontier is executive — and building a credible bench of board-ready and Comex-ready women takes longer than a legislative cycle. That is precisely where specialised search makes the difference.

How Female Executive Search helps you comply — and compete

Female Executive Search (FES), part of the CEO Worldwide group founded in 2001, specialises in identifying outstanding female leaders for board, C-level and executive committee roles. For searches in Belgium we draw on a global pool of over 28,000 vetted executives across 183 countries, including Belgian, Dutch- and French-speaking women leaders with board and P&L experience.

Our process is built for the timelines governance decisions impose:

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Frequently asked questions

What are the gender quota requirements for companies in Belgium?

Under the 2011 Quota Act, at least one-third of the members of the board of directors (or the supervisory board in a two-tier structure) of listed companies, public-interest organisations and autonomous public enterprises must be of a different sex than the other members. The rule applies regardless of company size and covers all directors, executive and non-executive alike. Since December 2025, the executive committees of autonomous public enterprises must additionally include at least 33% women.

What happens if a Belgian company misses the quota?

Appointments made in breach of the quota are null and void. In addition, the financial and other benefits attached to the directors' mandates can be suspended until the board is validly composed, giving the entire board a direct incentive to restore compliance.

Do Belgian quotas apply to executive committees?

Historically no — the 2011 Quota Act only covers boards, which is why BEL 20 executive committees remain around 16% female while boards exceed 37%. That is changing: a December 2025 government decision imposed a 33% quota on the executive committees of autonomous public enterprises, and proposals to extend executive-committee quotas to large listed companies, in line with the EU Women on Boards Directive, are under political discussion.

How does the EU Women on Boards Directive affect Belgian companies?

The directive required large listed companies to reach 40% of the underrepresented sex among non-executive directors, or 33% across all directors, by 30 June 2026. Belgium's full transposition is still pending, but the deadline has passed and the European Commission is reviewing Member States' implementation — so stricter Belgian rules for large listed companies are expected. Companies are well advised to prepare their board and executive pipeline now rather than wait for the final text.

How quickly can FES present female executive candidates in Belgium?

We deliver a shortlist of vetted, interested candidates within 7 to 10 days of engagement, drawing on more than 28,000 pre-vetted executives worldwide, including Belgian, Dutch- and French-speaking female leaders with board experience.

How is the FES fee structured?

Our fee is 25% of the gross annual salary of the position, paid in three milestone-based instalments: one third at engagement signing, one third at shortlist delivery, and one third when the candidate starts. Every placement carries a 6-month replacement guarantee.

Does FES only present female candidates?

FES specialises in identifying and assessing qualified female executives, giving clients access to senior female talent that traditional search often overlooks. All candidates are put forward on the strength of their competence and fit for the role — consistent with the merit-based selection principles of Belgian and EU law.

Legal references: Quota Act of 28 July 2011 (Code of Companies and Associations); Directive (EU) 2022/2381; federal government decision of December 2025 on executive committees of autonomous public enterprises. Statistics: Institute for the Equality of Women and Men; Belgian federal government figures, December 2025. Information current as of July 2026; this page is general information, not legal advice.