Patrick has a background in Law and European Studies from Maastricht University in The Netherlands. After completing his studies, he moved to Brussels to pursue a career in public affairs. After a brief stint at a lobbying firm mainly serving Dutch clients, Patrick was hired by the European Small Business Alliance (ESBA) in November 2008. ESBA is a pan-European umbrella organization for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), representing the interests and conducting lobbying activities for its 1.4 million members. In January 2009, he took over the leadership of ESBA’s Brussels Office, which also serves as the organization’s headquarters.
His position within this international organization enabled Patrick to quickly build a broad and diverse network, including policymakers such as Members of the European Parliament and European Commissioners, as well as within the private sector and NGOs. Through his work for SMEs, he also established a reputation for reliability and integrity in Brussels, which is crucial for any lobbyist. In 2010, he secured two nominations for ESBA at the European Public Affairs Awards for the best lobbying campaign of 2010 and the best lobbying organization of 2010, with the latter being won.
In April 2011, Patrick founded his company, Gibbels Public Affairs (GPA), and established two international umbrella organizations in Brussels. In April 2012, GPA moved to a new office in Clos du Parnasse, just a stone’s throw from the European Parliament. In 2016 and 2017, Patrick was elected Lobbyist of the Year by the same EPA Awards. In 2018, he was a finalist.