The Brussels Management Team

Russell Patten

CEO, Belgium
Telephone: +32 273 81 783
russell.patten@grayling.com

Russell Patten is CEO of Grayling Belgium and has specialised expertise in EU policies relating to the environmental, energy, transport, as well as agri, food and drinks policies.

A British national, Russell’s career in Brussels spans 20 years, encompassing a wide range of corporations, trade associations and European Institutions. After beginning his career at the European Commission (Telecommunications), Russell joined the law firm, Oppenheimer, Wolff & Donnelly specialising in EU telecoms competition, and trade law.

Russell subsequently moved to a British Public Affairs consultancy, IGA Europe, and in 1995 joined Hill & Knowlton where he ran the Public Affairs department of the Brussels office until his promotion to Vice-President in 2002 responsible for Public Affairs in the EMEA region.

He was secretary-general of the European Express Association from 1994 to 2003, is currently Secretary-General of Transfrigoroute International and was President of the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium from 2005 to 2007. He is currently Vice President of the EU Committee of the Chamber.

He is a professor at the College of Europe, ISMAPP and the University of Kent and holds a degree in political sciences and languages from the University of Kent, a diploma in French politics from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris and a Masters in EU Affairs from the College of Europe in Bruges.

Jan De Ceuster

Managing Director
Telephone: +32 2 713 09 05
jan.deceuster@grayling.com

Jan De Ceuster has a 20-year career in communication, starting in the exhibition industry as a consumer & trade show organizer. He then took on the management of 2 trade associations in the exhibition industry. In 1998, he became a partner of Coppers&Partners, a boutique agency specialized in travel & hospitality PR. As from 2004 he has been working for Grayling Brussels where he is responsible for consumer PR and new business development.

He has a strong background in the different facets of media relations, consumer PR, corporate PR and event engineering. His experience includes the travel, hospitality, aviation and F&B industries.

Jan De Ceuster holds a Degree in Sociology and is fluent in Dutch, French, English, German and Italian.

Nathalie Verbeeck

Director
Telephone: +32 2713 0732
nathalie.verbeeck@grayling.com

Nathalie Verbeeck has been working in public relations since 1998. As Director she specialises in corporate media relations, financial communications & investor relations, and issue & crisis communications for multiple companies in different sectors.

In recent years she has built up broad experience in various capital market transactions and M&A projects.

Nathalie holds a degree in marketing with specialisation in public relations and is fluent in English, French and Dutch.