Jan Somers started his career as Director of the VP in the Brussels Parliament, became advisor to Minister W. DEMEESTER in the Flemish Government and became later on active in the European Footwear Industry Confederation, in BABM (Belgian Association for Brand Manufacturers) and ECR Belgium as lobbyist (negotiating trade agreements) and project manager R&D. In July 2007, he joined GS1 Belgilux as Deputy CEO and ECR Manager and became CEO in 2010. Jan has a license in Political and Social sciences (KU Leuven Belgium) and a master in European Politics (University Robert Schuman Strasbourg France).

Jan launched GDSN (Global Data Synchronisation Network) in Belgium 2010 to make it possible, for any company, in any market, to share high quality product information seamlessly, expanding its reach from FMCG and Foodservice to DIY, garden & pet and the Healthcare sectors. In 2020, he launched My Product Manager, GS1’s Belgilux central hub to manage product data. Since 2023, companies can also share packaging information can also be shared via My Product Manager and the GDSN network to show the durability of their packaging and comply with legal requirements.

Jan Somers is also Chair of GS1 in Europe for 2024-2026.