Judges
Delphine Beatse
Private Security Association (PSA)
Delphine Beatse, master in Law and in Criminology, has started her career working for the Minister of Interior as a Cabinet Security Expert. She was in charge of topics like private security and research, security consulting and transport security.
Marc Cools
CAPS
Marc Cools holds a PhD in Criminology (Free University of Brussels) and certificates in Business Economics (IPO Management School- Antwerp University) and International Management in the Telecommunications Industry (London Business School).
Yvan De Mesmaeker
Secretary General, ECSA
Yvan De Mesmaeker graduated as a Civil Engineer (academic degree between a MSc and a PhD) from the Free University of Brussels in 1986 and studied Finance and International Marketing at a post academic level (studies in Dutch, French and English).
Filip Smeets
CEO, Arxia
Filip Smeets received his Master’s degree in Criminological Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He has been active in the security sector for thirteen years, during which he has held various managerial positions throughout the operational and support departments.
Tara Visscher
ASIS International, Benelux Chapter
Tara Visscher studied Integrated Safety and Security. After her studying, she worked for the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. A year later, she started a Master at the Radboud University with a major in Safety and Security.
Delphine Beatse
Private Security Association (PSA)
Delphine Beatse, master in Law and in Criminology, has started her career working for the Minister of Interior as a Cabinet Security Expert. She was in charge of topics like private security and research, security consulting and transport security.
After a short passage at the federal police, she then moved to the Ministry of Interior in 2003, and became Vice Director at the Direction Private Security. Besides what implies this function, she was tasked with the process of enforcing the camera law.
Since 2007, her playfield is the railway world. At the Corporate Security Service of the Belgian railway company, her Senior Expert Security Policy function leads her to deal with a lot of responsibilities. From being Head of Legal and sworn office, International and Strategy, to assuming the chair of UIC Strategy, Procedures and Regulations Working Group.
Moreover she is member of the EU Expert Group of Land Transport Security.
Delphine is also co-creator and president of Private Security Association (PSA) which is a discussion forum composed of Belgian internal security services from many different industrial and non-profit sectors and security services of the public transport companies.
With her PSA hatting, she’s also member of the Private Security Advisory Council, with the aim of formulating proposals on possible political orientations within the private security sector.
Marc Cools
CAPS
Marc Cools holds a PhD in Criminology (Free University of Brussels) and certificates in Business Economics (IPO Management School- Antwerp University) and International Management in the Telecommunications Industry (London Business School).
He was member of the board at the Free University of Brussels. He lectured at the Antwerp Police Academy, the School for Criminology of the Justice Department, Antwerp Management School and Paris X La Défense Nanterre University. He was advisor for the former Belgian Justice Minister, Mr. Marc Verwilghen.
Today he is Full Professor of Criminology at Ghent University, Visiting Professor at Université de Lorraine (Nancy), member of the Secular Studies Association – Vrije Universiteit Brussel and member of the scientific council Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers – Criminologie (Paris) and teaches at the Belgian Intelligence & Security School of the Ministry of Defence.
Currently, he is also a member of the Belgian Intelligence Studies Center, the Union des Services de Renseignement et d’Action, the Ghent Research Institute for Art and Cultural Heritage Crime and Law Enforcement and the Advisory Board on Private Security.
Yvan De Mesmaeker
Secretary General, ECSA
Yvan De Mesmaeker graduated as a Civil Engineer (academic degree between a MSc and a PhD) from the Free University of Brussels in 1986 and studied Finance and International Marketing at a post academic level (studies in Dutch, French and English).
He started his career in 1987 as Industrial Marketing Manager for the Philips Group, where he was involved in projects for major organizations, including NATO, major banks, the telecom and energy sector, food processing and logistics industry, etc., before becoming a Marketing & Sales Manager for the EU and the US in the Asahi Glass Group.
In 1997 he founded Omega Risk, an independent Audit & Consultancy practice, advising major international corporations and organizations on Security, Resilience & Anticipation and assisting them with Strategic Networking.
In 2005 he was admitted to the geopolitical High Studies Security & Defense, organized by the Royal High Institute for Defense (RHID) and the Royal Institute for International Relations (Egmont).
Subsequently he was appointed Secretary general of the European Corporate Security Association – ECSA, a non-for-profit Professional Association of Managers and Officials in charge of the Security and Resilience of Corporations and (National, EU and International) Institutions.
As from 2009 he also assumes the pro bono function of Secretary general of ATHENA, the Alumni Association of the High Studies Security & Defense.
He teaches at the BE College for Senior Police Officers and is the Director of the High Studies Police, Justice & Corporate Security, organized by ECSA, the College for Senior Police Officers, the Judicial Training Institute, the Universities of Gent and Liège and the Federation of Businesses in Belgium – FEB / VBO.
In 2012 he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board of the Security Office of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), the Foundation that officially represents and coordinates the Antwerp diamond sector and operates in close cooperation with the competent Police and Security Authorities and with the Heads of Security of the diamond industry.
In 2017 H.R.H. the King of Belgium awarded him the Honorary distinction of Officer in the Order of the Crown, in recognition of his professional achievements.
In 2021 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Royal Higher Institute for Defence. In 2022 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Royal Institute for International Relations – EGMONT.
Filip Smeets
CEO, Arxia
Filip Smeets received his Master’s degree in Criminological Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
He has been active in the security sector for thirteen years, during which he has held various managerial positions throughout the operational and support departments at Securitas Belgium and later at SERIS Belgium.
He is currently CEO of BVBO-APEG, the professional federation for security companies.
Tara Visscher
ASIS International, Benelux Chapter
Tara Visscher studied Integrated Safety and Security. After her studying, she worked for the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. A year later, she started a Master at the Radboud University with a major in Safety and Security.
She completed her master and started at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam as COVID-manager / Health & Safety manager. After the Eurovision Song Contest, she started working for ABN AMRO Bank, on topics like Safety, Security, Business Continuity and Crisis Management. Currently she is a board member at the ASIS International Benelux Chapter.
She was qualified as a Certified Protection Officer (CPO) in 2016. She has been a Certificate of the BCI (CBCI) since 2022. In 2023 she registered as a Registered Security Expert (RSE).