Johan Cardoen

Managing Director, VIB,

Johan Cardoen is managing director of VIB, a life science research organization based in Belgium. In this role, Johan is responsible for VIB’s Tech Transfer Team. He represents VIB on the board of Agrosavfe (a VIB agro spin-off, BE), Aphea.Bio (BE), GlobalYeast, FlandersBio and is independent board member of Meiogenix (an Institut Curie spin-off, FR). Johan Cardoen is also chairman of the LP Board of V-Bio Ventures, a dedicated life sciences investment fund, which is focused on early-stage investments in life sciences. In the past he held board positions in argenx, Actogenix (now Intrexon), Applied-Maths (now bioMérieux) and Pronota (now Mycartis). Until May 31, 2012, he was CEO of CropDesign N.V., today part of BASF (Ghent, Belgium), a biotechnology spin-off from VIB. Over the past years he held various board positions in biotech companies, in addition he was Chairman of Flandersbio, the umbrella organization for life sciences and biotechnology sector in Flanders from 2007 until May 2012 and he held an independent board position at arGEN-X BV from 2008-2011. From 1988 until 1999 he worked for Plant Genetic Systems (PGS) as Technology Acquisition Manager and Business Development Manager. Prior to joining CropDesign (July 1999), Dr. Cardoen was Head Technology Acquisition of AgrEvo Hoechst Schering (now Bayer CropScience), and was responsible for all biotechnology-related technology acquisitions. Johan joined CropDesign in 1999 as Vice President Business Development and became CEO of CropDesign in December 2004; he developed and implemented a dual track strategy (IPO/trade sale) which led to an acquisition of CropDesign by BASF Plant Science in June 2006.

Johan Cardoen received his Ph.D. in biology from KU Leuven, Belgium (1987) and a business degree from KU Leuven (1990).

Featured work