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Where are you from and what was it like growing up there? I am from Belgium. I grew up in Antwerp with 1 brother and 3 sisters. It was a happy and smooth youth with loving parents and in a protected, catholic environment. Apart from holidays, I had limited international experience until I was thirty years old. And then, it all changed.
What is your Hometown famous for and what do you think about it? Antwerp is the 2nd largest city in Belgium (after Brussels) and is famous for its diamond trade, and its port (2nd to Rotterdam), which gives the city an international reputation in spite of its small size (600k inhabitants). Recently, the city has built a reputation in fashion.
Does your Hometown have a famous dish and do you like and why/why not? Antwerp does not have a famous dish. However, there are many good restaurants where one can try food from different global cuisines.
What brought you to NYC? A business project – preparing the launch of one of the company’s products in the USA.
What inspired you to pursue your chosen career path? I developed a wound healing product to help a 1-year-old girl that was severely burned at a family gathering and was allergic to the existing treatment. I then registered the product, signed an agreement with a pharma company, and then decided to continue R&D to help people with skin diseases (wounds).
What was a defining moment in your career? The signing of my first agreement with big pharma (in 2000).
What about NYC has made you stay? I am not residing in NYC; however, I travel frequently to NYC.
What’s the biggest cultural difference you’ve noticed between America and your home county? People in the USA think ‘bigger’ more in terms of opportunities and then go for it.
What do strong European-American relationships mean to you, your life, and your organization? There is so much we can learn from each other, professionally, privately, and in terms of R&D, management, etc.
Thank you, Philippe, for sharing your story !