Mr. Philippe Van Exem graduated from the University of Ghent/HOWEST as a Chemical Engineer with a special degree in biochemistry. In 1983 he joined the Belgian Armed Forces as a Logistics Officer, and later served as the NATO fuel terminal and pipeline manager in the Antwerp region, Belgium; Deputy Head of Operations and Fuel Quality Manager for the Belgian and Luxembourg section of the Central Europe Pipeline System; Technical Director of the Belgian National Agency for Pipelines; Technical Authority for petroleum products in the Directorate for Material Resources of the Belgian Armed Forces where he put in place the structures and organisation for petroleum reform for the Belgian Armed Forces.
In 2005, Mr. Van Exem joined the NATO International Staff as the Petroleum Staff Officer, assuming the role of the Civil Co-Chair of the NATO Petroleum Committee in 2019.