09.06.2021
We are thrilled to welcome our three new board members: Arne Allewaert, Laurence Battaille, and Gregory Brenninkmeyer. These experts will help Shayp grow throughout Europe, become an EU leader on the water market, encourage excellent governance practices within the company and improve its impact in the pursuit of a more sustainable world.
Laurence Battaille
“Diversity – in many ways – is part of good governance both at the board level and within the company”
After working as a marketing, strategy, and financial communication manager for large companies (CitiGroup, ENGIE, UCB), Laurence Battaille decided to put her skills to the service of SMEs, family companies, and start-ups. Her career then took an entrepreneurial direction. She launched, alone or with others, companies in various fields.
Passionate about meaningful projects, Laurence is attracted to innovative startups, particularly in the water sector. In 2012, she helped develop a project in Africa to create a water point in villages with high water insecurity. Laurence shares this with us: “The dynamics of the village change completely with the creation of a water point in the middle of the houses. The women no longer have to walk miles to fetch water. They can now spend more time with their children, accompanying them in their school education. It also has a social impact as people like to meet in the evening near the water pump which creates electricity, and an impact on production and agriculture; it is a brake on the rural exodus.
Having joined the board of several young companies and associations, Laurence has developed a practical knowledge of corporate governance, complemented by Guberna training and seminars (IESE Business School, Women on Board). She embraced the role of independent administrator of the Watergroep, and took a closer look at the major water challenges in Flanders. Her three-year mandate strengthens her knowledge in the field of water in general and the related sustainability challenges.
In 2021, Shayp welcomed Laurence to its board of directors. Laurence is no stranger to our scale-up. Indeed, as president of the BeLux alumni of the IESE Business School, she has met Shayp’s COO, Grégoire, on several occasions. “My experience in good corporate governance and my affinity for the water sector led me to take a closer look at Shayp. I am delighted to be joining this sustainable and beneficial project led by a young and dynamic team with very strong technology skills. The board of a start-up has to be very agile (the business is moving very fast) while balancing the short and long term. The presence of an independent director brings input based on a particularly objective view. Above all, the board is a team with complementary skills that poses new challenges and anticipates the long term. I am delighted to be able to accompany Shayp in its growth and challenge the company. Finally, my position as a woman on the board brings a certain nuance to the decision-making process. Diversity – in many ways – is part of good governance both at the board level and within the company, enriching the debate and the culture of the company. At Shayp, it is already part of its DNA.”
Arne Allewaert
“I want to help identify new business opportunities to scale the company throughout Europe”
Arne Allewaert serves as a board member at Shayp and GBuilder. He acts as managing partner at AMAVI Capital, a pan-European investor that merges real estate, technology and private equity expertise and which was established to support the growth of the leading and most promising companies active in the PropTech industry. He is also a member of the GRI Global Venture Capital/PropTech Committee.
Arne Allewaert studied Applied Economics at Ghent University and completed an MBA from the Vlerick Business School. He also graduated with a master’s in real estate management from the Antwerp Management School. He joined the property developer ION in a very early stage. ION is a Belgian company active in both residential and commercial property developments, which now employs more than 100 people and is one of the largest developers in Belgium. According to Arne Allewaert, this rapid growth is partly thanks to embracing technology and innovation, which is not very common in the sector. At ION, Arne served as the right hand to the founders of the company.
In November 2020, AMAVI invested in the company Shayp and Arne Allewaert joined the company as a Board member, recognizing Shayp’s efforts towards reducing the carbon footprint, one of the major pain points in the real estate industry. He tells us the following: “I want to put a network in place where I can help accelerate the growth at Shayp, also by finding the right partners to make the company grow exponentially. Together with the team, I want to help identify new business opportunities to scale the company throughout Europe, without compromising on its basic idea of ‘shaping the future of water’.”
Gregory Brenninkmeyer
“I wish to make an impact at Shayp by improving the company’s performance in accordance with ESG criteria”
After studying business management at Oxford Brookes University , Gregory Brenninkmeyer spent 3 years in management consulting at KPMG. In 2015 he decided to further his expertise by pursuing a 2 year full-time MBA at IESE Business School. In 2018, he joined the Proptech focused venture capital fund APIC Investments GmbH, which is part of SIGNA, an industry holding group active primarily in the retail and real estate sectors. Gregory’s responsibilities include investments, portfolio management and strategy.
Passionate about real estate and technology, he first found himself analyzing water-related issues when looking for clean and sustainable technology in the real estate sector. When European cities began experiencing first water shortages, he realized the urgency towards finding sustainable solutions to water issues and water damage. Early 2020, Gregory Brenninkmeyer took an interest in Shayp’s mission and easy-to-use technology. Inspired by Shayp’s founder’s vision, Alexandre McCormack, SIGNA Innovations decided to invest in the company during winter 2020, in Shayp’s latest fundraising.
Gregory Brenninkmeyer holds multiple board seats at portfolio companies. Armed with the knowledge and expertise acquired during his career, Gregory Brenninkmeyer joined Shayp as a board member in January 2021 after SIGNA Innovations had led the most recent financing round in Shayp. He is able to support the founders and team in strategic discussion, organizational growth, by leveraging Shayp’s network in Real Estate and utilizing our industry knowhow. He wishes to make an impact at Shayp by improving the company’s performance in accordance with ESG criteria and enhancing its product to position Shayp as an EU leader on the water market.