François Reyntens is an active member of Spencer Stuart’s Real Estate and Legal, Compliance & Government Affairs practices. He also leads the Family Business Practice in EMEA, advising family-owned enterprises on governance and succession planning.
François specializes in recruiting senior leaders across the real estate ecosystem, including investment funds, diversified asset managers, listed property companies and corporates with significant real estate portfolios. His deep sector knowledge allows him to identify leaders who can address the evolving challenges of the real estate market—from digital transformation and sustainability to complex asset management.
He also provides leadership advisory and succession planning at board and executive levels. Drawing on his experience as a former general counsel, François brings a unique blend of strategic and operational insight to legal functions, advising boards and executive committees on governance, corporate culture and legal leadership. He regularly recruits general counsels, chief compliance officers, corporate secretaries and heads of public affairs across continental Europe.
A multidisciplinary background in real estate, governance and legal leadership
- François previously served as general counsel for Elia, a leading international utility and infrastructure group based in Brussels. In this role, he led the legal affairs department, overseeing corporate finance transactions, strategic international projects, and high-stakes compliance and dispute resolution matters.
- Earlier in his career, François worked as a strategy consultant at The Boston Consulting Group and spent a decade as a business lawyer with top international law firms in London and Brussels.
- A recognized thought leader, François frequently speaks on the future of the legal, compliance, and public affairs professions, as well as on governance trends and best practices.
François holds a Master of General Management from Vlerick Business School (cum laude), a Master in Law from Université de Louvain (magna cum laude), and completed an Executive Management Program at IESE. He is fluent in French, English, and Dutch.