Els Verbraecken graduated in 1993 as a commercial engineer from the University of Leuven. She began her career in export credit insurance at Credendo, the Belgian Export Credit Agency. In 2002, she joined DEME, where she was involved in setting up export and project finance structures worldwide. As from April 2013, she served as CFO of the DEME Group, a position she held until 2024, and she was also a member of the DEME Executive Committee.

Mrs. Verbraecken is a seasoned executive with extensive expertise in finance. She currently holds board positions at Vyncke (since 2018) and Jensen-Group (since 2023). As from May 2025, ACACIA I BV, represented by Mrs. Verbraecken, is an Independent Director of the Ontex Group.