Nicolas Van Brandt

Chief Executive Officer
Lagardère Travel Retail Belgium

Nicolas Van Brandt is Chief Executive Officer of Lagardère Travel Retail Belgium, with nearly two decades of leadership experience in travel retail. Before entering the industry, he served as CFO of a publicly listed company and as a Country General Manager at L’Oréal.

His engagement with data technology began in 1997, when he developed early OLAP data warehouses using Cognos on JD Edwards AS/400. In 2017 and 2018, Lagardère Travel Retail Belgium also participated in some of the group’s earliest artificial intelligence and machine-learning trials. 

Nicolas does not position himself as a technology specialist, but as a business leader focused on turning technology into measurable commercial value. His guiding principle is that machines should perform the tasks they can handle better, faster and more consistently than humans—particularly the repetitive work involved in collecting, reconciling and managing information—allowing people to focus on judgement, creativity, customer engagement and decision-making. 

He brings to the panel a practitioner’s perspective on how AI can automatically process fragmented data in real time and turn it into actionable intelligence—enabling faster, better-informed, data-led business decisions, more accurate forecasting, stronger customer experiences and profitable growth. Under his leadership, Lagardère Travel Retail Belgium has continued to test technology in real operating environments, including Quick N’ Easy, the first fully automated store at Brussels Airport. 

Nicolas holds a PhD in Clinical Pharmacology and a master’s degree in accounting and finance from Solvay Brussels School.