About us
Executive team
Jeroen De Bock
Jeroen leverages over 20 years of expertise in the global security industry. Formerly the Chief Commercial Officer (Europe) at Securitas, the leading security provider with ā¬4.8 billion revenue in the region. During his tenure, he was also named President of the Global Clients Europe division and played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of digitalization in physical security.
Since 2010, Jeroen has collaborated with prominent global enterprises, including engagements with all the Big Five tech companies and leaders in various industries, addressing their physical security needs.
He holds a Master of Science in business economics, an MBA from Vlerick Business School, IMDās Digital Transformation program certificate, and various security management certifications.
Passionate about delivering customer value, fostering innovation, and effectively leading diverse teams, Jeroen departed from his role as CCO in 2023 to establish Pronect. His mission is to aid companies in optimizing physical security by digitalising their security management processes.
Vincent Smeyers
Vincent Smeyers serves as the Chief Product and Security Officer at Pronect, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s vision and product strategy, overseeing product development, R&D, and cybersecurity initiatives.
With 10+ years in the industry, Vincent brings extensive experience in shaping and transforming risk management programs for large enterprises, particularly in highly regulated sectors, as well as spearheading large-scale GRC technology implementations. Key competencies encompass physical security, information security, business continuity, change management, and integrated risk management. Vincent blends a deep business understanding with technical expertise, enabling him to design pragmatic solutions, driving organizational performance and integrity with strategic foresight.
Prior to joining Pronect, Vincent held the position of Chief Information Security Officer at a major federal agency responsible for safeguarding Belgium’s food supply and public health, the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC). In this capacity, he oversaw information security and adherence to ISO27001 and NIS2 standards.
Prior to that role, Vincent served both as an in-house and independent expert, assuming leadership roles in operational risk and control functions and digital transformation projects. Over the years, Vincent has supported many organizations in risk and resilience focused projects for a variety of industries, including banking, oil and gas, retail, government and EU institutions.
Vincent holds an MSc in Automation Engineering and Information Processing from the University of Antwerp and is a certified risk manager (ISO31000) and security professional (ISO27001, ISO22301). Vincent handles extensive datasets, applies statistical methods and machine learning (LOPA, Monte Carlo). The result is a nuanced understanding of modern business and risk dynamics, that enhances risk quantification, and improves decision-making.
Kris Van den Briel
Kris worked for more than 30 years in the security industry. He started in Belgium as the Operations Manager in a local security company in 1989. Kris played a central role in delivering quality services to clients and the company grew from 50 employees to 1500 in the span of 10 years. The company was later acquired by Securitas as part of the entry in the Belgian market. As COO, and later CEO, Kris grew the company in another five years to 5000 employees.
Kris played a key role in designing and rolling out large automation projects moving the traditional security industry to the computer and digital age.
In 2007, Kris moved with his family to India to start operations for Securitas in the region. He was responsible for acquisitions in India, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt as President Middle East and South Asia. In 2014, Securitas merged their operation outside of Europe and the Americas into a new division AMEA (Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific), where he was the COO. The region grew consistently and profitable for the next 6 years when Kris returned to Belgium in 2020. He retired in January 2023, but remains active as a consultant.
Kris has been passionate about technology and information systems his entire career and is eager to share his knowledge and experience with Pronect.
Joaquim Mathias
Joaquim is the Technical Lead at Pronect. He brings more than ten years of rich experience in software development to the team. With a deep focus on maintaining the highest standards of software quality and adherence to industry-best practices, Joaquim has been pivotal in aligning our software solutions with rigorous architectural and security standards.
Under his leadership, our projects thrive on robust security measures and strict adherence to development protocols, ensuring quality throughout the product lifecycle. Joaquim’s strategic approach to software development has not only fostered innovation but also ensured that our solutions meet the strategic goals of the company, enhancing both stability and reliability.
Joaquim holds a master degree in Computer Science and multiple certifications in advanced software development methodologies. His commitment to excellence and continuous improvement has made him a key player in our efforts to push technological boundaries, making our software products more reliable and user-centric.
Driven by a passion for technological innovation and leadership, Joaquim is dedicated to leading his team toward achieving groundbreaking success in software engineering.
Pronect: What You Can Expect
At Pronect, our decades-long background working in multinationals gives us the unique ability to know the ins and outs of corporate demands and processes, but use a streamlined, agile approach since our company size keeps us focused and bureacracy-free. By design, our small size allows us to respond faster and be more targeted, yet our experience helps us understand corporate perspectives including stakeholder management and internal sales. We embrace a āKeep it Simpleā mindset to minimize complexity and treat our customers the same way we want to be treated.
