Veerle De Colvenaer
Zwalm
Summary
Entrepreneur with strong background in launching and scaling successful ventures. Skilled in strategic planning, business development, and financial management. Known for fostering team collaboration and consistently achieving high-impact results. Adept at adapting to changing market conditions and driving innovation.
Well-organized, result-driven, highly motivated leader. Decisive, sees opportunities and solutions over barriers. Creative, out-of-the-box thinker. The person behind the number counts.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Founder and Managing Director
Efika Sciences
01.2018 - Current
- Market analysis, Lead generation and Business development
- Market research/consultation, KOL/stakeholder consultation including End user surveys
- Competitive landscaping
- Price benchmarking, USP development and niche positioning
- Opening doors towards potential partners, customers and suppliers
- International growth strategies
- Business Model Innovation & Design of business scenarios
- Technology/innovation roadmap & Portfolio development
- Access to finance
- Access to VCs
- VLAIO and EU grant writing
- Complex international project & program management
- Multi-disciplinary Design and Development CE-IVD/510k assays and devices
- Supplier selection, contract negotiation
- Clinical trial project management
- Community and ecosystem building
- Passionate about building bridges between actors in food, life sciences, medical and digital technologies
- Match maker
- Portfolio: Perseus Biomics, Pomki, SmartwithFood, Clouds of Care, Poulpharm, C-Path, MyCartis, Antelope Dx, Cellcarta, Biogazelle, Asylia Dx, Dermpat, Anacura, Voxdale, MedVia, UHasselt, UGent, KULeuven, ITG, VITO, VZW ZorgSaam, Vetworks, Roxell, Explorentis, Novadip, Idevax, 4Tissue, UZGhent, anicells, UZA, Codevid, Fosfor Medical, Labo Maenhout, Pehestat, Voxdale, INNVentAir, iREINA.
Co-Founder
LiveLunger
11.2023 - 07.2025
- Developed and executed strategic business plans to drive organizational growth and profitability.
- Fostered a culture of collaboration and accountability through effective communication and leadership practices.
- Analyzed market trends to identify new business opportunities and maintain competitive advantage.
- Oversaw financial management, ensuring budget adherence and resource allocation aligned with strategic objectives.
- Cultivated relationships with stakeholders, enhancing partnerships that support long-term business goals.
- Established new revenue streams by identifying market opportunities and launching innovative products or services.
Growth Strategy Advisor
Idevax
08.2023 - 12.2024
- Advised clients on strategic decisions to enhance business operations and achieve organizational goals.
- Mentored junior staff, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth.
- Analyzed industry trends to provide insights for long-term planning and competitive positioning.
- Support international project set-up.
- Support strategic internationalization.
- Build and drive innovation roadmap through strategic collaborations.
Growth Strategy Advisor
Codevid
08.2023 - 12.2024
- Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities to stay current with industry trends and best practices.
- Fostered culture of innovation, encouraging adoption of new technologies and methodologies and set-up of novel collaborations.
- Conducted in-depth market research to identify emerging trends, enabling clients to capitalize on new opportunities.
- Advised clients on strategic decisions to enhance business operations and achieve organizational goals.
Head of Innovation Funding
Efika Sciences
01.2024 - 05.2024
- Founder of novel ATMP initiative "ATMP Flanders" uniting all ATMP stakeholders in Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia and the Netherlands
- Support the decision process at MedVia
- SPOC towards VLAIO
- Led the innovation funding trajectories at MedVia: from concepts to approved proposals
Innovation Manager MedVia
Efika Sciences
01.2022 - 12.2023
- Cross border collaborations in food, medical technologies, ICT and life sciences
- Build bridges to create new consortia.
- Challenge innovators on their operational, market and technological readiness level.
- SPOC towards VLAIO
- Bridge innovators to end-users.
Innovation Manager at Poulpharm
Efika Sciences
01.2020 - 11.2023
- Grant creation, writing, coordination and reporting.
- Spearheaded cross-functional initiatives to enhance product development processes.
- Led innovation strategy sessions to identify emerging market trends and opportunities.
Clinical Project Manager Biogazelle and CellCarta
Efika Sciences
01.2020 - 08.2022
- COVID-19 crisis management
- Clinical project management
- Led cross-functional teams to ensure project milestones met within timelines and budget constraints.
- Developed and implemented clinical trial protocols, enhancing compliance with regulatory standards.
IVD development and business strategy support Antelope Dx
Efika Sciences
05.2020 - 05.2022
- Strategic product development
- Market analysis
- Business plan
- IVD development and regulatory strategy
Partner
Kunigi
01.2017 - 05.2022
- Business model innovation and market analysis
- Needs analysis & Idea generation
- Translation of Concepts into product development
- Market Gap analysis
- Stakeholder engagement in multi-disciplinary collaborations
- Short and Long-term Strategy development
- Innovation Management
- Alliance Management
Partner MND-Partners (Life Sciences & Technology)
MND-Partners
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Business model innovation
- Communication
Project Manager / Business Consultant Life Sciences
CMAST
01.2017 - 01.2018
- IVD Program Management
- (Pre)clinical Development
- Consortium Management
- Innovation and Change management
- Grant Consulting
Project Manager Healthcare Biotechnology
FlandersBio
01.2012 - 01.2017
- Company Overview: FlandersBio drives collaborations to bring integrated healthcare solutions to the patient and new nutritions to the customer: bridging academia, companies, regulatory bodies, government agencies, investors,...
- Program management therapeutics, medical devices and dx
- Strategic development healthcare management ecosystem
- International partnering strategies and initiatives
- Inward investment opportunities
- Support for financial pitching
- Networking on a regional, national and international scale.
Technical Sales Specialist/ Product Manager
Miltenyi Biotec
01.2009 - 01.2012
- Marketing and sales flow cytometry and cell separation products
Education
Financial Management -
VOKA
Ghent, Belgium04-2023
Professional Project Management - AKDAR Change Management
PMI
Belgium01.2017
Technology Transfer Course -
VIB
Belgium01.2015
NLP and situational sales -
ISA Training & Coaching, The Netherlands
The Netherlands01.2009
PhD - Medical Sciences
Ghent University
Belgium01.2008
Laboratory Animal Science General and Specific Topics - Felasa C
Ghent University
Belgium01.2006
Master of Science - Cell Gene Biotechnology
Ghent University
Ghent, Belgium01.2003
Skills
- Leader by example
- Idea to business translator
- Builds bridges
- Complex, multidisciplinary program management
- MS Projects, Click-up, Open Regulatory Framework, Bill-it, Odoo, Exact
- Internal-External communicator
- Keynote speaker
- Team leadership
- Strategic thinking
- Entrepreneurial and innovative
LANGUAGES
Dutch
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
French
Advanced (C1)
English
Advanced (C1)
German
Intermediate (B1)
References
Hilde Windels, Mieke Van Acker, Gregor Strobbe, Koen Beyers, Jan Hellemans, Roel Sterken, Kristoff Baeten
Timeline
Head of Innovation Funding
Efika Sciences
01.2024 - 05.2024
Co-Founder
LiveLunger
11.2023 - 07.2025
Growth Strategy Advisor
Idevax
08.2023 - 12.2024
Growth Strategy Advisor
Codevid
08.2023 - 12.2024
Innovation Manager MedVia
Efika Sciences
01.2022 - 12.2023
IVD development and business strategy support Antelope Dx
Efika Sciences
05.2020 - 05.2022
Innovation Manager at Poulpharm
Efika Sciences
01.2020 - 11.2023
Clinical Project Manager Biogazelle and CellCarta
Efika Sciences
01.2020 - 08.2022
Founder and Managing Director
Efika Sciences
01.2018 - Current
Partner MND-Partners (Life Sciences & Technology)
MND-Partners
01.2018 - 01.2020
Partner
Kunigi
01.2017 - 05.2022
Project Manager / Business Consultant Life Sciences
CMAST
01.2017 - 01.2018
Project Manager Healthcare Biotechnology
FlandersBio
01.2012 - 01.2017
Technical Sales Specialist/ Product Manager
Miltenyi Biotec
01.2009 - 01.2012
Financial Management -
VOKA
Professional Project Management - AKDAR Change Management
PMI
Technology Transfer Course -
VIB
NLP and situational sales -
ISA Training & Coaching, The Netherlands
PhD - Medical Sciences
Ghent University
Laboratory Animal Science General and Specific Topics - Felasa C
Ghent University
Master of Science - Cell Gene Biotechnology
Ghent University
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