Patrick Belpaire graduated in pedagogics at the University of Ghent in 1984. After having been a lecturer and a coach in “learning to learn” for about two years he joined DOLMEN Computer Applications for a period of 8 years where he subsequently worked as a training officer and as the one responsible for sales and marketing. In 1989 he was awarded a postgraduate qualification in Business Management at the University of Antwerp (1989). In 1994 he became aware that the coming into existence of the Internet was to result in the birth of e-learning.

 

He combined his expertise in ICT, marketing and education and founded U&I Learning NV, a company specialized in e-learning.  Slowly but surely the company built a balanced customer and revenue base in the course of the following years; currently the company’s portfolio contains more than 200 customers in the world of industry and government. Since august 2007 the company is listed on Euronext (Vrije Markt). Today U&I Learning NV has about 120 employees in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. As the Chairman of the Board of U&I Learning NV, Patrick Belpaire spreads the word “learning” through European networking projects.

 

In 2008 he was appointed president of the European Training & Development Federation (ETDF-FEFD).