Eindhoven, 22 April 2024

ITEA announces new Chairman and Vice-chairman

New leadership building on strengths

We proudly announce that the ITEA Board has appointed a new Chairman and Vice-chairman, who will both formally start their positions at ITEA on 1 August 2024 and, until then, will prepare for their new tasks together with the current team. This seamless transition will ensure our continued success while energising our mission and the Cluster under new leadership.

Dirk Elias, former Senior Vice President at Bosch and former ITEA Board member (2017-2024), will assume the role of ITEA Chairman. With his broad international leadership experience and strategic vision from industry and applied science, he will bring a highly valuable background to guide ITEA to new shores, building upon the solid foundation laid by his predecessors.

I am delighted that I can now join the ITEA Community even more intensively and work with the various stakeholders to achieve the best possible outcome. It is very important to me to continue to align the content of ITEA with the specific needs of the industry in order to increase competitiveness and to use ITEA to make valuable contributions to the development of exciting future products with strong socio-economic benefits."

Joining Dirk Elias in this new chapter is Régis Cazenave, who brings with him extensive experience in leadership within digital transformation, innovation, and software development across Europe, Asia, North Africa, South America, and the Middle East. His fresh perspective will help ITEA remain innovative and expand its presence to new domains and countries.

I am thrilled to join the diverse and talented team at ITEA. Together with the members of the Steering Group, often referred to as the 'technical brain' of the ITEA Programme, we eagerly anticipate evaluating and promoting the most innovative and promising projects. Our aim is to foster innovation and international collaboration, and positively impact society."

As we welcome our new management, we would also like to share our gratitude to outgoing Chairwoman Zeynep Sarılar, who has successfully led ITEA for the past eight years and whose contributions will leave a significant and lasting mark on ITEA. Under her governance, we have strengthened the collaborative environment of ITEA, where individuals and teams have flourished. She represents the spirit of the 'ITEA family' and her dedication and inclusive approach have been instrumental in shaping ITEA's culture.

In addition, we are also truly grateful for outgoing Vice-chairman Jean-François Lavignon’s commitment to innovation and to improving the ITEA Programme and projects. His professionalism and technical understanding have driven ITEA projects forward, pushing the boundaries of innovation across various domains for the past four years.

The ITEA Board extends its gratitude to Zeynep Sarılar and Jean-François Lavignon for their unwavering dedication and valuable contribution to the ITEA Programme. They have successfully implemented and managed ITEA 4. Building on their strong legacy, ITEA is continuing its journey with the appointment of two new outstanding Presidium members, embodying ITEA's core values of innovation and change. We are convinced that Dirk Elias and Régis Cazenave will bring the vision and expertise necessary to continue to steer ITEA into its next phase of impact."

With this seamless transition, ITEA reaffirms its commitment to excellence and innovation, ready to embark on a new chapter of growth and achievement. We invite you to join us on this journey and meet the new ITEA team at the ITEA PO Days 2024, taking place on 10-12 September in Antwerp.