Loulou van Ravensteijn

Chief Data Officer Provincie Gelderland

Loulou has developed a profound understanding of technology and AI through her work in business development, product- and strategy roles at renowned Artificial Intelligence startups in London, Gent, and Amsterdam. In 2014, she joined Tractable as their first employee and made significant contributions as a business developer. In 2017, Loulou embarked on a new venture and established her consultancy firm. With Fraqter Ltd, she uses her expertise in providing valuable guidance to organizations seeking to embrace data-driven approaches.

By leveraging narrow AI (including machine and deep learning) to tackle real-world issues, implementing MLops for industry-scale AI integration, and emphasizing Data Governance and Data Management, Loulou empowers clients to evolve into data-driven organizations that prioritize growth and compliance. Her experience taught her the basis of valuable AI is sufficient quality data. The availability of quality data mostly depends on how a business is managed and if responsibilities are clear and understood.

The past years she has been an envangelist for leveraging data to create public value, such as effectively solving the nitrogen crisis. She has focussed on creating a Data Vision, Data strategy, building data governance frameworks and implementing data management practises in public institutions.

Loulou drives change and company culture by passionately building and communicating a data & analytics narrative.

Loulou's expertise as a speaker has been recognized by prestigious platforms like TEDxStGallen and TEDxAntwerp. She has also been invited as a guest lecturer in Nyenrode Business University's MBA program. Her educational background includes a master's degree in environmental science (MSc) from the University of Amsterdam and Wageningen University.Additionally, she holds a bachelor's degree in political science with a comprehensive minor in Future Planet Studies (BSc).

Notably, Loulou has been accredited with a Climate-KIC master label, issued by the Institute of Technology and Innovation (EU). This distinction is a testament to her study of entrepreneurship and climate science, making her uniquely equipped to tackle the intersection of business, technology and environment.