Rudi Vansnick

Country:	Belgium
Email:	rudi.vansnick [at] isoc.be
Website:	[vansnick.eu vansnick.eu]
LinkedIn:	[Rudi's LinkedIn Rudi Vansnick]
Twitter:	@ruudvs

Rudi Vansnick is the President of ISOC Belgium and the initiator of a consortium with ISfTeH, The International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth, which is seeking the creation of a new gTLD, .health.

Career History

Rudi Vansnick graduated Accountant (EISTC - Enghien 1977). Rudi started his professional career at the Ministry of Agriculture and quickly became involved in the digitisation process of government administration. In 1988 he developed the "pharmacy computer" solution, bringing communication facilities to pharmacy distribution centres and pharmacists (in collaboration with Labo Flandria, Gent). The elaborated solution was later implemented in France, Luxemburg and Germany, with national regulations and laws incorporated for each country.

A few years later he designed and implemented a huge IT-architecture for logistics and communication purposes in Hungary for a food/non-food distribution corporation (TiszaCoop). More recently he was involved in the IT-outsourcing contract of the Flemish government for about 2 years. An impressive experience was gathered while implementing corporate decisions on regional and local level such as the Flemish portal website.

Since 2000 he has been president of the Belgian chapter of the Internet Society, an organisation focusing on the promotion of the internet for everyone. He participates in national debates with federal and regional governments on topics such as cyber criminality and security issues related to Belgian citizens. In November 2004 he became more and more involved in Internet issues and debates all around the world - in Bangladesh, Tunis, Hannover. In 2005 he became the national expert for the World Summit Awards and one of the 38 Grand Jury members from all over the world in electing the 40 best e-Content projects worldwide.

2006 saw him focusing on breaching the Digital Divide through projects in regional and European organisations. His goal: to capture the voices of the Internet user, individual as well as in an organisational environment, understanding the needs and burdens of each. He considers the most difficult hurdle to be the fact that while culture and technology are far away from each other, they should be mutually supportive.

His 30 years experience in ICT was a perfect basis for the study ISOC Belgium together with EROV made on the usage of ICT in the Social Profit sector in East-Flanders. The result of this survey, which last till end of 2007, The ICT Whitebook for the Social Pofit is available in electronic format by simple request at www.ictwitboek.be. It contains an overview of the ICT inventory in the Social Profit in East-Flanders and several requirements and recommandations for the sector itself but also for government and the ICT sector.

December 6th Rudi participated in the International Conference in Washington focusing on the Rights and Protection of Children in the Web 2.0 World. An issue he was already involved in during the Round table in June 2006 in Brussels, in presence of Ms. Viviane Reding and several important authorities. Following this congress, he participated in the workshop organised by ETSI in February, focusing on what should be done by the telco's for children up to 12 years of age.

April 2008 the general assembly of TIK vzw (usersgroup Telecom & Internetcustomers in Belgium - some 10.000 members) has decided to elect a new board. Rudi moved from secretary to president for a mandate of 3 years. By selecting Rudi TIK hopes to move on in the recognition of the organisation by the national government and will push up the defence of the Internet user in different cases.

Universal Peace Federation nominated Rudi as an Ambassador for Peace during the Global Peace Festival in Tokyo(November 2008).

Affiliations

• Internet Society (ISOC Belgium): president Belgian Chapter. www.isoc.be
• TIK vzw : president www.tik.be
• World Summit Award : national expert, organiser of the Belgium World Summit Award 2005 - 2008 www.wsa-belgium.be
• Member Grand Jury WSA 2005 and 2009 - www.wsis-award.org
• ICANN At Large Structure (ALS):

* European Regional At Large Organisation (EURALO) : board member www.euralo.org
* ALAC liaison ccNSO 2009

• Member Steering Committee Global Forum 2006 - 2009 - Paris www.items.fr
• Ambassador for Peace - UPF.

Upcoming

* 9/11 - 10/11 : Vlaamse overheid debat - Brussel
*15/11 - 18/11 : Internet Governance Forum - Sharm El Sheikh