Management team

The daily management of the hospital is in the hands of the management team:

Sarah Stroo, general directeur - chair of the management team

Sarah Stroo has been the general director of the hospital since February 2023. She started her career in 2007 within the Judicial Order. Since 2019, she has been part of the executive team of the Vilvoorde hospital as HR Director. Sarah has built a strong and dynamic HR team, which has helped position AZ Jan Portaels in the field of Human Resources. Currently, there is a solid foundation for a contemporary HR policy, which focuses on various areas: learning and development, workplace well-being, recruitment and internal career development, and general HR advice on personnel files and various payroll aspects. The highlight came during the recent Qualicor accreditation round, where the HR team received explicit mention for their training and performance policy.

Dr. Véronique Fabré, chief medical officer

Véronique Fabré has been the chief medical officer of the hospital since April 1, 2021. She began her career in 1999 as a gynecologist in another general hospital, where she also became the chair of the Medical Council. After several management training courses, she transitioned to an executive role in 2019, combining the role of chief medical officer with managing medical registration.

Koen Verbruggen, director of finance, IT and facility services

After initially building a career in the banking sector (corporate and investment banking), Koen Verbruggen switched to the social profit sector in 2003 as Finance & Administration Manager in a university hospital. Since 2007, he has been working as an executive member at AZ Jan Portaels hospital in Vilvoorde, leveraging his accumulated knowledge and experience for the further development of the organization.

Annelies Stassen, director of patient care

Annelies Stassen is a graduate nurse specializing in emergency care and intensive care. She obtained her Master's degree in Health Sciences at Maastricht University. Annelies has 15 years of leadership experience in large, critically technical departments such as the operating room and recovery unit. She has worked in both peripheral hospitals and university settings. In early 2024, Annelies joined AZ Jan Portaels as Patient Care Manager for the critically technical departments. From September 1, 2024, she assumed the role of Director of Patient Care. She derives great energy from people management and building collaborative relationships. Annelies will prepare the care department for a new way of working as it transitions to the new hospital of the future.

Mariken Minjauw, HR director

With 14 years of experience in human resources, Mariken knew soon after her studies in 'Master in Translation' that her professional path lay in the human capital of organizations. She worked for 11 years at the international HR service provider Randstad Belgium, gaining extensive knowledge of both the technical aspects of HR and the softer aspects of general personnel policy. In 2020, Mariken transitioned to healthcare as an HR advisor within our hospital.

While upholding the values of integrity and respect for everyone's opinion, she aims to elevate the HR policy at AZJP to an even higher level. The challenges of finding and retaining suitable personnel will not get any easier. Therefore, the student, internal training, and retention policies are being extensively rewritten. Additionally, further developing a quality leadership program for head nurses and supportive services managers is high on the list. We see the career path of our employees as ambitious and want to help colleagues grow in their personal talents from the beginning, preparing the staff for the hospital of the future.us en willen collega’s van in het begin laten groeien in hun persoonlijke talenten om zo het personeel klaar te stomen voor het hospital of the future.

Rik Vanderroost, director of new construction

Rik Vanderroost began his career in the real estate department of the retail sector. For about ten years, he managed various projects as a civil engineering project leader, ranging from the construction and renovation of office buildings to the development of distribution sites, production sites, and wind turbines. In 2022, Rik transitioned to the healthcare sector, driven by his interest in helping to build the hospital of the future. He has always found developing a building around processes very fascinating.

Rik started in our hospital as a new construction project manager/head of the technical department. Since December 2022, he has been active as a new construction manager and has worked on the new construction project. As we enter a new phase in the new construction project, the board of directors and the executive committee have decided to establish a new construction department in our organizational structure. This way, we can prepare our organization for the move towards the new building. Rik will lead this department as the Director of New Construction.e organisatie voorbereiden op de verhuis richting de nieuwbouw. Hierbij zal Rik dit departement leiden vanuit de functie als directeur nieuwbouw.

Contact: directiesecretariaat [at] azjanportaels.be