"Yves Van den Brande acted as a visionary leader in transforming the foodservice industry"
- François Remy
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The strategic handover at Solucious marks a significant milestone for the Belgian market. When Pieter-Jan Vandevelde succeeds Yves Van den Brande as head of Colruyt's foodservice division, a promising talent takes over from a pioneer. This changing of the guard is all about continuous improvement (and growth).
After several months of intensive training, Pieter-Jan Vandevelde says he has begun his new role as head of Solucious, the Colruyt Group's operational unit specializing in food delivery to the hospitality sector, "with great enthusiasm." "Under the leadership of Yves Vanden Brande, Solucious has become one of the fastest-growing players in the Belgian foodservice market, particularly thanks to acquisitions," he acknowledges.
Yves Van den Brande can indeed leave with a sense of accomplishment. "An impressive legacy," they even admit at Colruyt. "Thanks to his strong leadership, a solid team is now ready to embark on the next phase." Recognized as a strategist who is as methodical as he is dedicated, the division's long-serving director transformed Solucious from a loss-making company with a turnover of 50 million euros to a profitable organization, reaching 330 million euros in annual revenue, while maintaining continuous double-digit growth.
"I am convinced that everything can always be improved and that autonomy and trust are the foundations of performance. When you offer freedom and responsibilities to employees, they take initiatives and when they thrive in their work, the results naturally follow," says Yves Van den Brande, claiming a leadership style centered on people, empowerment and continuous improvement.
Deep convictions that his successor at the helm of Solucious seems to share. "By strengthening collaboration between brands and accelerating our efforts in digitalization, ease of use, and sustainable growth, we will be able to realize our strong growth ambitions in the hospitality, healthcare, and B2B sectors," says Pieter-Jan Vandevelde. "And honestly? I now have one more reason to eat out often."
"These are major changes in the Belgian foodservice sector," commented Pierre-Alexandre Billiet, CEO of Gondola. "Yves Van den Brande, an emblematic figure in the sector for many years and the architect of the integration of Solucious, is being replaced by one of the high-potential employees of the Colruyt group."
"I would like to thank Yves Van den Brande for the work he has done since the beginning of our collaboration. He has acted as a visionary to transform the foodservice industry and is one of the believers in our model," shares Amaury Marescaux, CEO of Gondola Foodservice, eager to collaborate with the new leader of Solucious.
When asked whether retirement is on the horizon, the industry veteran is unequivocal. "You wish," replies Yves Van den Brande. Consulting or joining a competitor, launching a new venture or turning to mentoring? The next chapter has yet to be written, but he is already clear about what drives him.
"My ambition is to build companies centred on B2B e-commerce"
Yves Van den Brande admits to being genuinely energised by B2B e-commerce environments, "where complexity, data and customer intimacy come together." He relishes working hand in hand with clients and sales teams to decode purchasing behaviour, identify friction points and uncover service needs. The real challenge, he says, is then to "translate those insights into improved digital journeys, smarter pricing, better assortment, and more efficient fulfillment."
Already at the helm of Collivery and Foodinvest back in 2010, before the two entities merged to become Solucious, he believes the areas where his impact will be most pronounced will revolve around "scaling platforms, improving adoption, and integrating e‑commerce into core commercial processes".
Yves Van den Brande prides himself on an ability to marry analytical thought with pragmatic execution, blending high-level strategy with the precision of daily operational details.
"The hospitality and foodservice sector is particularly attractive to me, given its growing reliance on B2B digital platforms, speed, service quality and operational excellence,” he explains, driven by an ambition "to build and scale B2B e‑commerce‑enabled businesses".
Yet, he insists, human capital remains paramount. "My ambition is to develop strong teams and help create a culture where results, continuous improvement and human connection reinforce one another". And one day, becoming the target of an acquisition by Colruyt? "Not really," Yves Van den Brande smiles.
