Matthew Brantl - Nestle Health Science - Specialist Electrical Engineering (TrendLab US)

Matt has been an electrical engineer at Nestle Health Science for 2 years, responsible for driving the adoption of new digital technologies at factories and R&D sites. TrendMiner is one of the key technologies used at many factories, and Matt actively works with engineers to innovate new use cases within the software.

He also develops simulations for capital projects to validate design assumptions and optimize performance and has experience with process controls. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering.

Bita Fillipi - BASF - Process Control Optimization Lead (TrendLab US)

Bita is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and a Six Sigma Black Belt certification. A co-inventor on two patents, she has over 30 years of experience in technical leadership across Kerr-McGee, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, REC Silicon, and BASF.

Her specialization includes reaction engineering, reactor design, process control optimization, and advanced process control.

Bert Baeck - Timeseer.AI - CEO (TrendLab Europe & US )

Bert Baeck is a serial entrepreneur, IoT/OT data expert, patent holder, and 20-year AI veteran passionate about Machine Learning, Analytics, and Data. He is the founder & CEO of Timeseer.AI, building the next generation of industrial data infrastructure with a focus on data quality and validation for IoT/OT sensor data. Previously, Bert founded TrendMiner, a global leader in self-service industrial analytics acquired by Software AG in 2018, and served as a Partner at SmartFin Capital (€750M AUM). He holds Master’s degrees in Computer Science and Micro-Electronics from Ghent University.

Matthijs Geerse - Huntsman - Advanced Analytics Engineer (TrendLab Europe)

Matthijs Geerse is an Advanced Analytics Engineer in the Huntsman Global Excellence Team for Digital Manufacturing. He has a background as chemical engineer and specializes in leveraging data-driven insights to optimize operations and drive digital innovation.

Kyle Tillman - Kuraray - Day Production Supervisor (TrendLab US)

He completed his  A.A.S in Process Technology and Manufacturing Engineering at Lee College in 2016. He was hired at Kuraray Bayport as an entry level operations technician in 2016. Between 2016 and 2019 he progressed to Sr. Board technician. In 2022 he became a Production Shift Supervisor. In Jan. 2025 he accepted a position as Day Production Supervisor. His current responsibilities at Kuraray Bayport include project and turnaround planning and managing production goals. He has used TrendMiner for many years throughout his different roles. 

Ruud Timmermans - Nobian - MES Solution Architect (TrendLab Europe)

He graduated as a chemical engineer. He has worked in process automation over 25 years for automation vendors (Honeywell and Emerson) and end users (DSM, Vopak, VTTI and Nobian). In these roles he has gathered a lot of experience in process control, process automation and safety, as well as alarm management and manufacturing excellence. In his current position at Nobian he is responsible for bringing data from the shopfloor into manufacturing execution and data analysis systems, and in bringing forward digitalization initiatives within the organisation. This is done in a focus team of experts in logistics, continuous improvement, robotization, instrumentation and information technology.

Dave Carpels - Umicore - Process Data Consultant (TrendLab Europe)

Dave started his career at Umicore in 1991 as a process coordinator, gaining experience in metal refining flows and leading large production teams. His interest in informatics led him to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the field and earn several Microsoft certifications through IT projects, mainly process-related.

In 2011, he launched a pilot with M2IS for UPMR Hoboken and has since focused on Osisoft PI, M2IS, TrendMiner, and reporting. Together with his team, he onboarded 300+ operators in M2IS and 50+ process engineers in HPS and TrendHub. In 2024, the goal is to establish Contexthub as the standard solution for process context and operator sheets at UPMR.

Rodrigo Poyanco - Colbún S.A. - Predictive Analytics Engineer (TrendLab US)

He drives the strategic use of operational data as a Predictive Analytics Engineer at Colbún S.A., in Chile. With a background in data science, quality, and asset management, he has led initiatives within the Operational Support Division to turn data into decisions, embedding advanced analytics and data management into critical processes. At Trendlab 2025, he will share how he leverages Custom Calculations and ML Hub to characterize combined-cycle power plant startups, aiming to uncover hidden patterns that could help optimize resources and boost operational performance.

Mazie Foret - Bayer - Process Engineer (TrendLab US)

Mazie is a Process Engineer with 7 years of experience ranging from daily operations to long term optimization projects and initiatives. She uses TrendMiner regularly to build and validate complex process computer simulation models. She is a proud graduate of Louisiana State University.

Xavier Gil - Nestle - Digital Manufacturing Lead (TrendLab EU)

Xavier Gil is a Digital Manufacturing Lead at Nestlé, contributing to the digital transformation in manufacturing across Nestlé’s European Coffee factories. Xavier focuses on the practical application of advanced analytics, process control, operational research, and generative AI to support operational optimisation. With over seven years of experience designing, implementing, and rolling-out industrial analytics solutions, Xavier has worked on projects aimed at improving product quality, cost, throughput, and sustainability. He values collaborative problem-solving and continuous learning from colleagues across disciplines to deliver robust, data-driven improvements.

Mohammed Balahsen - Nestle - IT Product Owner (TrendLab EU)

Mohammed Balahsen is IT Product Owner of advanced analytics solutions for digital manufacturing with 13 years of experience at Nestlé. Based in Barcelona, leading the design and deployment of innovative analytics platforms that help factories and process experts monitor, optimize, and transform operations. He bridges business strategy and technical innovation to drive adoption and deliver measurable value, while upskilling IT regional teams and factories and creating deployment processes that ensure successful technology adoption.

Don’t miss the chance to learn from industry leaders, register today to join us at TrendLab 2025!