Frank N. J. Braeken graduated with a degree in Law and holds an MBA degree in Finance from the University of Leuven (Belgium). He is an alumnus of the Wharton Executive Program, Penn University (Philadelphia / US). In his professional career, he has specialized in finances and general management.
From 1996 to 2013, he held various management functions in different countries for Unilever, including a position as Group Vice President of Unilever China (Shanghai), Executive Vice President of Unilever Namca (Dubai / UAE), and Executive Vice President of Unilever Africa (Dubai / Durban). After leaving Unilever, Frank N. J. Braeken acted as investment advisor and investor for large-scale agro and food enterprises on the African continent.
From 2016 to 2020, he was elected Chairman of the Board of Feronia Inc, a Toronto-listed palm oil producer in Africa. Frank N. J. Braeken is also Chairman of the Board of MSI (formerly Marie Stopes International), Chairman of the Board of AECF (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund), and Member of the Board of AGRA, all non-profit organizations. He is also non-executive Chairman of Baobab+, a Paris-based solar home systems provider on the African continent. In addition, he is a non-executive Director, Lead Independent Director, and Member of the Audit Committee, the Investment Committee, and the Nomination and Governance Committee of Tiger Brands Ltd., South Africa. Since November 2024, he is a Member of the Sustainability Advisory Board of Boehringer Ingelheim.
He was elected to the Board of Directors of Bühler in 2014. Frank N. J. Braeken was born in 1960 and is Belgian.