Prof. Dr. Frank Ohle

EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2026 finalist, Belgium
CEO, Van Genechten Packaging Group

Frank Ohle is turning agile leadership into competitive advantage in European packaging.

When Frank Ohle joined Van Genechten Packaging (VGP) Group as CEO in 2020, he brought an athletic approach to business, embedding a “Think Big” philosophy into the company. His ambition was to prove that mid-sized industrial companies can combine performance, brand relevance and sustainability through teamwork, empowerment and agility.

After decades of leading complex industrial and packaging businesses across Europe, he set out to reimagine VGP into a packaging partner that thinks beyond products — one that helps brands win in the market while strengthening their supply chains for the future.

Today, VGP is Europe’s leading independent packaging company with 17 production sites. The group delivers custom folding carton packaging for food, non-food and premium brands, strengthening brand visibility and shelf impact, and improving supply-chain efficiency with shelf-ready and fully recyclable designs. With customer-focused teams and deep technical knowledge, VGP supports regional and international brand strategies and retail execution.

Frank’s impact is evident in both culture and results. By moving decisions closer to the field, giving talent real ownership and accelerating innovation, VGP nearly doubled revenue and quadrupled profitability since 2019. The company strengthened its European footprint, expanded capacity and embedded meaningful sustainability commitments, including Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) participation and Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for SMEs (VSME)-aligned Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting. His legacy is a confident, customer-centric organization built to create lasting value for brands, employees and society.