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I know, that really does sound like a romantic fairytale, what you? After two years of loyal, faithful services, we decided to say goodbye to our yellow demo-Lotus. We dragged the poor thing from Barcelona, over Paris to Copenhagen, from Dublin, over London to Vienna… and showed it in, on, or around every tradeshow worth that name. Journalists drove it, Bluetooth demos were given in a plethora of countries and languages. But Chiquita collected miles and scratches, and after an over eager salesman stupidly slammed into her tender backside, we decided to let her go on a well-earned retirement.   But next week, we need wheels. Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is coming up, and we need to show the newest cool Bluetooth products. So we need a car that is up to the usual standards. Something funky, cool, convertible and fast. Indeed. A Lotus J.

Stefaan, our trusted grease monkey from SD-motors is building us one. Building it up to spec, with the usual strobe lights, blue leds, demo neons, and smoke generators; but also with the widest range of Bluetooth equipment.  It is Aspen white. We will call it Snowwhite. We’re not panicking (yet): Stefaan has 48 hours to finish it. No pressure….

 

Danny Devriendt is the Managing Director of IPG/Dynamic in Brussels, and the CEO of The Eye of Horus, a global think-tank focusing on innovative technology topics. With a proven track record in leadership mentoring, C-level whispering, strategic communications and a knack for spotting meaningful trends, Danny challenges the status quo and embodies change. Attuned to the subtlest signals from the digital landscape, Danny identifies significant trends in science, economics, culture, society, and technology and assesses their potential impact on brands, organizations, and individuals. His ability for bringing creative ideas, valuable insights, and unconventional solutions to life, makes him an invaluable partner and energizing advisor for top executives. Specializing in innovation -and the corporate communications, influence, strategic positioning, exponential change, and (e)reputation that come with it-, Danny is the secret weapon that you hope your competitors never tap into. As a guest lecturer at a plethora of universities and institutions, he loves to share his expertise with future (and current) generations. Having studied Educational Sciences and Agogics, Danny's passion for people, Schrödinger's cat, quantum mechanics, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fuels his unique, outside-of-the-box thinking. He never panics. Previously a journalist in Belgium and the UK, Danny joined IPG Mediabrands in 2012 after serving as a global EVP Digital and Social for the Porter Novelli network (Omnicom). His expertise in managing global, regional, or local teams; delivering measurable business growth; navigating fierce competition; and meeting challenging deadlines makes him an seasoned leader. (He has a microwave at home.) An energetic presenter, he brought his enthusiasm, clicker and inspiring slides to over 300 global events, including SXSW, SMD, DMEXCO, Bluetooth World Congress, GSMA MWC, and Cebit. He worked with an impressive portfolio of clients like Bayer AG, 3M, Coca Cola, KPMG, Tele Atlas, Parrot, The Belgian National Lottery, McDonald's, Colruyt, Randstad, Barco, Veolia, Alten, Dow, PWC, the European Commission, Belfius, and HP. He played a pivotal role in Bluetooth's global success. Ranked 3rd most influential ad executive on Twitter by Business Insider and listed among the top 10 ad execs to follow by CEO Magazine, Danny also enjoys writing poetry and short stories, earning several literary awards in Belgium and the Netherlands. Fluent in Dutch, French, and English, Danny is an eager and versatile communicator. His BBQ skills are legendary.

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