IT Talks 2024 Speakers

Following the evolutions in Java with a look into the OpenJDK project

I've been using Java for almost 15 years, but in the summer of 2022, my life took an exciting turn when I joined Azul as a technical writer. Suddenly, I found myself surrounded by people who had been working on Java since the early start and even contributed to some of the core libraries. A whole new world opened for me! I learned more about the OpenJDK project's internals than I ever imagined when I was using Java as a developer...

How many Garbage Collectors do you know in Java? Did you know your Java program needs a warm-up time? Are you familiar with the various stages of the JIT compiler? The ongoing debate between JIT and AOT compilation? And how tools like CRaC, ReadyNow, and Falcon can help you to run your code faster?

Let me take you on a journey through OpenJDK-land, and what I learned about how Java starts an application, compiles the code, and needs time to reach its maximum performance. This expedition will also give you an insight into how the OpenJDK project is organized, what information you can find in its sources, and how Java-the-language and Java-the-virtual-machine keep evolving.

Frank Delporte is a Java Champion working at azul.com, blogger on webtechie.be and foojay.io, author of "Getting started with Java on the Raspberry Pi" (webtechie.be/books), and contributor to pi4j.com. Frank blogs about his experiments with Java, sometimes combined with electronic components, on the Raspberry Pi.

Room 3 - Meeting room ‘Gullegem’ - first floor 

Looking into the magic of digital Ecommerce platforms

Digital ecommerce platforms have revolutionized how businesses connect with customers, creating a seamless and personalized shopping experience. They are at the heart of the omnichannel experience, where integration of online and offline channels is vital to deliver a consistent journey to customers. Furthermore these platforms harness the power of data analytics to understand consumers behavior and drive smart decisions.

Ronald Grunewald VP Digital Foundations at TVH and Antonello Scarano Digital Product Director of Growth at TVH will accompany you through the journey that TVH started already 20 years ago being a pioneer in the electronic commerce, and how from a desktop application our Ecommerce platforms evolved into modern cloud-based products, with a microservices-driven architecture that leverages APIs, to eventually deliver highly customizable shopping experiences across different channels. How reliability, resilience and flexibility are ensured to allow business to grow and adapt swiftly to market changes, in a scenario where security remains paramount. And how to be ready to embrace AI, machine learning and new rising technologies that are at the door, promising to further transform the landscape, offering endless possibilities for growth and engagement in the digital marketplace. Curious to know how the magic happens?

Ronald Grunewald, Vice President - Information Technology at TVH and Antonello Scarano, Digital Product Director Growth at TVH 

Room 1 - Auditorium - ground floor 

Digital Transformation Unleashed: Driving Innovation and Future-Proofing Your Business

In today's dynamic business environment, digital transformation represents more than just an upgrade in technology—it's a fundamental shift in how organizations operate and compete. Transitioning from technology-centric improvements to holistic business transformation requires a rethinking of processes, customer interactions, and operational efficiency.

In this talk, Graciela Da Costa, Vice President of Transformation & Enterprise Architecture at TVH, and Anneleen De Langhe, Digital Product Director of Operations at TVH, will discuss TVH's approach to digital transformation. They will explore how this journey has reshaped the organization and share key lessons learned along the way. To future-proof a business, it’s essential to establish a scalable, flexible, and secure digital architecture. Effective change management is crucial, encompassing clear communication, targeted training, and support systems to help employees embrace new technologies and workflows.

Innovation should be at the heart of digital transformation. Fostering a culture of experimentation, investing in emerging technologies, and staying ahead of market trends enable organizations not only to keep pace with change but also to set new industry standards. By embracing digital transformation, businesses can unlock unprecedented levels of innovation and secure their position in the future market landscape.  

Graciela Da Costa, Vice President of Transformation & Enterprise Architecture at TVH and Anneleen De Langhe, Digital Product Director of Operations at TVH  

Room 1 - Auditorium - ground floor 

Cyber Attack: Lessons Learned

In this talk, Thierry Driesens, CIO at TVH, and Bram Verdegem, Cybersecurity Director at TVH, share their insights on how to deal with a major cyber attack, based on the cyber incident at TVH in March 2023

 Key lessons learned from the past incident will be thoroughly addressed, focusing on several vital areas. These include preparation for potential cyber attacks, ensuring effective communication both internally among teams and externally with stakeholders, developing a robust and responsive crisis management strategy, securing appropriate insurance coverage to mitigate financial risks, establishing strong and ongoing partnerships with cyber security experts, enhancing IT security protocols to prevent future breaches, and maintaining business continuity to minimize disruption and ensure a swift recovery in the event of an incident.

Thierry Driesens, CIO at TVH & Bram Verdegem, Cybersecurity Director at TVH 

Room 2 - Restaurant - first floor 

Surveillance Art, Dying Phones and Fake Likes

Dries Depoorter is a Belgium artist working with technology. His catchy and humorous work addresses themes such as privacy, social media, artificial intelligence and surveillance. Among his creations are several products such as apps, games and interactive installations. He studied electronics for six years before making the switch to art school. Today Dries Depoorter is exhibiting and holding talks internationally while working as a freelance concept provider that focuses on digital processes.

Dries Depoorter 

Room 1 - Auditorium - ground floor