Management And Organization

The team of executives running Circular are pioneers and leaders of the anaerobe biomass industry in Belgium.

They have developed, operated and financed several biomass plants in Belgium over the years.

• 100% success rate bringing biomass projects to consent
• Developed long-term relationships with stand-out technology providers in the biomass space to customize site planning with proven technology and the Circular process with high-efficiency rates
• Over 10 years of experience in construction and commission of plants on time and on budget
  • In-house team to perform: Optimized 100% green anaerobe bio mass process
  • With financial institutions
  • With construction companies and trusted partners
  • Portfolio of biomass plants and clients managed satisfactorily

Officers and Executives

Stef Leemans, President & Chairman of the Board

Stef Leemans is President and Founder at the company he founded in 2009. He is responsible for the overall strategy and operations of the business, the intricate business dealings with vendor, energy and fertilizer buyers and financiers. Stef has a vast network and relationships with feedstock suppliers and manages all the technology partners for the patent pending anaerobe biomass processes at Circular.

Stef is an ambitious entrepreneur from the Kempen in Belgium. He grew up in a family of hardworking entrepreneurs and knows better than anyone how to work hard and smart to achieve set goals, with characteristics that embolden him to achieve his goals of growing Circular Holding’s companies:

* Flexibility

* Professionalism and punctuality

* Perseverance and future vision oriented

* Spotting opportunities and being ambitious

Stef’s great interest in energy led him to study Energy Technology, in which he obtained his Bachelor’s degree. Stef took the opportunity to be active in the manure processing sector at his parent’s pig farm to deal first hand with the manure and waste problem in early 2009. With that in mind, he set up his first biomass plant at that time. Having been a pioneer in waste management and thanks to his many years of experience, Stef has been able to expand his knowledge and build up the necessary competencies for the company he founded: Circular Holding.

Stef is a trained bio-specialist. His experience comprises managing complex projects to successfully deliver on new business models. Some innovative processes, which he has developed himself, as for example the highly effective biogas processes of Circular, are based on existing technology. These new processes have efficiencies gains that are the highest in the industry, with now over a decade of successful track records. The company is planning to patent these processes in the near future to add value to its portfolio of companies and branch out internationally, potentially with more acquisitions in the near term.

Ruud Straat, CEO – Board Member

Chief Executive Officer. Ruud Straat is a highly experienced international executive who has worked in various C-level capacities. He has 30 years of C-level business management in various capacities as investor, owner and advisory to businesses, financiers, and hedge funds:  Innovative Technologies (Silicon Valley), Venture Capital, large-scale international Project Management, Marketing & IT, large scale international investments in Real Estate and other sectors.

Ruud held director positions in strategic management consulting with Deloitte & Touche and CSC and worked in Europe, USA and the Middle East. He has been a CEO and CSO in the USA and Qatar, where he managed 52 business units. Ruud raised large sums of venture capital in Silicon Valley and Europe, and prepared companies for IPO and listing on the exchange. Recently, he raised funds for promising startup ventures in Europe in health care and for large volume funding in real estate. He has written numerous business plans, investor proposals, white papers, concept papers etc. as he also does for Circular in the anaerobe bio mass domain.

At Circular, Ruud leverages his professional international experience, domain expertise, project structuring, and his network for planning, funding and implementation. Ruud is in charge of the raise of capital for Circular’s expansion plans that will support the growth of the company for years to come. Ruud is tasked with implementing the expansion strategies of Circular Holding nationally and internationally while closely working with the founder, president and CFO for operations and funding to achieve its set targets as laid out in the business plan and reported in the board of directors’ meetings.

Ruud has an MBA from RWTH University Aachen, Germany and completed the Executive Management Program Stanford University, California and speaks five languages.

Kurt Toelen, CFO – Board Member

Kurt Toelen is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Circular Holding (16 companies). Kurt is responsible for providing financial management and operational control of the finance functions for corporate processes and teams.

Kurt Toelen brings with him more than 34 years of experience in service industries and production companies, of which taking up the position of Finance Manager and CFO.

Kurt’s role includes ensuring compliance with local GAAP, minimizing costs and exposure to risk, directing the company’s budget, financial policies and systems, accounting, business performance, treasury, credit & collection, taxation, capital management and M&A. 

Before joining Circular Holding, Kurt Toelen had his own company with the aim of providing support in the financial and administrative organization of small and medium-sized growing (international) companies: an advisory giving support in launching a business from an idea to an established company. Kurt has lobbied for the search of investors in various projects such as biomass, medical equipment, hotel projects, cancer fight, reforestation in Congo, etc.

Throughout his career journey, Kurt Toelen held several positions such as Senior Accountant, Treasury Manager, Chief Accountant, Finance Director, Business Manager.  Finally, Kurt Toelen is a renowned (international) networker, who aims to create long-lasting partnerships between supply and demand of companies and industry professionals.

Nic Renders, COO – Operations – Bio Mass Technology

Nic Render is the company’s COO and project manager for all biogas plants and sites at Circular Holding. He has many years of expertise of working in the anaerobe biomass industry in Belgium and the Netherlands. After his professional Bachelor, he first started working as a mechanical engineer at a subfirm of the well-known Johnson and Johnson company in Beerse (B).

Circular has been working off and on with Nic for over 10 years and also with the farm of Nic’s parents. They have a composting firm where he manages the latest quality checks and manuals of the government, which became crucial knowledge for his work at Circular. Nic is Circular’s COO, and it greatly matches his working ambitions. By working on the manure process for many years, he accumulated a lot of knowledge about the working process with manure and the organic fertilizer. 

Nic over the years has built a large network of suppliers and workers. Nic fully manages all sites in close cooperation with the CEO. He leads the setup of the full plant right from its initiation and integration into Circular.  

Nic works very closely with the CEO on a daily basis. Nic is completing several upscaling projects to achieve higher efficiencies and effectiveness of the current and new sites.