Johan Desmet

A native of the city of Antwerp, Belgium, Johan Desmet received a master’s in Industrial Chemical and Bioengineering from the Catholic University of Louvain. Desmet joined Nippon Gases (previously Praxair) in 1991 as an applications engineer for the Benelux market and, over the next 15 years, held increasingly responsible positions in sales, business development, and onsite business management in the Benelux.

In 2007, Desmet moved with his family to Oslo, Norway, to become Director BD for YaraPraxair, the newly formed joint venture between Yara and Praxair in Scandinavia. Back in Belgium in 2009, Desmet became BD Director for Bulk & Onsite in the Benelux and, since 2013, within Nippon Gases’ Germany-Benelux region. Since 2017, Desmet has been the Business Director for all business units in the region of Benelux and France, including onsite, bulk, CO2, package gases, specialty, and semiconductor specialty gases, reporting to the Managing Director of BNF.

Desmet is also a director of the legal entities of Nippon Gases Belgium NV, Nippon Gases Netherlands BV, Nitraco (j/v between Nippon Gases and Pipelink), and Terranova Hydrogen (j/v between Nippon Gases, Terranova, and Luminus). Desmet is representing Nippon Gases in the Strategic Committee of essenscia vlaanderen and has been serving for three years as vice-chairman.