Jack Verstappen is Rational Team Leader and Rational Brand Architect for IBM Benelux. Jack works with customers around their software engineering strategy and process improvement through the IBM Rational's software delivery platform. In his role Jack reports to the European Rational CTO on product strategy and evolution. Jack's primary interest is in achieving continuous improvement of IT performance through Agile & Lean principles.

The world around us, with all the products, gadgets, devices, etc., is getting more and more complicated. Products and Systems therefore need to be smarter and smarter and so must be the engineering of this. The combination of hardware and software is driving the next wave of innovative products and engineering. To cope with this increasing complexity and demand IBM Rational Systems delivers solutions for the development and delivery of software and systems engineering. Rien Schot studied electronics, computer science and management at Delft University of Technology. Over more than 20 years he built a broad experience in software engineering and software engineering processes and, after having integrated the Telelogic company in the IBM Rational division, is now leading this division in South and West Europe for the more technical oriented markets, like Aerospace, Defense, Automotive, Electronics, Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications, etc.

Laurent Boes started his career in the collaboration space at Lotus Development Corporation in 2000. Once integrated in the IBM Software Group he has continued to work in this area until today. In 2006 he took over the management of the Belux Collaboration Solution sales team and since 2011 he took the role of Program Leader for Messaging & Collaboration Solutions in Southwest Europe. In this role he helps out the local teams in Social Business - and Collaboration projects at our clients. Laurent is an active speaker at Collaboration seminars and very present on social networks around the topic.