Jean-François
Colson
Responsable FLOW – la Fabrique à projets
En charge de la partie Flow, la “fabrique des projets”, je suis Ingénieur ULiège en électro-mécanique (spécialité énergie), ma carrière s’est orientée de l’informatique vers la gestion opérationnelle en passant de sociétés internationales à des PMEs. Ma contribution à OF est d’amener de l’organisation agile et d’aider à trouver des solutions à chaques phases des projets (de l’idéation au support).
CONTACT
LANGUAGES
HOBBYS
Sports:
Badminton, Squash, Tennis,
Wakeboard , Snowboard
Hobby
Music, Home-Cinéma,
Photo et DJ-ing
Current Position
As CTO for the company LASEA, my role is to ensure the management of
operations, development and efficient production of ultra-high precision
and high-tech LASER machining machines for customers and markets
defined in LASEA’s strategy. I lead the departments of Production, project
management, engineering, Industrialization and Supply-Chain. My teams
represent more than 40 people (mixed team: 70% engineers and 30%
technicians) as well as interns from universities. Our projects include the
design, engineering, supply, assembly, qualification, installation, and support
of these machines.
My role is also to define the methods, the reporting, the structuring of the
teams and the monitoring of the technologies to ensure the evolution of our
products. The main parameters I use are project requirements, customer
and project feedback, coordination of the R&D plan, business perspectives,
functional analyzes and ‘Design To Cost’ objectives.
I also play a pilot role within Sales & Ops magazine and on the
management committee with representation on the board of directors
for the management of operations. In addition, I lead the management of
operations at the level of the LASEA group ensuring the consistency and
organization of production in the various entities of our LASEA group; LASEABE in Liège (BE), LASEA-FR in Bordeaux (FR), LASEA-CH in Biel (CH), LASEA-US
in San Diego (US) and OPTEC in Tournai (BE) (total, more than 110 people ).
In addition to LASEA, I am Co-Founder and Head of Operations of the
OpenFlow cooperative, based in Namur (BE), which aims to develop
community-based technological projects that have a social, local and
sustainable impact. I led the UVFlash project (as a workafter), a UVC light
disinfection unit with a mixed team of 10 people as a “workfater”. This
project was recognized in particular as a significant innovation by the
“NYTimes” and “El Pais” during the pandemic.
Academic
1998: Civil engineer– Electromechanic – ULiège
Thesis: “Modeling of the state of charge of electric vehicle batteries”,
Produced with Prof. Lilien (ULiege) and Prof. Magetto (VUB).
Experience / Realisation
In charge of Operations, has managed an annual growth of over 30% since his arrival over 4 consecutive years (in number of machines, turnover and number of people). In 2018, LASEA was the winner of the “AWEX Grand Prix Wallonie à l’Exportation 2018”, finalist of the FAST50 (50 most growing companies of Deloitte) and defended personally to the
international jury of the Micronora fair (FRANCE) the development of 3D laser machining machines and obtained “Le micron d’or” in the “machine tools” category.
(Safran Aero Booster, Liège) with the addition of responsibility for
the “Instrumentation / Integration / PLC” electrical team. Under
his leadership, the team led a record number of simultaneous
projects (6 benches carried out in parallel, while ensuring a record
profitability of 30% and managing a team growth of 15%. In addition,
involvement in international technology exchange forums (SAE /
TETWOG, Cincinnati, Ohio 2014, Madrid 2015).
In 2013, record profitability on all of its
projects. Ensures a sales support which allows to obtain almost all
the development tests carried out in external benches for the new
LEAP engine and obtains a major contract on the Chinese market
for the development of test benches for the future CJ1000A engine.
In 2014, an 80% increase in turnover and the creation of complex
benches necessary for the programs of new strategic engines of
SAFRAN and GE.
this team is in charge of developing the data acquisition and control system used by CENCO (CYRES) to test aero engines. Participate in the definition of a joint procurement system project with CENCO US based on the European system. Pilot the developments related to this project.
this team is in charge of CENCO EU projects to install data acquisition and control systems aimed at testing aero engines for the benches sold by CENCO EU.
as Head of the implementation of data acquisition systems (DACS) for various engine test bench projects (SAM146 on test bench air free air (Rybinsk, Russia), CFM56-5A for Snecma (France), F100-PW220E (BE, NL, Norway, Chile), JT8 and CFM56-5A and 5B for SAMES (Mexico), Turbine engine applications for Rolls-Royce (Germany) Development of software components for Cyres acquisition system.
HP Tandem Non Stop application developer (C #, VB, C, COBOL),
Head of new technologies for HP Non Stop, ‘IBM MQ’, ..), Developer
for HP Tandem Non Stop development projects, Co-manager of HP
Tandem Non Stop Platform Support Team (24/7)
Skills
• Decision maker, open minded, proactive, customer oriented, team player,
curious, creative, dynamic and determined
• Great aptitude to communicate at each level of an organization
• Ability to reveal and develop human aptitudes and capacities among its
co-workers
• Skilled to manage cross-functional teams and to drive operational
objectives timely and respecting initial budget requirements
• Highly qualified to lead to success transversal projects in every high-tech
industrial environment, satisfying shareholders, technical, financial, and
quality requirements
• Experience in change management in crisis management situation
• Just be yourself ! (“Don’t try to be anyone else, this person already exists”)
• PMP Project management
• Black belt / Lean office & Lean Production oriented
• Used to create & control financial and operational indicators
• Project management tools: MS Project, Visual Project (Charge-capacity
tool), Theory of constraints or Critical chain management
• ERP such as Navision, Baan
• Used to participate to Director’s board and strategic decisions
• ISO9001, ISO13485
Formation
Solvay Business School – First class distinction
Louvain-la-Neuve Catholic University – Great distinction
Master thesis under PhD Christian Eugène: “Biomechanical force platforms conception and realization for big animals reeducation » – Great distinction
Institut Saint-Louis de Namur – Great distinction
Training Program
• Safran Black Belt 6sigma theorical certification
• Strong aptitudes in coaching posture (training with BAO group.be)
• “Assertivity”, “Partenarial negociation”, “PNL”, “Process
communication”
• Risk management expert
• Leading change management
• “To become successful a commercial presentation”
• Langages: Annual English lessons at Accent Liège, discussion
modules
Personal Background
Interests
Sports: Field hockey (7yrs), basket-ball during (25 yrs), multi-sport.
Socializing Service clubs, non-lucrative associations.
Hobbies Guitar playing, going to concerts, travels, Scouts, sailing
