On 1 September Julie Bynens took up the position of Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs. She handed over her previous post as General Representative of the Government of Flanders at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU to take up this leadership position at the department.
Julie Bynens has already built an outstanding career within the Flemish Government. She started her career in 2003 as staff member International Policy at the Department of Spatial Planning, Housing and Immovable Heritage. Soon after, she switched to the General Representation of the Government of Flanders at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU as attaché Cohesion Policy. In 2007 she moved to the Netherlands to strengthen the General Representation of the Government of Flanders in The Hague. After being back in Brussels as staff member of the Secretary General of the Department, Julie Bynens was the first woman to be appointed as Representative of the Government of Flanders. From 2010 to 2014 she represented the Government of Flanders to the United Nations in Geneva. For the past four years she led the General Representation to the EU.
Freddy Evens, who held the position of Secretary General since the departure of Koen Verlaeckt in April 2018, resumes his position as Coordinator Stakeholder Management within the department.