Professors

Mr. Valentin Dirken is a Belgian graduate electrical engineer with an additional specialised Master in Technological & Industrial Management with a major in finance at Solvay Business School. He is currently an Enterprise Architect at Deloitte.

Previously, he has worked in the IT Department of the ULB, alongside the CIO, playing a fundamental role in the digital transformation. His passion for creativity and innovation brought him to become an external academic teacher in two IT curricula at the Solvay Business School.

Responding to his willingness to converge sustainability and innovation, he enabled his students to become changemakers through the development of an IT project aimed at fulfilling the 2030 UN SDGs. By converging motivation and commitment, he is persuaded that the IT sector can play a pivotal role in contributing to build a better society based on sustainable practices and a human centric approach.

Mr. Vincent Mabillard holds a PhD in Public Administration from the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP) at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He focused on government transparency and citizen trust in public authorities.

As of 2022, he will be Co-director of the MA in Economic Governance and Public Policy in Europe, in which he will teach several courses, including Management, Innovation and Communication in the Public Sector. His involvement in research networks and his encounters in Switzerland, the United States and Belgium have led to numerous publications in peer-reviewed academic journals.

His research interests include mostly transparency, accountability and performance in the public sector, place branding and marketing strategies, as well as public sector communication.

Ms. Farah De Rouck is an IFRS expert with more than twenty years of relevant experience. After having worked as an external auditor in Belgium and the United States for nine years, she has gained an in-depth IFRS expertise at CAC40/BEL20 groups (utilities and chemicals) that entailed supporting business development teams from a finance angle (e.g. greenfield projects, partnership structuring, acquisitions, leases); providing IFRS advice to corporate finance teams (e.g. (re)financings, hedges, divestments); and sharing IFRS knowledge through presentations to finance and non-finance communities. Today, she is part of the team that controls financial reporting of Belgian public groups at FSMA.

Mr. Olivier Witmeur is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (Université libre de Bruxelles – ULB). He mainly teaches entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance and business planning to under- and post-graduate students, entrepreneurs, investors, consultants, and corporate managers.

Beside his activities for the business school, Olivier is an active Board member or strategic advisor in a set of growth-oriented entrepreneurial ventures. Over the last 25 years, Olivier has coached 150+ new and growing firms, published multiple papers on entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance and strategy in entrepreneurial ventures.

Before joining the U.L.B., Olivier has been part of the entrepreneurial team of OpenHR (2000-2006), a successful Belgian IT venture company specialized in HR management software, where he was CFO. Olivier has also been the Managing Director of EEBIC, an incubator in Brussels (1995-1999) and Adviser to the Minister of Economy of the Brussels Region (1991-1994).

Mr. Jason Roncancio holds a Ph.D. in Business Economics from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, an MBA from the National University of Colombia, and has studied innovation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Currently, he is a visiting professor of innovation and entrepreneurship at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and an adjunct professor at Vesalius College (Brussels, Belgium). His research seeks to position innovation and entrepreneurship outcomes as agents of sustainable development.

Jason has presented his work at international conferences like the Academy of Management (AOM) 2020, 2021, R&D 2018, and T2S 2017. Additionally, he has performed as a mentor to other international organizations (e.g., OAS, Clinton Foundation, Novartis Foundation) in support of Startups and entrepreneurs. His research has been published in Q1 journals (TFSC, IJEBR) and with top authors in the domain of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Finally, he has acted as a reviewer for the Journals of Technology Transfer, Business and Society, Business and Society Review, Accountancy and Business, Systemic Practice and Action Research, Business and Society, and TFSC.

Mr. Claudio Truzzi is Director, Support Office for Research and Innovation Activities at ULB University in Brussels. He is a digital innovation professional with 35 years of experience in all aspects of innovation, in several sectors and fields of application. He is specialized in the transfer of R&D results into profitable industrial solutions for start-ups, with a positive impact on society and the environment. Currently, he is actively involved in the digital transformation of the Brussels economy through artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. He is co-author of more than 70 scientific and professional publications, and co-inventor of patents in the fields of semiconductors, optoelectronics and photovoltaics. His education includes a PhD and MSc in Microelectronics Engineering, and an Executive MBA from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. He is Registered Technology Transfer Professional, consultant to the European Commission for the development of digital platforms, invited speaker at professional conferences and lecturer at the Solvay Brussels School of Economic and Management.

Mr. Marc Becquet is by education a mechanical and electrical engineer, and he as PhD degree in applied science, both from the ULB. He was from 1984 until 1989 a faculty staff at the Ecole Polytechnique of ULB, working on robotics, CAD/CAM and machine design.

He joined the European Commission at the end of 1989, working at the Joint Research Centre in various posts and location, concentrating on research projects in the nuclear field, material science and in management of research. He was the Director ad interim for Security at the European Commission, then Head of Service of the Office for Infrastructure and Logistics Luxembourg of the European Commission. Since 1st May 2020, he is Head of Service of the Office for Infrastructure and Logistics Brussels of the European Commission.

In parallel, he continued his teaching activities at the Solvay Business School of ULB since 1988, first teaching industrial process and since several years emerging technology.

Mr. Jean-François Bellis is a founding partner of Van Bael & Bellis. Before setting up the firm in 1986, he clerked for Lord Mackenzie Stuart, the British judge at the European Court of Justice, and was a partner in the European law department of a major Brussels law firm. Jean-François has several decades of experience in competition and trade law, representing clients in numerous cases before the European Commission and the EU Courts.
Jean-François assists clients on all aspects of competition law with particular expertise in cartels, abuses of dominance and merger control. He has acted in landmark competition case including United Brands, Woodpulp, Michelin I and II, Microsoft and Intel.

Jean-François Bellis has written numerous books and articles on competition and trade law and regularly speaks on both of these subjects at international conferences and seminars. He teaches a course on EU competition law at the Institute of European Studies of the University of Brussels (ULB) and directs a seminar on competition law at the University of Liège. He also lectures on abuses of dominance at the Brussels School of Competition.

Mr. Anthony Bochon is a partner at Gil Robles – San Bartolome & Partners. After graduating with a law degree from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and a bachelor degree in History from the Université Saint-Louis (USL) in 2010, he received his LL.M. from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) in 2011. He is a member of the Brussels Bar (French-speaking Bar) since 2011 and was previously a partner at Belgian law firm Everest and a senior associate at international law firm Squire Patton Boggs. He has been seconded from 2015 to 2017 as part-time legal counsel to the Belgian subsidiary of a Fortune 500 industrial conglomerate specialised in various industrial and consumer products (ranging from chemicals to electronic devices).

Anthony Bochon represents clients from all sectors before national and EU courts and advises them on non-litigation matters pertaining to EU law, IP/IT law, corporate/commercial and regulatory matters. Anthony Bochon is a part-time lecturer and researcher at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB, French-speaking) where he lectures on EU Law and Economic Law (including IP Law). He is currently pursuing a PhD thesis on principles of Innovation Law. He regularly serves as an independent expert for the European Commission.He is one of the few lawyers involved in EU-funded projects. He currently works as a project partner on the SABYDOMA and BIONANOPOLYS. He is the secretary general of the international association created in the context of the BIONANOPOLYS project. He is also a member of the advisory boards for the projects LIFESAVER and SURFBIO.

He has contributed to more than 30 scientific publications since 2010, recently authored the first EU/Belgian legal textbook on R&D laws (“Code du droit de la recherche et du développement technologique”) published by Larcier in April 2023 and wrote a reference book “Nanotechnology Law & Guidelines” due to be published in 2024 by Springer. A speaker at the conference since 2014, he is also member of the international scientific committee of Nanosafe, the bi-annual leading academic and industry event on nanosafety.

In December 2020, he was recognized as a Certified Information Privacy Professional (Europe) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He is a member of several professional associations including the International Bar Association and is a director of the law firm network GLAWBUS. He works in French, Dutch and English.

Mr. Vincent Mabillard holds a PhD in Public Administration from the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP) at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He focused on government transparency and citizen trust in public authorities.

As of 2022, he will be Co-director of the MA in Economic Governance and Public Policy in Europe, in which he will teach several courses, including Management, Innovation and Communication in the Public Sector. His involvement in research networks and his encounters in Switzerland, the United States and Belgium have led to numerous publications in peer-reviewed academic journals.

His research interests include mostly transparency, accountability and performance in the public sector, place branding and marketing strategies, as well as public sector communication.

Mr. Bruno Colmant is the CEO of Bank Degroof Petercam, the largest Belgian private and investment bank. He holds a Ph.D. and a Master Degree in applied economics from the Solvay Business School Economics & Management (ULB). He also holds a Master of Sciences in Business Administration from the Purdue University (USA) and a Master in Fiscal Sciences (ICHEC-ESSF). He carries various certifications, including ACI, ICMA, FRM, PRMiA, CFA, CIIA, CMF, CeFA and numerous IIA certifications. He is a chartered accountant and tax advisor and owns the “agent de change” certification.

Bruno Colmant began his career at Arthur Andersen, Dewaay and Sofina. He was Managing Director at ING (1996-2006), Cabinet Head of the Belgian Finance Ministry (2006-2007), CEO of the Brussels Stock Exchange, Member of the Management Committee of NYSE Euronext and Chairman and CEO of Euronext Brussels (2007- 2009) and Deputy CEO at AGEAS (2009-2011). From 2001 throughout 2016, he has been a Partner of the consulting firm Roland Berger and an economic advisor to the AGEAS CEO. He lectures at Vlerick Business School since 2000. He has authored more than 80 books. He is a member of the Royal Academy of Belgium.

Ms. Sophie Goldman focuses on complex civil and commercial litigation, both in national and international setting, relating to, among others, partnership agreements, service contracts, distribution, directors’ liability and post-acquisition disputes in various sectors such as distribution of industrial products, energy, aeronautics, insurance, and construction. A major part of her practice consists in national and international arbitration. She regularly acts as arbitrator or as counsel in ICC and CEPANI proceedings.

She is ranked « future leader » in Arbitration by « Who’s who legal : Arbitration » since 2018 and she is “highly recommended” as an arbitrator by « Leaders League Intelligence Report & Directory Services ». She was admitted to the Brussels Bar in 2008. In September 2016, she co-founded the firm Tossens Goldman Gonne.

Sophie is very active within the CEPANI, the Belgian Center for Arbitration and Mediation. She is the Co-Chair of Cepani 40 since 2017 and she is part of the CEPANI Delegation at the at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. She also co-chairs the CEPANI working group on Diversity created in 2021.

Marc Goldchstein studied Business Engineering at the VUB. After his studies he worked at the institution, doing research on Venture Capital and growth-oriented entrepreneurship; he was also in charge of the student-entrepreneurship project at the VUB. He then joined one of the first startups emanating from the VUB, the beginning of a 20-year career in sales and marketing with tech startups. In 2005 he returned to the VUB; to teach entrepreneurship to Business students, technology students and researchers. He is also member of the TechTransfer team of the VUB and teaches at the Erasmus Hogeschool Brussels.