Rudy Aernoudt

Holding a master's degree in economics from KU Leuven, European economics from the College of Europe and philosophy from KU Leuven, Rudy Aernoudt began his career as an official in the European Commission. He was mainly responsible for programs for access to finance. He has written several books and articles on corruption, its nature, its consequences and how to tackle and prevent it. In 2012 he published a novel (De Duivelszak)[4] about it.

He is one of the few Belgians to make a career on both sides of the linguistic border being alternately Deputy Head of Cabinet of Serge Kubla, MR Walloon Minister (Francophone liberal right) in 2001-2003 and then Head of Cabinet of Fientje Moerman, OpenVLD federal-level and then Flemish Minister (Dutch-speaking liberal right) in 2003-2006. He writes, following this experience and due to his convictions, the book which will make him known to the general public "Wallonia - Flanders, I love you, me neither" published in 2006.[5] In it, he seeks to dispel the different Flemish clichés on Wallonia and to demonstrate the relevance of the unity of Belgium. This book is also a response to the Warande manifesto, a publication by a group of Flemish businessmen and academics, aiming to demonstrate the relevance of Flemish independence from an economic point of view. The same year as he became Secretary-General of the Flemish administration, following his departure from office and his appointment, he denounced embezzlement within his own cabinet with the Minister Fientje Moerman, who was forced to resign. Rudy Aernoudt followed up on this momentum by publishing the following year "Brussels, the unloved child" which insists on the advantages that Brussels offers to Belgium, deemed underexploited.[6]

2007 witnessed the EU crisis and the electoral victory of the cartel CD&V/NVA whose visions of the future of the country radically opposed to those of Rudy Aernoudt. He was thus abruptly let go following an interview published in Le Soir where he questioned the legitimacy of Yves Leterme to lead a reform of the state at the expense of the federal government. The Flemish Government stated that "any collaboration had become impossible". Rudy Aernoudt presented his version of events in "Adventures of a 'cabinettard'"[7] and, after losing the first trial,[8] gets the conviction of the Flemish government.[9]

He is since the age of 28 professor corporate finance and European enterprise policy at the University of Ghent, department of economics and teaches as well at the University of Nancy (Master in European economics). From 2007 to 2010 he was also a lecturer at the University of Liège of a course in Dutch entitled "Introduction to good governance" (Inleiding tot goed bestuur), whose neutrality was questioned by the Belgian Movement of Young Socialists.[10] He was a guest professor at the Technical University of Brno at the Czech Republic.

He was director-general of OLPC, a spin-off of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Based on this experience, he became curator of TEDxBrussels (www.TEDxbrussels.eu). Now he is a regular speaker at TEDx events on topics as the (non)sense of economy [11] Besides, he speaks at numerous conferences (ESA, OECD, Dubai Forum, CEO summit, etc).

"Rudy Aernoudt is a brilliant Flemish liberal intellectual. Through several books, Rudy Aernoudt is one of the very rare Flemish personalities to promote the union of Belgium, supported by figures [...] Whether you agree or disagree with his ideas, Rudy Aernoudt appears as an intelligent man, offering creative ideas and supporting his conclusions with advanced technical analysis. Far from being an ordinary speaker, he is an excellent speaker with explosive humour [12]

He was at the basis of several venture capital actions in Europe. He co-founded EBAN, the European Business Angels network and for entrepreneurs he will always be considered as "the father of the Business Angel Networks in Europe" [13] In April 2013, he became the Head of Cabinet of the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, the Frenchman Henri Malosse.[2] He thus became the only Belgian to have served as Head of Cabinet at the European, national (Belgian) and regional (Wallonia and Flanders) levels. According to the newspaper De Morgen, this fact deserves his nomination for the Guinness book of records.[14] Based on his experience in the US, he conceived and launched an SBIC-inspired investment initiative at the Commission called ESCALAR, that supports venture capital and growth financing for promising companies, enabling them to scale up in Europe and help reinforce Europe's economic and technological sovereignty, [15] which he explained for instance at Euronews[16]

Rudy Aernoudt in 2013

Rudy Aernoudt continued his political battle in 2008 by creating a bilingual movement, "België Anders/La Belgique Autrement" (Belgium differently), which organized a series of conferences. He teaches in different universities (Ghent, Brussels) and became director-general of OLPC, a spin-off from MIT.

In 2008, he created the LiDE party, which he left in 2009 to become, in November 2009, Co-Chair of the Popular Party, another political party that has enjoyed rapid success but was a victim of internal tensions. He wanted to make an alliance with the MR but the FDF vetoed by threatening to leave the MR. Aernoudt is considered to be the architect of this separation. In 2009 he became co-chairman of the new People's Party. He was expelled from the party in late August 2010 after what appears to be an internal power struggle,[17] an exclusion whose regularity he often denies while denouncing what he sees as a drift of the party.[18] Modrikamen in turn was excluded in September 2010 by Aernoudt and co-disciples. Aernoudt was confirmed with an overwhelming majority of 28,000 votes but left active politics; at least in terms of political parties.

For his political positions, Rudy Aernoudt has received several awards, among which the prestigious award of the French community Aron - Condorcet and the prize for political courage at Belgian level B+.

Rudy published around 30 books and 500+ articles and papers on politics, economics and philosophy. List of his books below:

• "Entrepreneurship, no guts, no Glory, Intersentia Cambridge, 2020"
• "Coronavirus: electroshock for Belgium, Van Gompel @ Scavina, 2020"
• "Coronavirus: electrochoc pour la Belgique? Mardaga, 2020"
• "Financieel Management, Toegepast; Intersentia, 2019"
• "Financial Management Applied, Intersentia,2019
• "Entrepreneurship, A way of life, Intersentia, 2015
• "Wake-Ups Belgians", Roularta Books, 2012
• De Duivelszak, Roularta Books, 2012, ISBN 9789086794584.
• Leven zonder job - Van jobtaker naar jobmaker, Roularta Books, 2011, 211p, ISBN 9789086793914.
• La politique, ça trompe énormément - Descente aux enfers politiques, Roularta Books, 2008, 270 p, ISBN 9086792529.
• Peripeties d'un Cabinettard - l'Abus de Pouvoir, Roularta Books, 2008, 191 p, ISBN 9054664673.
• Comment l'état gaspille votre argent : Mauvaise gestion, clientélisme ... en finir, Roularta Books, 2008, ISBN 9789086791699.
• Bruxelles : l’enfant mal aimé, Roularta Books/VIF éd, 2007, 180 p, ISBN 9054664673.
• Wallonie - Flandre, Je t'aime moi non plus, Roularta Books, 2006, 250 p, ISBN 9789086790364.
• Arbeid, Lust of Last ?, Roularta Business Books, 2005, 121 p, ISBN 9054668377.
• Bazel II, Hoe er voordeel uit halen ?, Intersentia, 2005, 145 p, ISBN 9789050954532.
• L'éloge du (non) travail, L'Harmattan, 2005, 130 p, ISBN 2747586278.
• Ondernemingsfinanciering, over bankkredieten, business angels en risicokapitaal, Roularta Business Books 2004, 328 p, ISBN 9054667052.
• Corporate Finance Yearbook 2004, Chief Editor, Intersentia, Antwerp-Oxford-New York 2003, 250 p, ISBN 9789050853101.
• Corruption à foison, L'Harmattan, Paris, 2003, 150 p, ISBN 2747552004.
• European Enterprise policy, From SME policy to entrepreneurship policy, Intersentia, Antwerp-Oxford-New York, 2003, ISBN 9050952933.
• The taste of entrepreneurship: Financing and Research, proceedings of the European conference, Chief Editor, Roularta books, 2003, 110 p. (fr)(en), ISBN 9054666137.
• Business Angels, Rare vogels of ware engelen ?, avec H. Goossens, Roularta Business Books, 2002, 145 p, ISBN 9054667400.
• Corporate Finance Yearbook, Chief Editor, Intersentia, Antwerp-Oxford-New York 2002, 250 p, ISBN 9789050952088.
• La Paresse économique, pour en finir avec la troisième voie, Vif-L'express, 2002, 95 p, ISBN 9054665416.
• Verdien Risicokapitaal, avec E. Lacroix, B. Huybrechts, et al., Intersentia, 2002, 144 p, ISBN 9054666021.
• Duurzaam ondernemen in de Europese Context, Garant Éditions, 2001, 230 p, ISBN 9044111647.
• Financing SMEs, the European Approach, proceedings of the European Conference, Chief Editor, Roularta Books, 2001, 222 p. (fr)(en), ISBN 9054664916.
• Bedrijfsfinanciering, een benadering vanuit de praktijk, Roularta business books, 2000, 220 p, ISBN 9054664533.
• Waarom corruptie welig tiert ?, Roularta Business Books, 2000, 145 p, ISBN 905466455X.
• Waarom het Konijn eruitziet als een eend ? pleidooi voor een nieuw sociaal én economisch model, Roularta Business books, 1998, 110p, ISBN 9054663685.
• La Politique Structurelle en Europe, avec Richard Skrzypczak, collection Réflexe Europe, documentation française, 1998, 230 p, ISBN 2110035951.

• Rudy Aernoudt's CV