Goodyear Executive Departs Company After Mistress Is Charged in Fatal Stabbing of His Wife in Brussels

Chris Delaney and his wife, Carmel Delaney, are pictured in 2015

Chris Delaney, a top executive at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, has exited the multinational firm following a high-profile criminal case in Belgium involving his executive assistant and alleged mistress, who is accused of fatally stabbing his wife.

Delaney, who served as President of the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region at the Akron, Ohio-based tire manufacturer since 2017, is no longer employed by the company. Goodyear confirmed both Delaney and his former assistant, Greet Vandeput, are no longer with the organization. Delaney reportedly received no severance upon his departure.

Greet Vandeput, Chris Delaney’s executive assistant, is the suspect in Carmel’s murder. Police say Vandeput and Chris Delaney were having an affair

The incident came to light after Delaney returned to his upscale Brussels apartment on March 17 and found his wife, 61-year-old Carmel Delaney, dead from multiple stab wounds. According to investigators, she had been stabbed at least four times in the chest and torso. Unable to speak French, Delaney contacted Vandeput, who then called the police.

Authorities initially suspected the death may have been the result of a burglary gone wrong, especially after security cameras captured a masked individual entering the building and three luxury watches were discovered missing. However, the investigation took a turn when Belgian police arrested Vandeput two days after Carmel’s funeral, which took place on April 2 in upstate New York.

Carmel Delaney, 61, was stabbed to death on March 17

Vandeput, who had worked at Goodyear for more than a decade and previously held roles at AstraZeneca and Siemens, was charged with murder and “port d’arme par destination,” a Belgian legal term for using an improvised object as a weapon. During the investigation, it emerged that she and Chris Delaney, both married, were having an affair. A breakthrough came when a concerned friend of Vandeput alerted police, leading them to search a horse stable where Vandeput kept two horses. There, behind a corrugated metal shed, authorities recovered the missing watches.

Chris Delaney, who has not been charged, was questioned by Belgian authorities as a witness and has since returned to the United States. Goodyear has stated it will cooperate with law enforcement if requested.

Carmel Delaney was found dead by her husband after he returned from work to the couple’s Brussels apartment

Carmel Delaney, originally from Queens, New York, had a distinguished marketing career, including senior roles at Procter & Gamble in Europe and the Middle East. Most recently, she ran a consultancy assisting international students with U.S. college applications. Friends described her as charismatic, generous, and deeply committed to her family and husband.

The Delaneys, who relocated to Brussels in 2017, had spent much of their life overseas, moving between Poland, Saudi Arabia, and China during Chris’s corporate career. The couple, described as a “dream team” by friends, met while working at Procter & Gamble and were known for their warm presence and close bond.

Chris Delaney earned around $5 million annually as an executive at Goodyear. He is seen with wife Carmel in 2016

Vandeput, who lived outside Brussels with her husband, was reportedly recovering from breast cancer surgery at the time of her arrest. She shared Carmel’s love of horses and kept dogs and chickens at her home.

A memorial service is being planned in Brussels this June to honor Carmel’s life. She is survived by her husband, her father Jim Gallagher, and four children.