Welcoming Tom Braekeleirs as Health Expert 

With a wealth of experience and a passion for using technology to drive change, Tom is set to bring new insights and energy to the FTI team. “Technology’s role in healthcare is transformative, and I’m really looking forward to be part of FTI’s mission to make a lasting impact,” Tom says. 

From the start of his career, Tom has moved through various industries. With a background in commercial engineering and business sciences, Tom rolled into business consulting. “I began as an ERP consultant back when Baan was still a thing and eventually found my way into Microsoft, focusing on Dynamics ERP and CRM, running partner networks, and managing SMEs,” he recalls. After leaving Microsoft in 2015, Tom took the helm at the BlueHealth Innovation Center, a nonprofit organization focused on digital healthcare, where he guided new innovations and young entrepreneurs for eight years. “That experience opened my eyes to the immense potential of digital transformation in healthcare,” he explains. “Helping young startups bring their ideas to life was incredibly rewarding.” 

What makes Tom stand out is his unwavering commitment to using technology to address real-world problems. Over the past decade, his focus has been on healthcare also working as a guest professor at Ghent University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. “I’m particularly involved with AI in healthcare, and that aligns perfectly with what FTI is doing. For good AI, you need good data – and bringing together datasets responsibly is key.”  

Tom’s role at FTI will center on identifying opportunities for innovation within healthcare and helping to build actionable scenarios. “The healthcare sector generates huge amounts of data, but it’s locked in silos. If we want to make a real difference for patients, we need to unlock those silos. The technology is there, AI is on the rise, and the awareness is growing, but it’s a complex task. That’s where FTI can make a difference with its trusted framework”, says Tom and he adds, “I’m eager to help break down data silos to truly benefit patients and to be able to develop innovative solutions. A year ago, I made the conscious decision to focus on projects where I can make a bigger societal impact. FTI offers that chance, as it transcends one organization and spans the Flemish region and beyond. FTI isn’t just about making shareholders happy. We’re tackling societal issues head-on, like data-sharing in healthcare – a challenge we’ve faced for years.”