BOSAQ - Key Persons
As the right hand of Jacob, Pieter is the main driver in determining the strategy of BOSAQ, fully complementary to his work methodology of Jacob. Besides his activities at BOSAQ, Pieter loves to do different kinds of sports (surf, gymnastics, running) and is a guitar player in a band that plays world music.
Once in a while he escapes society and goes for an adventurous trip in the wild.
Hira Mehmood is a Chartered Accountant and an EMBA, from INSEAD, with a focus on Entrepreneurship and Technology. She is a senior leader with over 19 years of experience in strategic growth, business expansion, pricing, and transformation at PwC and PepsiCo.
Jacob is the founder and CEO of BOSAQ.
He founded BOSAQ and Water Heroes to provide sustainable water solutions to the world, right after coming back from one of the most extreme places on earth, Antarctica.
As a kid, he already wanted to have a positive impact on the world by inventing new things. The idea to design a concept with innovative technologies and creating systems that could be the solution to global water challenges and reshape people's lives soon became a reality. Reaching this objective was no easy task and he had to overcome many obstacles.
Starting with high school, Jacob faced difficulties during fourth grade and failed mathematics but that did not stop him from graduating high school a year later than his fellow students. After getting his high school degree, he decided to take an enriching volunteering experience in Costa Rica. According to Jacob, spending a year volunteering in Costa Rica had been one of the most enriching experiences of his life. It made him a more passionate person, eager to help those in need.
After Costa Rica, Jacob returned to his home country, Belgium, and decided to study industrial engineering. The situation at home forced him to take full responsibility, and he started working as a bouncer in the nightlife of Ghent and Bruges to pay for his studies. After successfully graduating, he started working as a researcher at VITO while still working long shifts in the nightlife. During this period, he was able to save money to start another degree in engineering at UGent. He successfully graduated in 2011.
The journey of BOSAQ began with Jacob's first job after graduating, when he had the opportunity to travel to Antarctica as a water expedition engineer for the first time in November 2011 (summer season). After coming back, he started working for Dow Chemical Company but quickly went back to Antarctica for another season and then would return during the next 3 seasons. During this period, he worked alternatively at the Princess Elisabeth Station, Antarctica, and the chemical industry (Jacobs Engineering, BASF) before he came back to Belgium to start his project, BOSAQ, and Water Heroes.
For Jacob, starting BOSAQ is a dream come true.
Jacob is the founder and CEO of BOSAQ. He founded BOSAQ and Water Heroes to provide a sustainable water solution to...
Tom is responsible for the consultancy department of BOSAQ and will help answer any water-related questions. Together with his team of engineers, they tackle all complex water challenges, deliver quality advice, provide the best possible solution and coordinate the implementations. Commitment, honesty, integrity, respect, teamwork, and sustainability are some of the core values that define Tom.
From a very young age, Tom already had a strong idea about where he wanted to head in life. While being extremely interested in Sciences during high school, Tom pursued a degree in Bioscience engineering - environmental technology and further obtained a Ph.D. in applied biological sciences.
During his scholarship, Tom acquired in-depth knowledge of water treatment and water reuse technologies. Besides research activities, Tom was an active player in the daily management board of the laboratory while guiding students and giving practical lectures. He even participated in the board of the Center for Environmental Science and Technology at UGent (CES&T).
Currently, as a member of the board of directors of the Belgian International Water Association (B-IWA), he helps to bridge the gap in terms of sustainable water management between scientists, stakeholders, policymakers, and the broader public.