From internal growth to strategic impact: meet our President Unilin Flooring Veronique Hoflack and President Unilin Panels Bert Vandenkendelaere
March 3, 2026 • 4 minutes reading
At the start of this year, both Veronique Hoflack and Bert Vandenkendelaere took on key roles within Unilin. Veronique oversees the Unilin Flooring division and Bert heads Unilin Panels. Both climbed the ranks within the organisation and know our values, our people and the market inside out. High time to get to know them a bit better. How do they view their new role and the future?
Who are Veronique and Bert?
Veronique Hoflack joined Unilin Panels in 2014 and held various leadership roles there, including General Manager MDF/HDF. Since 2020, she was President Unilin Panels.
Bert Vandenkendelaere began his Unilin career in 2011 as a Business Development Manager for Unilin Panels. He progressed through roles such as Sales Manager and Sales Director and had been Sales & Marketing Director Unilin Panels since 2016.
At the start of the year, Veronique Hoflack transitioned to her new post as President of Unilin Flooring. She made the switch from Unilin Panels to a new division. “I do enjoy a challenge and with Bert at the helm, I knew I would be leaving Unilin Panels in capable hands.” After eleven years within Unilin Panels, during which she helped develop the division into a stable and resilient business, she is very keen to further develop that same strategy as President at Unilin Flooring.
In turn, Bert Vandenkendelaere was appointed the new President of Unilin Panels: “In the first months I primarily focused on site visits and meeting employees, from our people on the shop floor to management. In this way, I am also getting to know every aspect of the operational side of our division. Thanks to my sales role in Unilin Panels these past 14 years, I am intimately familiar with our market.”
Providing direction
Veronique is stepping into a context that is anything but straightforward. “The construction sector is struggling at the moment and Unilin Flooring also faces challenges from changing customer behaviour, price pressure and competition. This has already led to significant strategic changes in recent months. My first priority is to continue building on what has already been started, but with a consistent vision and clear choices. That is completely my thing. I see myself as the captain of the ship: focusing on the essence, setting direction, creating trust and above all, listening well.”
The choices she wants to make will be driven by what has made Unilin Flooring great: bringing beautiful, innovative products to the market, operational excellence in the factories and customer focus with excellent service and quality. “In addition, our Unilin values - passion, excellence, entrepreneurship and respect - are central to my vision. To make innovation possible, our people need the space to show entrepreneurship and passion, without being held back by unnecessary complexity.”
Building on a strong foundation
Bert Vandenkendelaere was recruited by Unilin Panels fourteen years ago and worked his way up to Sales & Marketing Director through various commercial roles. “I am 100% a product of Unilin and in the past I’ve already been given wonderful growth opportunities here. Being appointed President is something I could never have imagined 14 years ago when I entered the Izegem site on my first day.”
Bert isn’t starting from a blank page. “For the next five years, a strategic plan is in place that I personally helped develop so I’m not starting from scratch. I will maintain our present course while adding my own focus.”
Collaboration between divisions
They indicate that the collaboration between Unilin Flooring and Unilin Panels will also receive an additional boost. “It’s not an us-versus-them narrative,” emphasises Bert. Veronique adds: “There is a substantial overlap in terms of innovation and sustainability. Our profound understanding of each other’s divisions will allow us to deepen those synergies even further. I see plenty of opportunities.”
Moving forward with confidence
Despite the challenges, both look to the future with confidence. For Unilin Panels, Bert sees mainly continuity and growth potential: “We’re starting from a strong foundation and a clear long-term strategy. This not only brings serenity but also creates room to keep investing, innovating and growing together with our teams and partners.”
Veronique also has a positive outlook, with a clear focus on collaboration. “The coming period will be about listening, connecting and moving forward one step at a time. As President, you are not alone. It is my role to maintain the overview, to stay focused on the long-term strategy and to help Unilin Flooring flourish with the aid of strong teams.”
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