Cedric Ververken - Confo Therapeutics

Dr. Cedric Ververken joined Confo Therapeutics as CEO in October 2016 from Ablynx NV where he was Vice President Business Development and played a key role in landmark deals for Ablynx. 

Prior to moving to business development he worked through various R&D functions at Ablynx, first as a scientist in the pharmacology group and later as project manager, leading cross-functional project teams from discovery up to clinical studies. 

Cedric holds a PhD in BioEngineering from KULeuven.

Louis-Philippe Broze - Spentys

Louis-Philippe Broze (29 years old) is the cofounder of the Brussels-based company Spentys (founded back in 2018), which enables orthopedic technicians and other healthcare providers to 3D scan, 3D model and print 3D prosthetics and orthotics that are tailored to individual patients.

Spentys is active in more than 16 countries across the globe.

The company has raised more than $7 million from investors and its technology has been used to treat more than 15,000 patients.

Louis-Philippe has been nominated as 30 Under 30 - Europe - Science & Healthcare by Forbes Magazine in 2023.

Louis-Philippe firmly believes in societal impact through entrepreneurship & fostering it.

Hugues Bultot - Univercells

As founder and CEO since its establishment in early 2013, Hugues has successfully led the company's advancement in all activities related to business ventures. 

Hugues brings more than twenty years of expertise as a CEO and serial entrepreneur in the Life Sciences and Biotechnology industries to the global team of experts at Univercells Group.

Hugues holds a master's degree in law from UCL, Belgium, an Executive Master's degree in business administration from Solvay Business School, Belgium, in tax management from ICHEC in Belgium, and a certification in innovation from MIT's Sloan School of Management in the United States

Gokce Dogru - Ahooga

Gokc Dogru was trained as a mechanical engineer with expertise in product development, project management, lean production systems and kaizen.

She worked 15 years at Toyota Motor Europe as senior 'body design' engineer and 'interior trim' manager.

Gokce Dogru first worked as a consultant for Ahooga in December 2021 before becoming Head of Product in March 2022 and then CEO since July 2022.

Founded in 2015 in Brussels, Ahooga has been developing differently smart compact urban bikes with the aim to facilitate bike adoption in cities.

Since its inception, Ahooga has set itself apart by designing every model in-house.

In a strategic move to enhance quality control and elevate customer satisfaction, Ahooga is proud to initiate in-house assembly operations with Max as of 2024.

Ahooga currently operates through two flagship stores (Brussels & Paris) and a wide European retailer network.

Tom De Paemeleire - Kebony

Tom was appointed as CEO of Kebony in October 2023, bringing over twenty years of international experience dedicated to business transformation. Prior to joining Kebony, he was CEO of Belgian-based firms Incendin and Malysse NV, where he was responsible for the implementation of new market strategies, organic and acquisitional growth, and organisational integrations, driving sustainable agendas in all areas.

Tom has a background in engineering and logistics, beginning his career at Katoen Natie, where he worked for 11 years, culminating in a role as Managing Director. He holds masters degrees in Work and Organisational Psychology and Communication Science from Ghent University, and an MBA from Vlerick Business School.

Yves Delatte - Sonaca

Yves Delatte (41 years old) has an engineering Master from the Catholic University of Louvain (BE) and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management (US). 

He worked 4 years at Glaverbel/AGC as R&D project manager and 4 years at McKinsey & Company, before joining Sonaca Group in 2012. Since March 2013, he has been a member of the Group Executive Committee and has been responsible for sales, development projects and diversification activities (Sonaca Aircraft, Maintenance & Repair Services, Engineering Services, etc.). 

Since September 2021, Yves Delatte has been appointed CEO of Sonaca Group. He is also Chairman of the Walloon Aeronautical Companies Association (EWA).

Benoît Deper - Aerospacelab

As the CEO and founder of Aerospacelab, Benoît Deper has been at the helm of the company since 2018. With his recognized experience in the space industry and his knowledge of the major players, this entrepreneur quickly succeeded in gaining the support of solid investors such as Airbus Ventures.

After graduating from UCLouvain's École polytechnique de Louvain (EPL), Benoît Deper first joined the ranks of two emblematic institutions in the sector: NASA and its European counterpart, ESA, for three years, before going on to become CTO of a Swiss company specializing in space launch, Swiss Space Systems (S3). A career start marked by an entry into NASA's coveted "Ames" ecosystem, the cradle of many aerospace unicorns including American superstar, Planet.

Thanks to his experience and network, the company quickly succeeded in integrating highly qualified profiles, including experts in the fields of technology and sales. Together, these skills enabled the design and manufacture of the first satellite in just 2 years.

It was a resounding success, and one that industry stalwarts such as M. Dordain (ex-director of ESA) and M. Testé (ex-commander of the joint space forces) were quick to endorse.

Since then, the company headquartered nearby Brussels (Mont-Saint-Guibert) is steadily increasing and has now over 200 employees. What's next? The inauguration of Aerospacelab's megafactory in 2025!

Aphea.Bio - Inge Van Daele

Inge Van Daele is responsible for the Company's Portfolio Management and ESG. 

Before joining Aphea.Bio, she was employed at Biotalys between 2010 and 2022, where she held different positions in R&D with a strong expertise in managing the development and registration of a biofungicide product. 

Before joining Biotalys, she worked as a scientist at VIB and ILVO (Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food). 

Inge has a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences (Ghent University, Belgium).

Resortecs - Cédric Vanhoeck

Cédric Vanhoeck is Resortecs' co-founder and CEO. 

Cédric holds an Industrial Design Engineering bachelor's degree from TU Delft (The Netherlands) and a Brand Management master's degree from Domus Academy (Italy). 

After joining the Antwerp Fashion Academy, he saw first-hand the huge disconnect between fashion and the circular economy. 

For over 6 years, Cédric has dedicated his time and expertise to using technology to address the environmental challenges of the textile industry.

Marjut Falkstedt - EIF

Marjut Falkstedt is the Chief Executive of the European Investment Fund (EIF).

Marjut re-joined the EIF after 7 years at the EIB, where she held the post of Secretary General. Previously, Marjut had been Deputy Chief Executive at the EIF and spent 17 years at DG ECFIN at the European Commission, having started her career as a loan officer and internal auditor at Dresdner Bank in Germany.

She is committed to promoting diversity and gender balance, participative and collaborative leadership, and a conducive corporate culture.

Marjut holds a Master's degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Hagen and is fluent in Finnish, German and English, and conversational in French.

Pierre Hermant - finance&invest.brussels

With a career spanning 18 years in the private sector, Pierre Hermant took the helm of finance&invest.brussels as CEO in July 2018.

Pierre Hermant began his academic career with a degree in political science and international relations from UCL. He also has a master's degree in European studies at the same university, obtained an MBA from the Vlerick Business School and a master's degree in finance from HEC Paris. He also completed an advanced management programme at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.

After working for six years at FEB, he was appointed Director of FEBIAC, where he played a key role in the transformation of the Salon de l'auto and the Maison de l'automobile. In 2013, Pierre Hermant joined Deficom groupe, where he held the position of director. While there, he managed a number of high-profile companies, including Batibouw, Crazy Horse, SFR Belgique and Psychologie magazine.

Pierre Hermant is a member of the advisory board of ING Bank and BNP Paribas Fortis Bank. He is also a director of several organisations, including Be central, Star't Invest, Beci, 9.5. Ventures, Fonds M.80 and Innovation Fund.

Michel Casselman - PMV

Michel Casselman is general manager of PMV since 2014.

Before taking the helm at PMV, Michel Casselman was a Partner at AeroManS, which manages private equity investments in aerospace equipment. He also worked at Petercam nv, a broker and asset manager, for thirteen years, where he started as a financial analyst in 1998 and held various positions in the company.

Michel Casselman has more than 20 years of experience, five of which were with a technology company now part of Oracle, where he started as a consultant and left as Director of Consulting Services.

He holds two master's degrees from KULeuven, one in mechanical engineering and one in applied economic sciences. Michel Casselman also did further studies at Kellogg's University in the United States and Insead in France.

Olivier Vanderijst - WE

Olivier Vanderijst's long career began when he graduated in law from UCL in 1983. His professional career has included roles in the media, government and management positions in various organisations.

In particular, he has held various positions in the Walloon Government, including Head of the Cabinet of the Minister-President and Secretary to the Government. He also played a key role in the Federal Government as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister, responsible for overseeing general policy.

His leadership extends to the business sector, with notable roles as director and chairman of major companies.

In addition, his participation in the investment committee of W.IN.G by Digital Wallonia demonstrates his commitment to innovation and economic development.

Koen Van Loo -SFPIM

Koen Van Loo is graduated in applied economics. After gaining an additional degree in taxation, he began his career at the Central Economic Council. 

In September 1999, he joined the Office of the Belgian Minister of Finance. He became Head of the Cabinet from May 2003 until November 2006. 

The Government then appointed him as Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Holding and Investment Company (SFPIM). He is also administrator of the entity SFPIM Relaunch and Director of Dexia, SFPIM International, capricorn Fusion Fund, CIM Capital Fund and Euroports, amongst others.