Confirmed Speakers

Renout van Hove

Geertrui Mieke De Ketelaere
Geertrui Mieke De Ketelaere is an Adjunct Professor at Vlerick Business School. She holds a master's degree in civil and industrial engineering and specialized in robotics and artificial intelligence during her studies. Over the last 30 years, she has worked for several multinationals on all aspects of data and analytics, including IBM, Microsoft, SAP, SAS, and others.
From a business consulting perspective, she specializes in defining the AI business canvas, from potential value to predefined risks. With her deep understanding of the hindsight, insight, and foresight of AI technologies, she frequently serves as an expert and coach behind the scenes.
In her public presentations and recent book, Geertrui Mieke De Ketelaere focuses on demystifying the hype around AI. In 2020, the State Secretary of Digitalisation, Mathieu Michel, appointed Mieke as the "Digital Mind." Additionally, she was the runner-up for "ICT Personality of the Year" in Belgium in both 2022 and 2023. Today, Mieke continues to share her vision for the future of AI as a speaker on international radio, television, and conferences.

Renout van Hove
Renout van Hove is an AI strategist spearheading both busines growth and sustainability with GrowthAgent and Earth+. As the Founder & Managing Partner of GrowthAgent, he aligns business strategy with AI to foster growth and profitability the right way using AI. He is called upon by premium brands in his capacity for combining the force of A, Data, Ecosystems to innovate and drive business impact for the decade to come.
Renout's passion extends to Earth+, a platform that integrates geospatial monitoring, blockchain, and the tokenization of projects to drive environmental change. His dedication to bring solutions for remediation, CO2 capture, and the promotion of circular economies positions him at the forefront of environmental innovation and AI.
His visionary book "Obsessed" from 2019 delves into the data paradigms, offering a guide to navigating the data-saturated landscape of today's business environment – and already warning you to ‘prepare for the era of AI’ back in 2019.
Through his future work "The HyperScaler Chronicles," a series of 4 books to be released as of 2025, he touches upon the combined impact of AI, ecosystem and sustainability.
With a track record at Showpad, Salesforce.com, Dell, and HP, Renout embodies the intersection of technological innovation and sustainable development, leading businesses into a future of data-driven growth and impactful environmental care.

Dado Van Peteghem
Dado Van Peteghem is a seasoned entrepreneur, renowned speaker, and thought leader in digital transformation, innovation, and ecosystem thinking. As a founding partner at the transformation advisory firm Scopernia, he has been instrumental in guiding organizations towards embracing the digital age. Dado is also a co-founder of startups such as Social Seeder and Speakersbase, platforms that have made significant impacts in their respective industries.
Dado holds a degree in Communication & Computer Sciences from the University of Ghent, where his passion for merging technology with strategic communication first blossomed. Over the years, he has delivered over a hundred keynote speeches annually, captivating audiences with insights into the intricacies of digital transformation and innovative strategies for success.
As an accomplished author, Dado has contributed to the business world with his published works. His previous books include "Digital Transformation" (2014) with Jo Caudron, "Corporate Venturing" (2018) with Omar Mohout, and "Metasystems" (2020) with Nils van Dam, all of which have been well-received for their practical wisdom and forward-thinking perspectives.
Dado's latest book, "The Virtual Economy," co-authored with Jeremy Denisty, delves into the evolving landscape of virtual worlds and communities. In this groundbreaking exploration, Dado and Jeremy shed light on the emerging opportunities within the third wave of the Internet, characterized by artificial intelligence, immersive virtual environments, and blockchain technologies.

Clo Willaerts
Clo is digital business expert, girl geek, tech optimist, avid keynote speaker, oldskool tech blogger, and published author. By day, she’s in charge of the postgraduate training “Digital Business” at KdG College in Antwerp. By night, she writes blog posts about robots making art, creates explainer videos on YouTube, and writes random chapters for what might some day become her 4th book. Lazy sins: listens to podcasts in bath and hopes one day AI will do her groceries.
Join Clo Willaerts as she breaks down the real-world impact of AI on our work lives.
This keynote explores the mix of challenges and opportunities AI brings, asking: Can it create chaos or amazement in our day-to-day professional experiences? Get ready for a down-to-earth exploration of AI's influence on how we work.
In this captivating keynote, tech blogger Clo Willaerts, renowned for her critical insights, offers professionals a deep dive into the practical implications of AI in their daily work. Gain valuable perspectives on navigating the challenges and discovering the opportunities that AI brings to the table.
Clo brings her unique blend of expertise and real-world examples to shed light on how your industry can thrive amidst the changing technological landscape. Book her now for an engaging and enlightening session that equips your team with the knowledge to embrace the future.

Lode Lauwaert
Lode Lauwaert is Professor of Philosophy of Technology at KU Leuven, where he leads the Chair Ethics and AI.
His research focuses on ethical questions surrounding emerging technologies, with particular emphasis on artificial intelligence. Beyond his academic work, he actively bridges the gap between philosophical theory and practical applications through collaborations with industry partners and policy makers.

Bart Van Besien
Bart Van Besien is a Belgian attorney and founder of the law firm Finnian & Columba. He specialises in intellectual property, media law, and privacy law, with a strong focus on the legal challenges posed by emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. Bart has advised clients across various sectors, including education and hospitality, on issues related to AI deployment, data protection, and digital rights. His background includes roles as a corporate lawyer for a U.S. IT company in Ireland and as a university researcher. He holds degrees in law and history from KU Leuven and specialised in EU law at ULB. Bart is also a lecturer in Intellectual Property Rights at the Brussels Diplomatic Academy (VUB) and serves as an arbitrator in IP and domain name disputes.

Mathias De Clercq
Mathias De Clercq, is a Belgian politician. He is a member of the Flemish liberal party. At the moment he is the mayor of Ghent. From 2007 until 2014, he was a federal representative, and from 2014 until 2019, he was a Flemish representative. He belongs to the social liberal wing of his party. De Clercq was born in Ghent, son of lawyer and alderman Yannick Frans de Clercq, grand officer of the Order of Leopold II. He is the grandson of Viscount Willy De Clercq, a former European Commissioner. Mathias De Clercq will officially open the conference on the first evening as the mayor of Ghent, in the historic city hall of Ghent.

Wim Van Rompuy
Wim Van Rompuy has been grilling AI chatbots since 2022 and firing up ChatGPT workshops every single day. No fluff, just hands-on sessions packed with dozens of real-life use cases. The result? His trainees leave the competition choking on their dust. But don’t mistake Wim for an AI evangelist. Wim’s loyalty lies with what works. If a chatbot can’t add value (yet), he won’t think twice about sidelining it. His credo? Let humans and machines team up, each doing what they do best.
Wim blends 13 years of sales and marketing know-how with 23 years of copywriting chops and leadership at Schrijf.be, the Belgian powerhouse that made copywriting a thing. Add some good old common sense, a sharp curiosity, and a fire for teaching, and… you’re in for a hell of a ride. Ahead of the seminar, feel free to explore aitrainer.be/ask where Wim’s already answering your chatbot questions, in your native language and without the tech-speak.

Thomas Vliebergh
Thomas Vliebergh is a lecturer in digital didactics at Howest University of Applied Sciences in Belgium. After a decade of experience as a secondary school teacher of Dutch, he transitioned into a role as Educational Technology Coordinator, supporting digital innovation in schools. Today, at Howest’s teacher education programme, he trains future educators - both in professional bachelor and associate degree (graduate) programmes - on how to integrate educational technology and AI into their teaching practice. Through Edhub, Howest’s centre for educational research and innovation, Thomas develops and delivers hands-on workshops and training courses for a wide range of educators, from practice-oriented vocational teachers to academic subject instructors. His focus lies on how AI can serve as a co-pilot for modern, evidence-informed teaching - supporting teachers in creating effective and engaging learning environments, grounded in tested didactic approaches and validated through classroom experience.