Daniel will be the host/moderator of this event.

Before joining CIONET as Partner-COO in 2022, Daniel built his career spanning over 25 years in consulting, sales & marketing management, and innovation, primarily within ICT service integrators such as The NRB Group, Cegeka, and Devoteam. Prior to that, he spent a decade establishing and directing an Anglo-Belgian market research and development consultancy based in London and Leuven, Belgium, specialised in executing strategic market research projects for high-tech and IT companies.

As CTO and a member of the Executive Committee at Smals, Dirk Deridder leads a team of 350 IT specialists, driving innovation and ensuring the seamless delivery of IT services that power Belgian government agencies. His focus is on optimizing public sector IT infrastructure to enhance the efficiency, scalability, and availability of government services, ultimately serving the needs of citizens, professionals, and businesses.

Dirk has played a key role in leading the G-Cloud program, a strategic initiative designed to foster synergies across multiple government agencies. The program aims to improve collaboration and streamline service delivery, aligning with his vision for a more integrated and future-proof public sector IT ecosystem.

With a PhD and a background as a researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Dirk brings deep expertise in programming technology and software engineering to his leadership role. His technical insights and hands-on approach continue to drive Smals’ commitment to technology innovation and excellence in service delivery.

Dirk Ramhorst, born in Bielefeld/Germany, has a degree in software engineering as well as in business administration and economics from the University of Kiel, Germany. He worked for more than 25 years in different positions at BASF and Siemens. In 2013, he was named the first Chief Digital Officer (CDO) in the German DAX (top 30 public-listed companies). Until Dec 2021 he led WACKER Chemie AG’s Digital and IT Transformation as CDO and CIO In 2018 he was awarded by the CIO magazine one of top CIOs in Germany. Until May 2024 he was Global CIO at Evonik Industries AG. In 2025 he will take over a new CIO / CTO mandate - stay tuned.

Currently Dirk is back at University as a student at the MIT, Cambridge / Boston. In addition to his profeessional life Dirk is the Regatta Chairman / Sportsdirector of the Kieler Woche - the World largest Sailing Event.

Quentin Debois is a Belgian entrepreneur and ocean racing sailor determined to take on the Global Solo Challenge 2027, a solo, nonstop, unassisted race around the world. Born far from the sea, he discovered sailing in 2018 and completed his first solo transatlantic race in 2023, proving his resilience, adaptability, and boldness. An entrepreneur at heart, Quentin has founded three startups and applies the same mindset to mastering the challenges of ocean racing, from strategic decision-making to overcoming adversity. Over the next three years, he will prepare for this extraordinary adventure, embodying the spirit of perseverance and commitment to pushing boundaries.