Alides brings Maes family back to the helm as Alexandre Huyghe named CEO

A leadership transition eighteen months in the making has reached its resolution, and it carries a name the Ghent real estate scene knows well. Alides, the family-backed investor and developer active across Belgium and Poland, has named Alexandre Huyghe as its next chief executive, effective 1 January 2027. He steps into the role vacated by Rikkert Leeman, who departs for Immobel after announcing his move in early June. In the interim, CFO Henk Cardon takes the helm as CEO ad interim, ensuring the transition unfolds without disrupting the pipeline of projects already in motion.

What makes the appointment resonate beyond the usual executive reshuffle is the surname behind it. Alides was built by the Maes family of Ghent, and with Alexandre Huyghe's arrival, a family member returns to lead the business directly from 2027. He is no outsider stepping into unfamiliar territory, he already sits on Alides' Board of Directors and brings a CV shaped by senior roles at Quares and Re-Vive, where he rose to CEO, alongside international exposure in Poland. "Alides is more than a company to me – it is the story of our family, which I want to continue with great respect and ambition. I look forward to building, together with the strong team, on the foundations laid in recent years, and to further shaping our growth in Belgium and Poland," he said.

The reshuffle is not confined to the corner office. As of 31 August 2026, Alides adds Alex De Witte to its Board of Directors, a lawyer by training who has held CEO roles at Pylos Benelux and Baltisse Real Estate. "As a family-owned real estate group, Alides has an impressive track record, with a clear strategy and a fine reputation. I look forward to putting the experience I have gained in project development and real estate investment to work in guiding Alides through its next growth phase," he said.

For investors watching the Benelux market, one detail in the announcement deserves closer attention than it has so far received: Alides frames its growth strategy as spanning "Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland," a market trio that marks a departure from its current footprint, which today is anchored solely in Belgium and Poland. A move into Luxembourg, however early-stage, would place Alides alongside Baltisse and Pylos in a market that has drawn increasing cross-border capital, and it is a signal worth tracking as the new leadership sets its course.

The handover follows a strong 2025, in which Alides posted EBITDA of €32m, and the company enters 2026 with further momentum expected from the sale of its stake in Stocznia Cesarska in Gdańsk, Poland. Chairman Paul Depuydt framed the changes as a blend of stability and fresh energy: "With Alexandre Huyghe we are choosing both continuity and renewal: he knows Alides from the inside and brings a strong track record in the real estate sector. Together with the arrival of Alex De Witte, we are strengthening the Board of Directors for the next growth phase. I would like to expressly thank Rikkert Leeman for his years of dedication and for building up Alides, and we wish him every success!"

Day-to-day continuity rests with Henk Cardon and the wider team in the months ahead, with all current projects and partnerships continuing under Alides' Real Estate Upcycling strategy. Alides Polska, active in Poland since 2016, continues to expand its residential, office and mixed-use pipeline across Gdańsk, Sopot and Warsaw, work that is set to continue uninterrupted through the leadership change.

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