Eric Domb

Eric Domb holds a law degree from the Catholic University of Louvain (1982), and was admitted to the Brussels Bar for 4 years, while pursuing a degree in Financial and Commercial Sciences (at Sint-Aloysius).

His experience enabled him to join the tax consultancy Coopers & Lybrand (later PriceWaterhouseCoopers) as a tax specialist, before testing himself as a sales representative in a computer leasing company.

Unconvinced by his professional experiences, Eric Domb went into consultancy and founded his own consultancy company, SA Stratéfi (1990), before taking the helm of the Paradisio Project himself.

It was in 1992 that he discovered, by chance, the Domaine de l'ancienne abbaye cistercienne de Cambron in Brugelette, in the Walloon region of Picardy. Enchanted by this neglected site, he decided to transform it into an ornithological and botanical garden modelled on the Walsrode Birdpark in Germany.

With the help of the German park's scientific director, zoologist and paleontologist Steffen Patzwahl, and with substantial investment, the remains of the 12th-century abbey, the grand staircase and the 18th-century neo-classical tower, the romantic 19th-century château, its farm and the 52-hectare park became home to thousands of exotic birds living in semi-liberty, taking advantage of the dozen or so existing but converted ponds.

Opened in May 1994, Parc Paradisio quickly reached the rate of over 200,000 visitors a year, before doubling its attendance in 2000 and reaching 955,000 in 2012 (Pairi Daiza figures).

Manager of the Year in 2007, Eric Domb was also President of the Union Wallonne des Entreprises.

On September 13, 2012, Eric Domb was elevated to the rank of Officer of Walloon Merit.