Team
All IBBT employees have a passion for ICT innovations and dedicate themselves every day to stimulating creativity and new ideas. Their interdisciplinary approach builds bridges between knowledge centers, companies, and public authorities.
The central staff of IBBT currently consists of 29 employees. They offer operational support in the fields of project management, HR, ICT, marketing and communications, legal and financial matters, media contacts, and more.
Meet the IBBT team:
Melissa Beelaert
Finance Assistant
In 2006, after a three-year course at the University of Ghent, Melissa obtained her degree in Accounting-Taxability. With this degree she started her career in November 2006 at ArcelorMittal, where she was an administrative clerk in the accounts department.
After 1,5years she joined the family business ‘Cantillana’ where she worked in the accounting department. At the end of November 2008 Melissa joined the IBBT team as a finance assistant, where she handles accounting and HR issues.
Jothi Blontrock
Marketing Assistant Internal Communication
Six years ago Jothi Blontrock left the Artevelde Ghent University with a degree Communication Manager Public Relations. She built up her first work experience at the telecom provider Belgacom. However, thanks to her previous internship at IBM she acquired a taste for press communication, a path in which she wanted to develop her talent. In 2005, Jothi took her first steps in the PR world at the Antwerp PR agency “NewsEngine PR”, specialized in providing media relations for IT companies. A personal approach, a smooth talk and an even smoother pen waved the scepter in her daily activities. Later on she fulfilled the same tasks at the communication agencies FingerPRint and Leads United where her portfolio included a mix of customers from the IT sector and the lifestyle sector.
As from January 2009, Jothi works at IBBT as a Marketing Assistant Internal Communications where she will focus on the design and optimization of the internal communication at IBBT. She will be the link between IBBT and the different research groups. Furthermore, she will support the marketing department in the organisation of events, press communications and other marketing projects.
Karen Boers
Marketing & Communications Manager
Karen Boers has a degree in German philology and started her career with View Interim, as an interim consultant. She was promoted to office manager and HR consultant, before making the transition to IBBT on January 1st 2005, where she ran the daily office affairs.
In the summer of 2006, after her maternity leave, she got the opportunity to become Marketing & Communications Manager.
Olivier De Cock
Manager Technology Transfer IBBT & Investment Manager iVenture NV
Olivier De Cock joined IBBT since 2007, May 1 as Manager Technology Transfer. Before he worked for 2 years as senior scientific advisor at IWT, the Public Flemish Agency for Innovation Support, where he was responsible for monitoring and evaluation of innovation support programmes and for international relations (OECD, EC, TAFTIE). Before IWT he served for 6 years to several federal ministers responsible for budget, labour and employment policy, social dialogue, corporate social responsibility, service vouchers, … Olivier obtained his Master in Economics and Philosophy in Ghent.
Olivier takes care of all contractual aspects of the IBBT-research activities involving third parties, with a special concern for IPR matters. With the recruitment of IP Manager Eefje Vandamme, this last aspect will be further expanded within IBBT. Since June 2008 Olivier is also responsible for the daily management of iVenture NV, the IBBT pre seed fund which gives financial support (convertible bonds) to new startups in the ICT within the IBBT eco-system. Finally Olivier coordinates the IBBT incubation projects and entrepreneurial iBoot camps annually organized by IBBT.
Johan De Knijf
ICT Support Engineer
Johan De Knijf obtained his degree in electricity in 1981. He started his career as electrician and obtained a degree in electronics in 1993. After a few years, he decided on a new direction in his professional life. He followed a few courses: Cisco A+ essentials 1, IT essentials 2 and CCNA at VDAB Wondelgem. In 2005 he obtained his certificate and started in October 2005 at the University of Ghent. Johan joined the IBBT team in November 2008 as ICT Support Engineer.
Wim De Waele
Chief Executive Officer
Wim De Waele obtained his diplomas in Economics and Computer Sciences in 1987 at the University of Ghent. He started his career as a scientific researcher in the area of artificial intelligence.
He continued his work in the intelligent software systems at Siemens, where he worked in the R&D departments in Brussels and Munich. After that he was active as the Services Director at the Canadian software company Numetrix.
Wim joined i2 Technologies as the Services Director for Europe in 1994. He was promoted to the position of vice-president for consumer goods and retail, relocating to the headquarters of i2 Technologies in Dallas.
After his return to Europe in 2001 he became the Chief Technology Officer of the Real Software Group.
He has been the Chief Executive Officer of IBBT since 1 August 2004.
Janick studied Office Management as well as French, English and German and graduated in 1996. She started as management assistant in AZ Sint-Lucas in Ghent, where she helped in the development of a merger project. After three years she started in an international company where she worked as management assistant for six years.
Since June 2007, she is part of the IBBT team, where she is responsible for administrative support as well as the reception of iCUBES.
Helga Deschrijver
Manager Project Management
Helga Deschrijver is a sociologist by training. She had been active as a researcher before she joined IBBT. In her last assignment she had been the Management Secretary in the Directory of Research at the University of Ghent.
Her experience makes her excellently suited for a function in project management. She was recruited on 1 January 2005, with the responsibility for project follow-up and organisation within IBBT.
Delphine started her career in sales, after which she moved on to working at the information/helpdesk at Fnac Belgium in Ghent. After 2,5 years, she started at Q-layer, a cloud computing software company in Lochristi, as management and HR-assistant.
Since May 2009, she is part of the IBBT team, where she is responsible for administrative support as well as the reception of IBBT and iCUBES.
Veronique Elegheert
Office Assistant
For 2,5 years Veronique was active in the telecommunications sector in Ghent, where she concentrated on the sales, training of new employees and the support of her colleagues at the reception desk within the firm. In the summer of 2008 she decided to take a totally different path, and she enthusiastically joined the IBBT team in August 2008. As office assistant of the program managers and the technology transfer manager, her tasks include managing of their agendas, writing up the minutes of various meetings and booking of travels.
Kenny Garré
IT Support Engineer
Kenny obtained his degree in Electronics in 1997. He started his carreer as field Support Engineer at ING Technics, where he collaborated on national rollout projects. In 2001 he started at Dolmen, where was detached as Technical Support Engineer for at several government institutions. In 2006 he obtained the certificate Microsoft Certified System Administrator. InJuly 2007 he joined IBBT as IT Support Engineer.
Marleen Heyndrickx
Management Assistant
Marleen graduated in 1988 as translator and interpreter Dutch / English / German. After a traineeship at the Department for International Transmissions at RTT, she worked as a secretary for Industrial Plastics Machines, then switched to the judicial department of the Chamber of Commerce for Germany in Belgium and Luxemburg. In 1992 she became management assistant to the director in the Brussels Liaison Office of the German Construction Industry Federation.
In November 2008 she joined IBBT as management assistant.
Britt Mesdagh
Marketing Assistant Web & Multimedia
Britt Mesdagh obtained her degree in German Filology in 1996 and worked as a freelance journalist and internal communication assistant in a biotech company. In 2000 she followed a training internet specialist and she worked as a webdesigner and multimedia specialist. The last few years she worked as an independant webdesigner and expert in video and multimedia. In March 2009 she joined IBBT as a Marketing Assistant Web & Multimedia.
Dominique Moens
Finance en Operations Manager
Dominique Moens has a Master's Degree in Applied Economics. She joined the IBBT staff in November 2005 as the Finance and Operations Manager. Before that she had been the financial and administrative director of the Erfgoed Vlaanderen vzw for four years, a non-profit organisation that is active in the protection of historical monuments.
Prior to that she worked as a scientific staff member at the Vlerick School for Management (University of Ghent), where she was active in the Business Finance area. She has also acted as a financial adviser for Verbaere, De Clercq & Partners.
Birgit Morlion obtained a diploma in Photonics Engineering in 1996 at the Free University of Brussels (VUB).
She started her career as a project engineer in the Laboratoire de Physique BiomÈdicale of the medical faculty at ULB (UniversitÈ Libre de Bruxelles), the Free University of Brussels. There Birgit developed into an expert in IT for telemedicine. She is a specialist in applications for market-ready information technologies, which are designed for the development of infrastructures for remote monitoring of lung functions. These collect information from patients with asthma, or those who have recently had a lung transplant. The data is subsequently used for analyses and scientific modelling of the lung function. With this, she realised a medical validation and quality control of an innovative e-Health application. In 2003, Birgit was granted a doctoral diploma in Biomedical Science from the ULB.
Birgit keeps in touch with the trends and revolutions in e-health, by participating as an expert in the evaluation of the European projects in health care. She is the author of a series of scientific publications. She has participated as a guest speaker in a number of different conferences.
Birgit Morlion has been the Program Manager e-Health at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Broadband Technology (IBBT) since 1 December 2004. She is responsible for follow-up and support of e-health projects.
Lesley Neels
Administratief Assistente
Lesley obtained her degree in Accounting in 1996. She started her career as Junior Accountant at Spector Poto Group nv in Wetteren, where she was responsible for the daily input, pament and follow-up of several accounting documents.
After a three-year evening class in Accounting, she started in August 2002 as Accountant at MicroComputing nv in Merelbeke, an SME specialised in ICT solutions to medium and large companies.
in january 2003, Lesley started as Accountant at Tate&Lyle Europe nv (former Amylum) in Aalst, one of the largest companies in the food industry. She was responsible for the montly accounting check-up, the financial reporting and the drafting of budgets.
After te sale of the company to the French Terecs, she started as financial co-worker in the Department Information Technology at the Universit of Ghent. On March 3rd 2008, she joined IBBT as Administrative Assistant.
Matthias Priem made a clear choice for ICT during his engineering studies of industrial electronics. Before joining IBBT, Matthias worked on various projects at INTEC (University of Ghent).
He has been responsible for the expansion of the ICT infrastructure and the software environment at IBBT since 1 January 2005. He is also involved in the test centre and the demonstration room.
Ilse Roelants
Senior Consultant
Soon available
Wendy Ruys
Project Administrator
Wendy Ruys graduated in 1995 as translator Dutch-English-Spanish and a year later, she obtained the degree of European Master in Public Administration at the Hogeschool Gent and the University of Liverpool.
She first worked as dispatcher in an international transport company, but soon she started at the cabinet of Steve Stevaert, first as private secretary, later as advisor foreign policy and development aid. She worked as advisor in the same domains in the cabinets of Renaat Landuyt and Frank Vandenbroucke.
She joined IBBT as Project Administrator since July 1st 2007.
Daphne Tubée
Public Affairs Manager
Daphne Tubée obtained her degree as translator and as HRM graduate and started her career in Antwerp in the petroleum sector and afterwards as a communications manager in the cultural sector. In 2004 she moved back to Limburg where she successively worked as communications manager of the Province of Limburg and as Partnerships Director and Director General ad interim of the Living Lab i-City. Since 2006 she holds office as director of LRM (Limburgse Reconversiemaatschappij) and from January 1, 2009, she works as Public Affairs Manager for IBBT.
Shirley Vandaele
Project Administrator
Shirley Vandaele finished her Graduate Tourism education in Bruges in 1987. After an orientation period, she started working as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in Brussels. After 7 years in a legal environment, she chose to give her career a new direction as HR Consultant/Office Manager with Bowker Consulting International (later Right Management Consultants). After a reorganization at Right 5 years later, she ended up in the legal world again, as Personal Assistant/Paralegal with Prof. Dr. Albert Jan van den Berg, arbitration lawyer and founding partner of the boutique law firm Hanotiau & van den Berg, also located in Brussels, where she spent 5 years taking care of complete follow-up and co-ordination of all pending arbitration cases, publications, speaking engagements and conferences. After a short while as PA to the CEO of Artilium N.V. in Loppem, she eventually found her way to IBBT in october 2008, where the position as Project Administrator touches virtually all aspects of her prior professional experience. Shirley fluently speaks English, French and Spanish.
Eefje Vandamme
Manager Intellectual Property
After she graduated as an electrical engineer in photonics in 1999 at the VUB, she first continued in the photonics business. Focusing on lasers and optics for industrial applications, she started her career in the development and the production of lenses and mirrors for high-power infrared lasers and laser systems. As co-founder and CEO of a start-up high-tech company in this technology field she had the opportunity to combine high level research with daily all-round management. Those early years, she was co-author of some scientific reviews and filed a few patent applications as co-inventor.
In 2005 she changed position though always remaining active in technology and innovation. For a short period she was an innovation consultant at GOM Vlaams-Brabant, currently known as VLAO, before going back to the industry later on that year.
Previously working as Corporate IP Executive at Barco she strongly improved her knowledge in patent law (EPC, PCT, US and Asia, CN in particular) and experienced all aspects of IP management (from awareness to valuation) while technologically being involved in electronic imaging, visualization and display applications.
As a project leader in regional and European consortia, she established several formal and informal international contacts in the field of research, innovation and intellectual property, especially industry related.
In November 2008 she joined the IBBT as Manager Intellectual Property encompassing the intellectual property, in order to maximize its valorization. An IP strategy is processes with accuracy and covering following topics amongst others: patent use, developing and managing IP infrastructure, knowledge transfer en technology licenses, and ip awareness and ip culture.
Liesbeth Van der Haegen
Project Administrator
Liesbeth Van der Haegen obtained her diploma Communications Management, option Press and Public Relations at Ghent Artevelde Hogeschool in 2003. Soon after she started as a product coordinator to Resinex Distribution Center. She was responsible for the imports and exports of rubber and plastics, as well as for stock management and control of oversea transport. After more than 3 years in this logistics company, she took a one-year sabbatical, travelling throughout Asia.
Once returned to Belgium, she found a job as a broadcast consultant at Synergie Interim Office. As a senior consultant she was responsible for the recruiting and screening for higher profiles. On May 1, 2009 Liesbeth joined the IBBT staff as a project administrator. She is mainly involved in administrating the projects, financed by the IBBT funds.
Ellen Van De Sype
Marketing Assistant
Ellen obtained her degree in Business Engineering in 2006. The next year she succesfully finished her master-after-master training 'Meertalige Bedrijfscommunicatie'. In november she joined the IBBT team in support to Karen Boers, Marketing & Communications Manager for the design of printed media, the organisation of events, press communication and divers marketing projects.
Dr. M. Claire Van de Velde
VP Tech Transfer & Business Development
Ms Claire Van de Velde has two core tasks as the VP Tech Transfer & Business Development: drafting know-how agreements with industry and the business community, and identifying opportunities for commercialising the research results of IBBT.
Claire started her professional career as a scientific researcher in the Department of Biology, which is part of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of Ghent. She also obtained her doctorate there.
At the end of the 80s and 90s, she was a staff member of the Flemish Interuniversitary Board (VLIR) and the Flemish Board for Scientific Policy (VRWB).
Before Claire joined IBBT, she had been a director of scientific policy at the University of Ghent. There she had been responsible for project financing, as well as joint research projects with the business community and industry. She was also involved in the valorisation of research results and the establishment of spin-offs for research. During this period, she was the science policy adviser for the Flemish Prime-Minister.
Claire is a member of the Management Board of various Flemish research centres. Besides this, she participates actively in Flemish and international networks that are concerned with research and development.
Jenny Van Overwaele
HR Officer and Management Assistant
After studying Law at the University of Ghent, Jenny started her career at Honda Europe, where she worked at Inventory Control for 2 years.
Looking for a complete new challenge, she made her first steps into the world of HR by joining Tènce Interim as interim consultant, 4 years later she changed to Synergie Interim where she first worked as project manager and later on as branch manager.
After having dwelled 8 years in the world of interim, she continued her career as office manager at the HR consultancy office Rara Avis.
Jenny joined IBBT in 2009 as HR officer and management assistant of IBBT's VP Finance and Operations, Kenny Willems.
Karel Verplaetse
Project Administrator
Karel Verplaetse began his studies at the University of Ghent and obtained his degree in History in 2008. He decided to follow the Master-after-Master program Cultural Sciences, option Film and Audio-visual Culture.
After a brief but instructive experience as an assistant programming for the Ghent International Film Festival in November 2009, Karel joined the IBBT staff. As a project administrator he is responsible for the financial and administrative monitoring of the research projects.
Nico Verplancke
Program Manager
Nico Verplancke studied Applied Economics at the University of Louvain and obtained his Master's Degree in 1997. He resolutely opted for a career in IT.
He obtained his first working experience at Guidance Benelux. After a short period at Sydney Tristar, Nico participated in laying the basis for the Java Competence Centre of Real Software in the year 2000. As a manager, he participated in the responsibility for the development of the team, which expanded into a department of 50 employees within a few years. Nico's most important tasks were project follow-up, technology and pre-sales.
Nico joined IBBT as a program manager at the end of October 2004. In this function, he works closely together with a variety of research groups and industrial partners. Nico's focus is on projects in e-media and e-government, including support and follow-up.
Kenny Willems
VP Finance and Operations
Kenny Willems graduated as Commercial Engineer at the University of Antwerp in 1995. He immediately started working for Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, which was integrated in Deloitte Consulting in 2002. He obtained an MBA-degree at Warwick Business School (UK) in 2003.
He has been involved in management consulting projects across various industries (ranging from healthcare over telecom, FMCG and manufacturing to utilities). Most of these projects were at the crossroads of Finance and ICT (implementation projects as well as IT-strategy). Kenny was not only responsible for project delivery (mainly as project/program manager), but also for business development and building a team in the area of Business Intelligence (including data-warehousing, balanced scorecard, and corporate performance management solutions).
In 2004, he joined JooS Consulting as Director, providing temporary staffing & support solutions to the finance and accounting department of large international clients. While his responsibility was mainly in sales and account management, he was partly still involved in finance-related projects (such as setting up a system of internal control (SOX), preparing the migration from IFRS to US-GAAP, optimising internal processes and procedures, etc.).
Kenny joined IBBT as CFO on 1st of February 2009, responsible for Finance, HR, ICT and Project administration.
Tags: nieuwe ideeën | interdisciplinair | creativiteit
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- 11 Mar 2010