The Walloon Government approved this Thursday, 18 December, the appointment of the new chairs within three strategic public bodies:
- Sabine Laruelle, Chair of the Management Committee of the Walloon Office for Vocational Training and Employment (FOREM).
- David Zimmermann, Chair of the Management Committee of the Walloon Institute for Vocational Training and for the Self-Employed and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (IFAPME).
- Mélanie Mestdagt, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency (AWEX).
The Government has also appointed:
- Étienne Denoël, Vice-Chair of the Management Committee of FOREM.
- Olivier Douxchamps, Vice-Chair of the Management Committee of IFAPME.
These terms, lasting five years and renewable, will begin on 1 January 2026.
Why these choices?
- The terms of FOREM and IFAPME were expiring, requiring renewal.
- For AWEX, the Government had appointed Ms Caroline Cleppert in March 2025. As she was called upon to take on new duties creating an incompatibility, a new appointment was necessary. The choice fell on a board member already active within AWEX, ensuring thorough knowledge of the Agency and its challenges.
Minister Jeholet explains his proposals: "These three bodies are essential levers for our reforms. We needed profiles capable of being the link between our reforms and concrete action on the ground. Sabine Laruelle knows the challenges of FOREM perfectly: besides her solid and unanimously recognised political career, she was Government Commissioner at FOREM from 2017 to 2019. Étienne Denoël, meanwhile, worked on the reform of qualifying education and knows the issues related to employment and training very well. Mélanie Mestdagt brings her expertise in business internationalisation and her experience within AWEX. As for David Zimmermann and Olivier Douxchamps, their entrepreneurial backgrounds will strengthen the ties between IFAPME and the business world. These are the right people in the right places."