Tom De Vleesschauwer

As a life-long automotive enthusiast, Mr. De Vleesschauwer started his career at a young age by helping-out at a local car dealership during his spare time. This provided him valuable insights into both business and technical aspects of the automotive industry. Mr. De Vleesschauwer has been involved in the international automotive industry for nearly two decades and is currently responsible for both long-term market research and business consulting projects for the Automotive Group. He has contributed to special projects assessing technical, business, regulatory and societal trends to help senior management improve decision-making. He has assisted automotive manufacturers, global suppliers, NGOs and government agencies, including European Commission and Parliament. Recently, his work encompassed areas such as biofuels market potential, CO2 forecasting evaluations and future mobility outlooks. He also regularly contributes to several company publications and is frequently quoted in the media. Other contributions include: Columnist for Automotive IT International (magazine); Author, Automotive Agenda - Urbanisation Special: What is the role of the car in the city of tomorrow; Plenary Chairman @ Truck&Bus World Forum 2013 - Next steps for global sustainable transport solutions; Speaker & Panelist @ Future Tire Conference - Examining the future of the tire industry 2013 & 2014; Advisor to several major global OEM concerning future trends/outlook; Previously, he was with the Automotive Group of Standard & Poor's DRI, and Euromoney Financial Publications. During his formative academic years, he was a marketing trainee at Citroen Belux and Land Rover North America. Mr. De Vleesschauwer holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, US, a Masters of Business Administration from Cardiff Business School, UK, and an IVA-A HBO (Honors) from IVA in Driebergen, Netherlands.