Kurt Maekelberghe

Kurt Maekelberghe is an accomplished professional in information security and data protection with extensive experience across multiple organizations. Currently serving as the Data Protection Officer and Head of Information Security Consultancy at Smals since March 2018, Kurt leads a team of consultants while advising on data protection strategies. Prior to this role, Kurt held the position of CISO and Head of Infrastructure at Aperam, where responsibilities included defining information security strategies and managing a corporate IT infrastructure team. Kurt has also worked at Verizon, where roles included VP Operations and Information Security Officer, responsible for operations and ISO27001 certification, and Sales Manager, focusing on sales strategy and performance management. With a strong foundation in technical consulting and project management from earlier positions, Kurt holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from the Industriële Hogeschool van Brussel.