Karel Demeester

Karel offers deep, cross-industry expertise in the development of commercial due diligence, commercial strategies, and influencing omnichannel buying behavior.

Since 2018, Karel co-founded and leads Callebaut Collective, a collective of strategic advisors and trusted partners in execution. He joined forces with LDS Advisory in 2024 to strengthen the complementary expertise needed to support investors and business leaders in their milestone decisions.

Before co-founding Callebaut Collective, Karel accumulated over fifteen years of international experience with leading sales & marketing firms. Notably, he successfully led the digital sales & marketing transformation at Coca-Cola European Partners and developed numerous scalable innovations in collaboration with top retailers.

As a Strategic advisor, keynote speaker, guest lecturer and a passionate game changer, Karel challenges his audience to ask new questions, reconnect with customers in innovative ways, and think beyond the conventional. His outspoken vision for navigating contemporary chaos culminated in the book ‘ACT HUMAN, why successful businesses invest in long-term relationships’ (Lannoo Campus, 2021).

Karel holds an MBA in Marketing Management from Vlerick Business School and a Master’s degree in Commercial Sciences from Ehsal Management School).