Chris Stone (24 February 1959 – 24 November 2023) was an Australian businessman and Australian rules footballer. He was the husband of former Belgian prime minister Sophie Wilmès.
| Chris Stone | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth | 24 February 1959 | ||
| Date of death | 24 November 2023 (aged 64) | ||
| Original team(s) | St Kilda City | ||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Rover | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1978–81 | St Kilda | 23 (12) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1981. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Early life edit
Stone was from Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia.[1] He played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[2]
Business career edit
After leaving university, Stone began working with the Australian division of Pearl & Dean, a cinema advertising company. He moved to the UK in 1988 and in 1991 became regional sales director of Mills & Allen Outdoor. He transferred to Belgium in 1994 as CEO of Vivendi's Belgian division, comprising Belgoposter Outdoor, Claude Publicité. In 1998, Stone joined RMB International as chief operating officer (COO). He bought his own outdoor advertising company, Dewez, in 2001. From 2012 until his death he was president of the Belgian branch of Australian Business in Europe (ABIE).[1]
Personal life and death edit
Stone was married to Sophie Wilmès, the former foreign minister and former prime minister of Belgium.[3]
Chris Stone died from brain cancer on 24 November 2023, at the age of 64.[4]
Notes edit
- ^ a b "President". Australian Business in Europe. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 853. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
- ^ Anderson, Jon (8 December 2019). "Ex-St Kilda player Chris Stone married to Belgium Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes". www.heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ "Le mari de Sophie Wilmès est décédé". Paris Match (in French). 25 November 2023.
External links edit
- Chris Stone's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Chris Stone at AustralianFootball.com