Philippe Vanden Bussche
Founder and Owner of GGNOOR
President, COMMON Belgium
Philippe Vanden Bussche has been a member of the Common Europe Advisory Council for 10+ years, helping to shape the future of IBM i. For his expertise in IBM i, IBM has recognized him as an IBM Champion since 2021.
Philippe started his IT career 40 years ago on System/38 and has never quit the IBM i platform since then. His focus moved from Application Development to IT Management to IT Architecture and System Management. As a GDPR trained IT professional he has given significant attention to security and privacy on IBM i.
Koen Decorte
Founder and owner of CD-Invest.
Treasurer, COMMON Belgium
Koen Decorte is owner of CD Invest, an international IBM business partner with offices in Belgium and Spain. CD-Invest is specialized in innovating and modernizing IBM i applications.
Today Koen is known worldwide for his great knowledge in the IT industry and is often asked to speak at events all over the globe. He gained worldwide recognition with innovative applications such as a web based 3D furniture configurator on IBM i. He has been recognized as an IBM Champion since 2018. Furthermore, Koen is a member of the Common Europe Advisory Council that shapes IBM i.
Guy Staskowiak
Founder and Owner of Igentiq
Board Member, COMMON Belgium
Guy is an expert on IBM i software development, an IT architect and IT manager with an interest in security and compliance.
In his journey of almost three decades from AS/400 to IBM i, he has mainly worked in the transport and logistics sector for customers in industries such as pharma, chemicals and many other.
He likes to combine his knowledge of other – mainly java – ecosystems with the IBM i platform. In his role as IT manager of teams with mixed skills, he loves to coach, evangelize and even surprise others about the IBM i capabilities.
Experienced in making different technologies and platforms work together, he is a strong believer of the IBM i at the center of successful business solutions.
Corneel Theben-Tervile
Program Manager Informatics & Technology
HOWEST University of Applied Siences, Belgium
Board Member, COMMON Belgium
As Programme Manager for Informatics and Technology at Howest, Corneel is responsible for the bachelor degree Applied Computer Science, the associate degree Programming and the associate degree System and Network Management. The bachelor programme has 4 majors: Cyber Security Professional, Software Engineer, AI Business Professional and ICT & Blockchain Consultant. The bachelor programme is mainly taught in Dutch but we have a bachelor programme taught in English for the major Cyber Security Professional. This programme is especially for international students.
Shrirang “Ranga” Deshpande
Ex-CIO, Jules Bordet Institute
Vice-President, COMMON Belgium
“Ranga” has been using IBM i and its predecessors in his entire IT professional career at Institut Jules Bordet, the Comprehensive Cancer Centre of the University of Brussels, Belgium.
Ranga has been an IBM Champion since 2012 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award of the IT Executive Circle, Belgium. He is also recognized in Common Europe Hall of Fame 2023. He is a former President of COMMON Europe and Vice-President of COMMON Belgium. He is also Senior Advisor at the IT Executive Circle, a premier CIO think tank in Belgium. Ranga has been on the Common Europe Advisory Council (CEAC) since its launch in 1991 to 2023 helping IBM shape the future of IBM i. He is a frequent speaker at national and international events.
With a doctorate in Biology, Ranga also had a previous academic career. Constant improvement of people’s quality of life through the informatics ecosystem is Ranga’s passion.
Marc Verbruggen
Founder and Owner of MARCit
Secretary, COMMON Belgium
Marc Verbruggen is a seasoned professional with a passion for driving IT solutions and services that empower small and mid-sized companies to reach their full potential. With a strong focus on system and data network management and an expertise in Storage solutions, Marc has established himself as a leading authority in Belgium for technological optimization and innovation.
With an unwavering commitment to delivering value, Marc specializes in crafting intelligent system architecture solutions that supercharge businesses. His approach goes beyond the conventional, as he combines strategic thinking with cutting-edge technology to architect systems that not only meet today’s demands but are also primed for the challenges of tomorrow.
With a career marked by achievements, innovation, and a customer-centric approach, Marc Verbruggen continues to be a driving force in the realm of IT solutions.
Liliane Van Winckel
Expert Software Engineer, EASI
Board Member, COMMON Belgium
Liliane Van Winckel is an Expert Software Engineer @ Easi Leuven, a Belgian ISV and IBM Business Partner that provides Power IBM i solutions such as cloud or on premise infrastructure as well as managed services, security services and software development.
Liliane started her software development career on System/38 and has been analyzing and developing software applications on IBM i for many years. Her passions are training and coaching customers and colleagues (Db2, SQL, ACS, RPGLE, RDi, webservices) and helping them using up to date development tools and developing modern IBM i applications.
Ingo Hesemans
Infrastructure Technical Sales Manager, IBM Belgium
IBM Liaison, COMMON Belgium
Ingo Hesemans is the IBM liaison for COMMON Belgium since more than 5 years and is as such the prime IBM contact for the User Group.
Ingo is currently the IBM Infrastructure Technical Sales Manager for Belgium and Luxembourg and is leading a team of a team of highly skilled technical specialists supporting the sales of IBM Infrastructure solutions. IBM Power and IBM i are very important brands within this portfolio.
Ingo is with IBM for more than 26 years in many different roles.