"Will technological progress bring downfall to human kind ? Are robots taking over our world ? Are we passive or do we make choices ? We have a free will, we must be conscious that we can use that free will. What we as human kind will decide is going to be defining our future. " Françoise Chombar is CEO and cofounder of Melexis. She has held executive positions with a number of tech companies. Ms Chombar is currently member of the Board of Umicore, a global materials technology and recycling group.
She is equally president of the STEM platform, an advisory board to the Flemish government, aiming to encourage young people to pursue a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics education. She was a mentor to the SOFIA Women’s Network for 17 years, a coaching, networking and educational program for women active in the profit sector.
Françoise Chombar’s long-term commitment to actively advocating more STEM and more gender balance is driven by the profound belief in their positive societal impact. She was the 2016 recipient of the Vlerick Award, which the Vlerick Business School grants annually to a “visionary business leader who guided his company to the international top with sustainable results.” This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at