Brussels, 20 January 2026 – Pierre Lambert, current CEO of Zetes, has decided to step down from his role. On the 1st April 2026, he will hand over the torch to Ronny Depoortere, the founder and current President of Zetes People ID.
Pierre Lambert first joined Zetes as CFO and held that role for more than 20 years, significantly contributing to growing the company to where it is today. Drawing on his strong leadership and expertise, he was appointed CEO in February 2022.
Pierre Lambert comments: “It has been my privilege to develop Zetes in the last 25 years and to lead the company these last four years as CEO. Having reached a significant milestone in both my life and career, I’ve made the decision to resign from my role as CEO at Zetes. It is my great honour to hand the torch to my esteemed colleague Ronny Depoortere. Ronny and I have worked together for over twenty years, and I have every confidence he will lead Zetes very successfully into its next chapter. I’m excited to continue to support Ronny and the strategic development of Zetes from my new position of non-executive Chairperson to the Zetes Board of Directors”. Starting June 2026, Pierre Lambert will continue on the Zetes Board of Directors as non-executive Chairperson.
Ronny Depoortere has over 30 years of experience in ICT, with nearly 25 years in citizen identity, having joined Zetes in 2002 to create the People ID Division. He was Senior Vice President of the People ID Division for nearly 20 years, then became its President and Board Member in April 2022. Having a unique education mix of Masters in Electronics Engineering, Business Administration and Corporate Law, he managed to grow the Zetes People Identity business into the internationally recognised business it has become today.
Ronny Depoortere comments: “I am delighted to now take the reins as CEO of Zetes. I am honoured by the trust placed in me by our shareholder, Panasonic Connect, to succeed Pierre after many years working together. I look forward to working with my divisional Presidents, Corporate Executive Team, General Managers, employees, shareholder, partners and customers to deliver the next chapter of Zetes’ success and to continue to benefit from Pierre’s experience in his new role’’.
In parallel:
- After 5 years in Europe, Satoshi Mizobata will conclude his term as Chairperson of the Zetes Board of Directors, effective June 2026.
- Bart Crols will succeed Ronny Depoortere as President of People ID, effective 1st April 2026. Tiago Conceição, who was appointed as Goods ID President in April 2025, will continue to lead the Goods ID business line.
- Joël Criqui joined the Zetes Corporate Executive team as Group CFO in January 2026.
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For more information
Corporate Communication Manager
Mathilde Alves Nunes
T +32 2 728 37 03
E mathilde.alves@zetes.com
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About Zetes
Zetes is a technology company specialising in supply chain optimisation and citizen identification solutions. Our Supply Chain Solutions help companies achieve agility, visibility and traceability across their connected supply chain. Our People Identity business line helps governments enhance their services to their population and country in the frame of Legal Identity, Mobile ID and Border Control. These solutions aim to improve governance, public policy, and people’s lives through efficient identity management (offline and online) and to secure the traveller’s journey every step of the way.
Zetes is headquartered in Brussels and has more than 1,300 employees in 23 countries across EMEA. In 2017, Zetes became a subsidiary of the Panasonic Corporation. In 2024, Zetes acquired a 50% stake in the Danish company Robotize, a leading manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots. For more information visit www.zetes.com or subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on LinkedIn.
About Zetes’ Supply Chain Solutions
We help organisations achieve agility, visibility and traceability from the packaging line through to the store through a core solution suite and access to the latest technologies. Our expertise spans a wide range of industries including retail, pharma and healthcare, warehouse and distribution, food and beverages, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, automotive as well as postal and courier.
About Zetes’ Identity Solutions
Zetes has over 25 years of experience implementing sensitive projects for governments and supranational organisations. It pioneered electronic ID cards with the Belgian eID in 2002 and has remained a key partner for Belgium’s eID, ePassports, driver licenses, and more. In 2005, it led Africa’s first major biometric enrolment campaign. Zetes has issued ePassports in Côte d'Ivoire since 2008 and became a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) in 2017, later establishing Belgium’s own QTSP in 2020. In 2024, Estonia awarded Zetes the Citizen PKI project; a local branch is now setting up as a QTSP. Under EU eIDAS v2, Zetes is also contributing to Belgium’s Digital Identity Wallet.