Overview
Bjoern Vidts is the CEO of athumi, based in Brussels. He took up the role in August 2024, having served as acting CEO from September 2022. Since October 2023 he has also sat on the board of the Belgian Health Data Agency.
Before athumi, Vidts spent close to two decades at Digitaal Vlaanderen, which he joined in May 2004 as data management team lead. He went on to hold a series of positions there, including programme manager for public-private partnerships from 2007, operations manager from 2008, head of the data department across two spells between 2011 and 2021, head of the data utility company startup from March 2021, and head of the data solutions department until June 2023. He was a board member of the Interfederal Agency for Patrimonial Information (CSPI-SCIP) from 2018 to 2023 and of VASGAZ from 2020 to 2022.
Earlier, Vidts worked as a data specialist at Lokaal bestuur Jabbeke in 1998 and as team lead for data quality at the Vlaamse Landmaatschappij until 2004, and he served on the board of FLAGIS vzw from 2000.
He holds a master's degree in geography from Ghent University, completed a management programme at Vlerick Business School and trained as a data protection officer at the Data Protection Institute.
Career history
In the news
- Klaar om écht impact te maken in een sector die volop groeit? Wil je mee bouwen aan een sterke data-economie waarin innovatie en vertrouwen hand in hand gaan? Dan zoeken we jou!
- It truly makes my day to see how passionate our team members are about the societal impact we’re working toward. Our Lead Ecosystem Building Services, Dorien Bauwens, has been with us from the very beginning. She has played an essential role in shaping Athumi into what it is today: an organization with a clear mission to help others innovate and optimize by enabling valuable data to be shared across ecosystems, in the most secure and trusted way possible. Thank you, Dorien, for sharing your perspective so openly in this
- Een sterke Raad van Bestuur maakt het verschil. Daarom is Athumi op zoek naar een enthousiaste en gedreven onafhankelijke bestuurder met een frisse, onafhankelijke blik en een sterk engagement voor onze maatschappelijke en economische opdracht. Wil jij mee helpen bouwen aan de toekomst van veilige datasamenwerking? Stel je kandidaat: https://lnkd.in/eR9uUd_A
- De recente discussie over de exportbeperkingen op AI-modellen maakt opnieuw duidelijk hoe kwetsbaar Europa kan zijn wanneer cruciale technologie buiten onze grenzen wordt ontwikkeld en gecontroleerd. Die bezorgdheid over technologische soevereiniteit is terecht. Tegelijkertijd dreigt het debat te vaak te vervallen in een tegenstelling tussen afhankelijkheid en onafhankelijkheid. In een hyperverbonden wereld is volledige technologische onafhankelijkheid nu eenmaal geen realistisch uitgangspunt. Misschien moeten we
- It’s a sad fact that most leaders tend to perceive data privacy as a defensive necessity, like an expensive compliance exercise that limits innovation, slows growth, and constrains the use of analytics and artificial intelligence. They treat it as a cost of doing business, not a source of competitive advantage. That narrative is becoming increasingly outdated, though. As organizations become more dependent on AI, both the value of personal data and the risks associated with it continue to grow. It’s safe to say that the more
- Curious about the future of data spaces? Looking to exchange ideas with experts, expand your network, and learn from pioneering projects shaping the field? Then don't miss the 3rd Belgian Data Spaces Day! 👇
- Wil je als juridische expert mee helpen bouwen aan de Europese data economie? Dan is deze vacature op jouw maat geschreven. 👇
This page shows public professional information only, each fact cited. Is this you? send a correction, or ask for removal within 24 hours, no questions asked.
