Mathias Verkest

Mathias has been actively involved in the development, construction and operating activities of various offshore wind farm projects since 2009. Having a legal background, Mathias took the role of CLO in 2009 at C-Power, Belgium’s first offshore wind farm, which reached financial close for its 295MW Thorntonbank project in 2010. As from 2011 onwards, Mathias was involved in the set-up and management of Otary and its wind farm projects Rentel (309 MW – financial close in 2016) and Mermaid/Seastar, currently known as SeaMade (487MW  -financial close in 2018). At present, Mathias is CEO of Otary NV, an independent power producer with offshore wind assets in the Belgian North Sea, and its subsidiaries Rentel NV,
SeaMade NV (a joint venture between Otary / OW Ocean Winds / Eneco) and North Sea Wave NV (a SPV set-up to develop a wave energy project in the Belgian North Sea). Mathias acts as chairman of the board of the Ostend port user association and member of the executive committee of the Belgian Offshore Platform since its inception, the federation of investors in electricity producing companies in the North Sea.
Mathias graduated from Ghent University law school in 2004, obtained a Master in Law degree (LL.M.) from the Georgetown University law school in Washington, D.C. in 2005 and an executive MBA from Vlerick Business School in 2014.