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Early this year, ORTEC received a multi-million dollar injection from new investor Battery Ventures with the aim of achieving further growth. The supply chain division is set to be helmed by Frans van Helden.

This interview was originally published (in Dutch) on logistiek.nl.

There is considerable buzz surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), but how can they be practically applied in workforce scheduling? In this blog, we will share four ways our customers are leveraging AI techniques, such as Mathematical Optimization or Machine Learning, to enhance their schedules. The importance of improving workforce schedules cannot be overstated: personnel shortages are a significant issue in many sectors. Aging populations mean there are simply fewer people available in the market, making retention and scheduling efficiency even more critical. Today's employees also seek flexibility, transparency, and a personalized roster that promotes work-life balance. AI can help you achieve these objectives. From forecasting the expected workload before operations to learning about preferences and wishes based on actual data after operations. By applying the learnings from past operations in the next period, you create a learning loop to continuously improve your entire workforce scheduling process.

An article by Goos Kant, Industry Leader Workforce & Professor of Logistics Optimization

Karin Griffioen, Global Industry Director Energy at ORTEC, is a staunch believer in the added value of mathematics in the energy transition: “Putting mathematics to smart use can make all the difference in solving all sorts of problems. The energy transition is a complex challenge because of the myriad actors involved, the inherent uncertainty, the long-term scope and the sensitivity of the topic. Solutions should be backed up by models, because gut feelings on this topic may not always be correct. It’s paramount that we provide decision-making tools based on sound analysis. I’m not saying that models will automatically churn out the right choice, but they can hand options to the people in control. Hopefully, they will come to see more and more how important models can be.”

Chief Human Resources Officer

With a bachelor’s degree from the Hotel Management School in Maastricht (The Netherlands), and a MA in Human Resources Management from the University of Bristol (England), Marieke has a blended expertise in hospitality with human resources. It was during her bachelor hospitality courses when she realized how much she enjoys the combination of people experiences versus impact, which made her decide to dive into the field of human resources. After graduating, Marieke started her career at Deloitte. There, she navigated through various HR roles spanned over 15 years, ultimately becoming a manager responsible for the entire HR advisory spectrum across different functions in the Netherlands. In 2016, Marieke joined ORTEC. Since then, Marieke has committed herself to fostering change and growth within the organization.

Chief Commercial Officer

Originally from Greece, Georgios Sarigiannidis moved to the Netherlands to pursue his higher education at TU Delft, earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Applied Mathematics. Working for nearly two decades at ORTEC now, he has progressed from a solution consultant to roles like algorithm expert, solution architect, presales consultant, and sales executive. He has held various management positions, including Director of Operations for Global Business Development and Managing Director of ORTEC Central Eastern Europe.

Executive Vice President - Workforce Management

When defending his master’s thesis in Political Science at the University of Antwerp, Vincent received very positive feedback about the way he presented it, and his assessors recommended him to look for a commercially orientated future job. Keeping this in mind, together with his interest in IT, led to him joining the role of Junior Sales Professional at ORTEC in 2006. Since, he has been transitioning into roles such as Manager Business and Managing Director for ORTEC Belgium. For the past six years he has been steering the Benelux Business Unit as Director Benelux, an experience that he describes as both rewarding and enriching.

Executive Vice President - Data Science & Consulting

After completing her MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Twente, Marije joined ORTEC in 2012. Since then, Marije has held various positions within the now-called ‘Data Science and Consulting’ division. Starting as a consultant and software engineer, Marije recognized her strength in bridging the gap between business, IT, and mathematics to deliver significant business value. This made her transition into roles such as business consultant, project manager and team lead, gaining extensive experience in several industries, including collaborations with customers like KLM, Shell, ASML and Ahold Delhaize. In 2023, she held the position of Operational Director for Data Science and Consulting.

Executive Vice President - Supply Chain Planning

After completing his MSc in Mathematics at Leiden University, Frans joined ORTEC in 2011. His early work involved a deep dive in the mathematics of supply chain optimization, collaborating with major customers such as Heineken and ASML. Building on this technical role, he moved on leading teams and driving commercial success. Frans took on the role of Commercial Director of ORTEC Data Science and Consulting, followed by the role of Managing Director of this division.

ORTEC, the global provider of decision support software and data science expertise, has adapted its organizational setup with new leadership positions to enable further impact acceleration. By bringing business and development teams closer together, customers' needs will be better addressed. Focused industry teams in the divisions supply chain planning, workforce management and data science & consulting will bring ORTEC’s solutions to market. With this new setup ORTEC will be able to create even more value for its customers worldwide and accelerate the company’s positive impact on the world.

The workforce shortage is the biggest disruptor in logistics. Companies are struggling to hire enough people. How are other sectors dealing with this? Today, we will look at the healthcare sector. Though different in many ways, the healthcare sector has been coping with employee shortages and rostering challenges for decades. What are their lessons learned?

An article by Goos Kant, Industry Leader Workforce & Professor of Logistics Optimization