- 54 years old, living in Ardooie
- Electronic Engineer with postgraduate studies in Economics, an MBA in General Management from Vlerick, and an Artificial Intelligence Leadership program at MIT MBA via Vlerick, en een opleiding Artificial Intelligence Leadership bij MIT
- 16 years as an independent entrepreneur. Founded my own company, Pixerang, focusing on digitization and digital transformation in photography, which was sold to Lab9 (now Lab9 Photo)
- Passionate about helping manufacturing companies streamline operations and improve efficiency by converting machine data into actionable insights:
- Industry 4.0, Smart Factory
- Business Process Improvement
- IIoT, PLC, machine data capture, and analysis (e.g., microstops)
- PLM, MES, shopfloor, ERP
- Dashboards
- Remote Monitoring en Predictive Maintenance …
- My greatest added value is building bridges and translating between engineering, the production floor, IT, and C-level executives. There is still a lot of room for efficiency and innovation within manufacturing companies, and few people can see the entire picture.
- A hands-on approach is crucial to me. As an engineer, I can stand next to a technician at a machine, but I can just as easily discuss business strategies and financial plans with a CEO.
- Independence is essential for me. I work from a broad perspective and am not tied to specific brands or technologies.
- I enjoy working with medium-sized SMEs and family businesses.I prefer direct, results-driven solutions that show impact in less than one to two years, without unnecessary costs or excessive paperwork.
- My entire career has revolved around software, with connections to machines and IoT:
- Dolmen: 2 years as an analyst-programmer.
- Barco: 3 years as team manager for air traffic systems and defense, in a Unix environment.
- Sun Microsystems: 6 years in various technical roles and high-end server management, followed by 5 years in Program Management and ERP consolidation projects.
- Atlas Copco: Standardization of IoT within the rental department, portfolio management, and development of a connectivity menu.
- Eneria: Led the buy-or-build decision for an energy platform, including architecture design, vendor selection, and prototype phase.
- Factory Survey in Dubai: Conducted a Digital Transformation Maturity Assessment to evaluate the factory's current status.
- 9Altitudes: Led a team for 2 years focusing on IIoT and Smart Factory, operational management, designing the go-to-market strategy, building an OEE platform, increasing visibility, and developing and rolling out client cases in production (e.g., Panasonic Tessenderlo) and connected assets with PTC technology.
My story
Olivier: "Bart is an energetic, resourceful, and innovative problem solver with broad expertise. His sharp cognitive abilities allow him to quickly grasp the bigger picture, even in complex situations. He is goal-oriented and determined, unafraid to face challenges, even when they involve risks. His inquisitive nature and deep interest in the technical side of the work make him an indispensable asset."
