Professional Experience
Innovable | June 2022 - Present (Attorney at Law, European Patent Attorney)
Collaborate with clients across various sectors, providing strategic, commercial, IP, and legal guidance in protecting and valorizing innovation and technology. Oversee all aspects of implementing the protection and valorization strategy to ensure that actions align with the client's business strategy and R&D roadmap. Negotiates and drafts innovation and IP contracts. Provide staff training. Accompany the in-house IP department and employees in building an efficient and robust IP strategy, policy, and organization .
Key Accomplishments :
§ Negotiated and closed R&D and commercial partnerships in various technologies (Hydrogen production, surface treatment... )
§ Built protection and valorization strategy (launch of an isotope production business) .
AGC Glass HQ | Worldwide (working in Belgium and Japan) | December 2016 - May 2022
Innovation Board Member
Drafted and proposed IP and Valorization Strategies to the Innovation Board (strategic projects) of AGC Building Glass and participated in the company’s Corporate Venture Capital activities. Implemented the board's decision by aligning in-house stakeholders and negotiating deals and partnerships outside the company. Took management positions when IP and innovation strategy prevailed for the business's success. Reported to
Key Accomplishments :
§ Negotiated and closed multiple partnerships, deals, and investments of AGC Glass in Asia, the EU and US (Joint Development Agreement, Non-Disclosure Agreement, Licenses, Government grants, Start-up investment, and JV) in various technologies .
§ Negotiated investment by AGC parent company in Kinestral Technology Inc., as leader of financial round C, launched Halio International and negotiated the shareholder agreement .
§ CEO of Halio International (Offices in Belgium and Singapore) .
Chief IP Counsel
Coordinated the WW IP operations of AGC Glass. Reported to the CTO of AGC Glass .
Key Accomplishments :
§ Set up IP and innovation Decision Making Rules (DMR), policies, and processes across AGC Building Glass .
§ Enhanced collaboration between IP teams through open communication and trust.
§ Negotiated the IP and innovation terms of investments and divestments.
AGC Glass Europe SA | Europe | August 2007 - December 2016
Chief IP Counsel – Director of the IP Department
Managed a team of 15+ European Patent and Trademark Attorneys, Legal Counsel, and IP Information Specialists, in charge of all intellectual assets of AGC Glass Europe: patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets… Reported to the CTO .
§ Doubled the number of patents filed by restructuring the IP department, hiring IP professionals, building from scratch the IP strategy, and setting-up IP audit, portfolio review tools, and systematic Freedom To Operate (FTO) .
§ Ensured that all actions in the department were aligned with the company’s business and innovation strategy and in line with the R&D stage-gate process .
§ Negotiated and closed 40+ JDA, consortium (Universities and companies), and tech procurement contracts .
§ Defined and implemented the IP Legal Strategy and provided legal support to the Technology and Innovation Division. Managed all IP litigations of AGC Glass Europe .
Additional Experience
Administrator, Member of the Board, Wallonia Space Logistics (WSL) SA, Liège, Belgium (2011-2017)
Lawyer, Belgium (1997-2007 )
Deputy General Manager, N.S. INTER Inc., Inter. Project Management Consulting Company, Montreal, Canada (1994-1997 )
Consulting for the World Bank and the Government of Canada, plus training in intercultural communication and negotiation
Chef de cabinet du president de la Chambre , Chief of Staff of President’s Office, Belgian Federal Parliament (1992-1994)
Budget Advisor, Office of the President of the Brussels Regional Parliament, Belgium (1991-1992 )
Academic
University Lecturer, “IP Management” | UCLouvain | 2014 - Present
Teaches “Management of IP rights” to make Master students understand how innovation and IP are managed and used in business life. The teachings address issues faced by companies in managing innovation internally and with third parties .
Main subjects: Open innovation vs. closed innovation; Valorization and protection of innovation in enterprises; Strategic management of patents and know-how; Joint Development Agreements, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Licenses; R&D between companies and universities; Innovation clusters; Start-ups; Calculation of patents’ portfolio value and royalties; Technology transfer and export control regulations; Patents and TRIPS agreement
Recent publications and seminars :
§ “New IP strategy for businesses in Europe in the light of the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court”, in a collective book, March 2023
§ Seminar on “R&D collaboration and contracts – University - Enterprises collaborations - European consortium”, Chairman (June 2022 )
§ Conference and training on innovation protection and valorization – Belgium’s royal military academy (October 2022)
Certifications
European Patent Attorney , 2012
Attorney at Law, 1997 - 2007
Education
Master in Economics, UCLouvain, 1991
Master in Physics, UCLouvain, 1987
Master in Law, UCLouvain, 1992
V enture Capital Executive Program , University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, CA | 2018
Dynamic Leadership Session, IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland | 2013
Diploma in International Industrial Property Studies in "Patents for Inventions", Center for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI), Robert Schuman University, Strasbourg, France | 2009
Highschool in Japan , Lycée Franco-Japonais de Tokyo | 1978 – 1983