No surprise here, I am Olivier (Witmeur)...

 

I enjoy working as a Professor at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (Université libre de Bruxelles – ULB) where I hold the Bernheim Chair of Entrepreneurship (supported by the Bernheim Foundation) and work with Solvay Entrepreneurs. I mainly teach Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Finance and Business Planning to graduate students, post-graduate students, entrepreneurs, investors and consultants. To me, part of the name of the game is meeting the expectations and needs of very different audiences all around the world.

My research is more focused on the growth of entrepreneurial ventures. However, I also pay attention to very different kinds of topics such as venture capital, entrepreneurial behaviors, corporate entrepreneurship, effectuation, and the socio-economical impact of entrepreneurship to support my courses.

At the School, I am also responsible for the development of Executive Education.

In parallel, I am the Chairman of the Brussels Council for Research and Innovation Policy and an active Board member or strategic advisor in multiple growth-oriented entrepreneurial ventures. These roles haven given me real world experiences that are fun and unique opportunities to share what I have learned from failures and successes (both happen!).

Before joining the ULB, I participated in the ups and downs with the entrepreneurial team of OpenHR (2000-2006), a successful Belgian IT venture company which specialized in HR management software, where I was mainly responsible for finance. The company was created in 1997 and quickly became international with operations in France, Spain, U.K. and U.S. By 2005, OpenHR had 6M€ in revenues and a staff of 70 people. It was sold to Arinso International in 2006.

I have also served as the Managing Director of EEBIC, a Business & Innovation Center / Incubator in Brussels (1995-1999) and Advisor of Rufin Grijp when he was the Minister of Economy in the Brussels Region (1991-1994).

When I was a student, I created my two first ventures. They were very little ones but so much fun and a unique source of experience!

Over the last 15 years I have coached 100+ new and growing firms, published a book on business planning with Jean-Claude Ettinger, and have written multiple papers on growth management in entrepreneurial ventures.

I hold a Master’s degree in Business Engineering (1991) and a PhD in Entrepreneurship (2008) both from ULB.

I attend and have sometimes appeared as a guest and speaker in multiple entrepreneurship and innovation-related programs, workshops and conferences where I believe I can contribute.

Most of my activities are organized in my 'Me Inc' / management company named OMCR.