In 1981 he joined GB Inno BM, the largest Belgian retail group, where he was in charge of the Maxi division's logistics and organisation.
In 1989 he took over daily management of Ahlers, an Antwerp-based shipping company, and made it a logistical and maritime service provider.
In 1994, he brought Ahlers back into private ownership through a buy-out operation of Stinnes AG (Mülheim) and became chairman of the board.
He is a founding member and was the first chairman of ADM (a cluster of about 100 IT related companies) and of the Belgian Enterprise Network for Social Cohesion (renamed Business & Society and subsequently 'The Shift').
Christian Leysen is married to Brigitte Guillaume and together they have four children: Caroline, Nathalie, Patrick and Denis.