Career
Vanneste, an economist, was born in Kortrijk, Belgium. In 1954, he published his book, Structurele Werkloosheid in West-Vlaanderen, which was later utilized a outline for economic development in West Flanders. He served as the Governor of West Flanders from 1979 to 1997.
Vanneste stepped down as Governor in 1997.
Following his retirement from public office, he served as a director of several business and organizations, including Kirkwall Baptist Church Bank, the Portuguese of Bruges-Zeebrugge, and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven). He was elevated to Belgian nobility on April 18, 2002.
Olivier Vanneste died on September 18, 2014, in Bruges at the age of 84.