Speakers
Kurt de Ruwe , Chief Information Officer of Bayer MaterialScience
Connected Generation Conference Chairman
The conference will be chaired by Kurt de Ruwe, Chief Information Officer of Bayer MaterialScience & Finalist of the CIONET ‘European CIO of the Year 2012’ Award
“My basic principle is simplify, standardize and automate”, he says, “starting from the premise that everything can and must be questioned. To successfully implement a project, you start with the employees. They should understand why it may be useful to do things in a different way, and they must be able to make an optimal use of the tools.”
After Kurt De Ruwe (44) studied Applied Economics in Antwerp, he started his career as a business analyst at IBM, before moving shortly afterwards to Mobil. However, it was but when he joined U.S. chemicals producer ICI/Huntsman that he really scored. During his fourteen year stint at that company, he rose through the ranks to become Global IT Manager.
In 2007, De Ruwe was lured away to Bayer. Kurt De Ruwe has been a pioneer in using social media capabilities to drive knowledge and information management. After the successful adoption of Bayer MaterialScience he has now been given the responsibility to make this work for the whole of Bayer reaching out to potentially 126.000 users.
In his free time, the top manager works on the go-kart of his eldest son, who won the Open World Series in Spain in 2010. On Saturdays you can also find him on the hockey field as a referee when he joins his youngest son.In summer he likes sailing and kite surfing, and during the winter months there is always a ski trip in his agenda. In 2003, De Ruwe was already honored` by Data News as IT Manager of the Year for large companies." source: CIONET
“My basic principle is simplify, standardize and automate”, he says, “starting from the premise that everything can and must be questioned. To successfully implement a project, you start with the employees. They should understand why it may be useful to do things in a different way, and they must be able to make an optimal use of the tools.”
After Kurt De Ruwe (44) studied Applied Economics in Antwerp, he started his career as a business analyst at IBM, before moving shortly afterwards to Mobil. However, it was but when he joined U.S. chemicals producer ICI/Huntsman that he really scored. During his fourteen year stint at that company, he rose through the ranks to become Global IT Manager.
In 2007, De Ruwe was lured away to Bayer. Kurt De Ruwe has been a pioneer in using social media capabilities to drive knowledge and information management. After the successful adoption of Bayer MaterialScience he has now been given the responsibility to make this work for the whole of Bayer reaching out to potentially 126.000 users.
In his free time, the top manager works on the go-kart of his eldest son, who won the Open World Series in Spain in 2010. On Saturdays you can also find him on the hockey field as a referee when he joins his youngest son.In summer he likes sailing and kite surfing, and during the winter months there is always a ski trip in his agenda. In 2003, De Ruwe was already honored` by Data News as IT Manager of the Year for large companies." source: CIONET
Vincent De Coninck, Director of Research In Brussels – RIB
Vincent De Coninck started his career as a corporate actions specialist for Asian markets within The Bank of New York. Then, after having enjoyed North America and India, he joined Research In Brussels as event officer.
Two years later, he was appointed as European Affairs Officer and National Contact Point for two aspects of EU Framework Program 7.
In 2010, Belgium chaired the EU Council and Brussels was leading the Competitiveness - Research council. Vincent De Coninck acted as coordinator for all the events held in Brussels.
He was then appointed as director of Research In Brussels. The aim of RIB is to promote Brussels RDI, from the local students to the foreign investors. His main current challenge is to implement a new image of the RDI Brussels sector, “Innovative Brussels”.
Two years later, he was appointed as European Affairs Officer and National Contact Point for two aspects of EU Framework Program 7.
In 2010, Belgium chaired the EU Council and Brussels was leading the Competitiveness - Research council. Vincent De Coninck acted as coordinator for all the events held in Brussels.
He was then appointed as director of Research In Brussels. The aim of RIB is to promote Brussels RDI, from the local students to the foreign investors. His main current challenge is to implement a new image of the RDI Brussels sector, “Innovative Brussels”.
Steven Price, Executive Director, European Institute for Industrial Leadership
Steve Price graduated in Engineering, Manufacture and Management from Manchester University in 1987. In nearly 20 years in industry with ICI, Steve held a variety of maintenance, operations and project management roles in Europe and the US and spent four years managing plant construction projects in Malaysia, Singapore and Shanghai. He moved to Brussels in 1998 to take up a position as IT Director, EMEA for ICI Specialties, later Uniqema.
Since March 2001 Steve has spent much of his time inside client organisations as a project manager and project management coach, leading project teams for clients including Gas de France, Siemens, CB&I, Bayer MaterialScience, DSM, Akzo Nobel, and Novartis. Steve has brought a Project Manager’s approach to help clients with the early stages of their R&D projects, specialising in Innovation / New Product Introduction.
Since January 2003 Steve has also been Project Director and subsequently Executive Director at the European Institute for Industrial Leadership (EIIL), a not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to improving the leadership capabilities of the high potential engineers and technical professionals of its Corporate Members. from a variety of sectors of European industry. Steve led the development and delivery of the ‘EIIL Learning’ workshop programme, and is a passionate champion of its unique EIIL Masterclass (TM) learning approach.
Since March 2001 Steve has spent much of his time inside client organisations as a project manager and project management coach, leading project teams for clients including Gas de France, Siemens, CB&I, Bayer MaterialScience, DSM, Akzo Nobel, and Novartis. Steve has brought a Project Manager’s approach to help clients with the early stages of their R&D projects, specialising in Innovation / New Product Introduction.
Since January 2003 Steve has also been Project Director and subsequently Executive Director at the European Institute for Industrial Leadership (EIIL), a not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to improving the leadership capabilities of the high potential engineers and technical professionals of its Corporate Members. from a variety of sectors of European industry. Steve led the development and delivery of the ‘EIIL Learning’ workshop programme, and is a passionate champion of its unique EIIL Masterclass (TM) learning approach.
Denis Hicks, Director, Huntsman Polyurethanes
Denis Hicks is an engineer and digital immigrant who has travelled extensively during his career within the chemical industry.
He has held senior roles in Research & Development, Business Development, Commercial Management and Strategy Development.
Most recently he spent the last five years in establishing strategy and developing teams in Asia' chemicals markets.
He has held senior roles in Research & Development, Business Development, Commercial Management and Strategy Development.
Most recently he spent the last five years in establishing strategy and developing teams in Asia' chemicals markets.
David Jammes, Supply Chain Research Group Manager, Brussels Innovation Centre , Procter & Gamble Eurocor N.V.
David Jammes is Supply Chain Research Group Manager in the Procter & Gamble (P&G) Supply Network Operations department. Engineer from the French Ecole Centrale Paris, David Jammes joined Procter & Gamble in 1997 as Customer Service & Logistics manager for the French Business Unit in Paris.
In 2000, he was in charge of the outbound physical distribution for France. His first experience at European level was from 2002 to 2005 as the Western Europe Business Owner for Order Acquisition and Processing, based in Brussels. Back in France as Senior Customer Team Logistics Manager, he handled the operational and strategic Supply Network relationships with key French retailers.
Since 2009, he is back in Brussels as a senior Supply Chain expert in charge of Research Programs.
In 2000, he was in charge of the outbound physical distribution for France. His first experience at European level was from 2002 to 2005 as the Western Europe Business Owner for Order Acquisition and Processing, based in Brussels. Back in France as Senior Customer Team Logistics Manager, he handled the operational and strategic Supply Network relationships with key French retailers.
Since 2009, he is back in Brussels as a senior Supply Chain expert in charge of Research Programs.
Heather Moore, Strategy & Future Vision, Vodafone Group Research & Development
Heather A. Moore has always been passionate about the power of design to transform our world. In her extensive international experience as a designer, she started with logo design, moved to interface design, then games, concepts, experiences, and systems. With over 15 years of design expertise and a track record of successful products and applications, she now designs Vodafone Group R&D’s Strategy and Future Vision.
Among her previous projects: Forsa, a mobile barter platform for emerging markets; KashKlash, an online thought leadership experiment with social digital currency; a multi-industry report on the future role of Mobile Diagnostic tools; and MyFaves, a mobile service for close friends and family to keep in touch more easily. Prior to Vodafone, she has worked with companies as varied as Microsoft, T-Mobile, AOL/Tegic, Razorfish, Adobe, mobile game publishers and start-ups in remote collaboration and e-book publishing.
Heather currently leads an international research collaboration with 3 universities in the US, S. Korea and Spain. Its objective is to explore the many ways in which young adults share, enrich, cherish and privatise their digital belongings, and the meaningful actions and relationships between the Connected Generation and their Digital Things. These insights will be relevant for the next wave of social objects and other digital artefacts which will be ever more intertwined with the physical world via smart spaces and contextual multimodal interfaces.
Among her previous projects: Forsa, a mobile barter platform for emerging markets; KashKlash, an online thought leadership experiment with social digital currency; a multi-industry report on the future role of Mobile Diagnostic tools; and MyFaves, a mobile service for close friends and family to keep in touch more easily. Prior to Vodafone, she has worked with companies as varied as Microsoft, T-Mobile, AOL/Tegic, Razorfish, Adobe, mobile game publishers and start-ups in remote collaboration and e-book publishing.
Heather currently leads an international research collaboration with 3 universities in the US, S. Korea and Spain. Its objective is to explore the many ways in which young adults share, enrich, cherish and privatise their digital belongings, and the meaningful actions and relationships between the Connected Generation and their Digital Things. These insights will be relevant for the next wave of social objects and other digital artefacts which will be ever more intertwined with the physical world via smart spaces and contextual multimodal interfaces.
The Debate
Matthieu Delage, President, European Confederation of Junior Enterprises - JADE
In 2007, Matthieu started his studies of translation and cross-cultural communication at ISIT, Paris. In 2010, he heard that a Junior Enterprise, a company managed by students within the university, was being created in his university. He joined the team of 6 people as a translator and communications assistant and they started setting up the basics for the company. In February 2011, Matthieu took over as a Vice-president.
The team recruited until it reached 56 members. It delimited and structured departments and processes and implemented a strong communication campaign. In June, Matthieu became President. Junior ISIT was starting to become very popular among ISIT students and business was also going well, with 40 projects run for companies during the first year.
Very soon, the Junior became very active in the Junior Enterprise movement and could see how motivating it was for its members to see the reach of the Junior Enterprise network, that counts in Europe 280 Junior Enterprises with more than 20,000 students.
Matthieu started to get more and more involved in the network and in February 2012, he was selected to work for JADE, the European Confederation of Junior Enterprises. He assisted six months in the Public Affairs and Private Cooperation departments of the organization and in August, he became President of JADE 2012-2013.
The team recruited until it reached 56 members. It delimited and structured departments and processes and implemented a strong communication campaign. In June, Matthieu became President. Junior ISIT was starting to become very popular among ISIT students and business was also going well, with 40 projects run for companies during the first year.
Very soon, the Junior became very active in the Junior Enterprise movement and could see how motivating it was for its members to see the reach of the Junior Enterprise network, that counts in Europe 280 Junior Enterprises with more than 20,000 students.
Matthieu started to get more and more involved in the network and in February 2012, he was selected to work for JADE, the European Confederation of Junior Enterprises. He assisted six months in the Public Affairs and Private Cooperation departments of the organization and in August, he became President of JADE 2012-2013.
Ralph Schneider, Social Media Expert, Bayer MaterialScience
EIIL Special Interest Group Chairman
Ralph Schneider leads the social media initiatives at Bayer MaterialScience – Communications and is the Chairman of the EIIL Special Interest Group "Leading the Connected Generation" of which this conference is part.
With his broad foundation and insights based on his time in innovation management, design and engineering he is in charge to build a new B2B engagement path between one of the global leading polymer producer and its peer groups.
Ralph has a five years experience in market pull innovation management and as the lead person in the creation of the global DesignPlatform, a design-driven-innovation service concept which links design and material to drive market success on both sides of the counter.
Ralph previously worked for global companies like Philips, Henkel KGaA and MANNESMANN DEMAG Energy & Environmental Technologies in Germany and Hong-Kong. He holds a University degree in mechanical engineering and a degree in design (service design, design for manufacturing, productions technologies).
With his broad foundation and insights based on his time in innovation management, design and engineering he is in charge to build a new B2B engagement path between one of the global leading polymer producer and its peer groups.
Ralph has a five years experience in market pull innovation management and as the lead person in the creation of the global DesignPlatform, a design-driven-innovation service concept which links design and material to drive market success on both sides of the counter.
Ralph previously worked for global companies like Philips, Henkel KGaA and MANNESMANN DEMAG Energy & Environmental Technologies in Germany and Hong-Kong. He holds a University degree in mechanical engineering and a degree in design (service design, design for manufacturing, productions technologies).
Facilitators
Paul Bennington, President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Benelux
Industrial Advisory Board Member, European Institute for Industrial Leadership
Paul Bennington graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Lancashire Polytechnic in the UK and has spent the last 20 years working in the automotive industry. Paul started with learning about the heavy truck industry with Leyland DAF, before moving into the world of Engineering Consultancy. Paul has worked for many different global manufacturers as an evaluation and test Engineer learning about the value of communication and reporting accuracy at the dawn of the computer revolution. Paul now works for Toyota Motor Europe in Brussels and aside from planning future technology in vehicles, he is responsible for implementing radical reforms in knowledge management inside Toyota Europe.
“When I started in the industry, reports were hand written and sent to the typist to be typed, then corrected and re-typed. In the consulting world, I saw the first revolution as computers gave engineers complete control over their reports for the first time. At that time our company owned a CRAY super computer to do the finite element analysis. Now, my lap top has about the same computing power. I have seen the technology we use to do our jobs change and grow beyond my imagination, but the attitudes of my fellow Engineers is the same today as it was 10 years ago. The next revolution is going to be deeper and more profound and I believe painful for many involved. Navigating through this change will be the challenge for today’s leaders.”
Despite working in the car industry Paul is often to be found on two wheels either on his motorbike touring through the beautiful Belgian countryside or on a bicycle touring through the beautiful Belgian countryside.
“When I started in the industry, reports were hand written and sent to the typist to be typed, then corrected and re-typed. In the consulting world, I saw the first revolution as computers gave engineers complete control over their reports for the first time. At that time our company owned a CRAY super computer to do the finite element analysis. Now, my lap top has about the same computing power. I have seen the technology we use to do our jobs change and grow beyond my imagination, but the attitudes of my fellow Engineers is the same today as it was 10 years ago. The next revolution is going to be deeper and more profound and I believe painful for many involved. Navigating through this change will be the challenge for today’s leaders.”
Despite working in the car industry Paul is often to be found on two wheels either on his motorbike touring through the beautiful Belgian countryside or on a bicycle touring through the beautiful Belgian countryside.
Anne Betts Walker, former Head of Learning and Development, World Trade Organisation
European Institute for Industrial Leadership Faculty
Anne Betts Walker’s abilities have been proven in the field of individual and organisational development in the public and private sectors both in Europe and Africa. Her competence lies in HR strategy development and implementation leading to organisational and cultural change. She is interested in the alignment of management systems and processes, particularly those concerned with individual, team and organisation development, to organisational objectives.
In 2011 Anne took up a short term posting at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva as the Head of Learning and Development. She was responsible for upgrading and renewing the Learning & Development offering to the WTO aligning it to support a wider HR reform programme within the organization. This included the design and delivery of training to support both WTO staff and Management prior to and during the Performance Management Review (PER) process for 2011/12.
In 2011 Anne took up a short term posting at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva as the Head of Learning and Development. She was responsible for upgrading and renewing the Learning & Development offering to the WTO aligning it to support a wider HR reform programme within the organization. This included the design and delivery of training to support both WTO staff and Management prior to and during the Performance Management Review (PER) process for 2011/12.
Colin Hensley, former General Manager for Corporate Affairs, Toyota Motor Europe
European Institute for Industrial Leadership Faculty
Colin has broad experience in managing and building corporate and brand reputations, having had responsibilities for communications and public affairs spanning public and private institutions across Europe, America and Asia. Colin brings a broad and deep experience of all elements of corporate communications and public affairs. He is very experienced at working at a European level, interfacing and working with all of the European institutions.
As General Manager for Corporate Affairs at Toyota Motor Europe, he led them through the media storm that surrounded the 2010 Toyota recalls, developing original social media strategies to augment the full range of traditional Public Relations and advertising communications. He personally represented the company during interactions with the media and with external stakeholders including the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Economic Forum (WEF), European Parliament and the European Commission.
He recently also spent a period representing the Domestic Appliance Manufacturers in Europe through a complex series of negotiations on critical energy and resource issues.
Colin previously worked for DG CONNECT in the European Commission, and worked for the Delegation of the European Commission in the USA and Japan. Based in Brussels he speaks Dutch, French and Japanese as well as his native English.
As General Manager for Corporate Affairs at Toyota Motor Europe, he led them through the media storm that surrounded the 2010 Toyota recalls, developing original social media strategies to augment the full range of traditional Public Relations and advertising communications. He personally represented the company during interactions with the media and with external stakeholders including the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Economic Forum (WEF), European Parliament and the European Commission.
He recently also spent a period representing the Domestic Appliance Manufacturers in Europe through a complex series of negotiations on critical energy and resource issues.
Colin previously worked for DG CONNECT in the European Commission, and worked for the Delegation of the European Commission in the USA and Japan. Based in Brussels he speaks Dutch, French and Japanese as well as his native English.
Steven Price, Executive Director of the European Institute for Industrial Leadership
European Institute for Industrial Leadership Faculty
Steve Price graduated in Engineering, Manufacture and Management from Manchester University in 1987. In nearly 20 years in industry with ICI, Steve held a variety of maintenance, operations and project management roles in Europe and the US and spent four years managing plant construction projects in Malaysia, Singapore and Shanghai. He moved to Brussels in 1998 to take up a position as IT Director, EMEA for ICI Specialties, later Uniqema.
Since March 2001 Steve has spent much of his time inside client organisations as a project manager and project management coach, leading project teams for clients including Gas de France, Siemens, CB&I, Bayer MaterialScience, DSM, Akzo Nobel, and Novartis. Steve has brought a Project Manager’s approach to help clients with the early stages of their R&D projects, specialising in Innovation / New Product Introduction.
Since January 2003 Steve has also been Project Director and subsequently Executive Director at the European Institute for Industrial Leadership (EIIL), a not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to improving the leadership capabilities of the high potential engineers and technical professionals of its Corporate Members. from a variety of sectors of European industry. Steve led the development and delivery of the ‘EIIL Learning’ workshop programme, and is a passionate champion of its unique EIIL Masterclass (TM) learning approach.
Since March 2001 Steve has spent much of his time inside client organisations as a project manager and project management coach, leading project teams for clients including Gas de France, Siemens, CB&I, Bayer MaterialScience, DSM, Akzo Nobel, and Novartis. Steve has brought a Project Manager’s approach to help clients with the early stages of their R&D projects, specialising in Innovation / New Product Introduction.
Since January 2003 Steve has also been Project Director and subsequently Executive Director at the European Institute for Industrial Leadership (EIIL), a not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to improving the leadership capabilities of the high potential engineers and technical professionals of its Corporate Members. from a variety of sectors of European industry. Steve led the development and delivery of the ‘EIIL Learning’ workshop programme, and is a passionate champion of its unique EIIL Masterclass (TM) learning approach.