Co-founder and AI engineer

Tom Haeldermans

I build AI systems and software from the first idea through to production. My PhD in industrial engineering gave me a strong analytical foundation. As an engineer, team lead and consultant in large companies, I learned to apply it to backends, integrations and cloud platforms that have to work every day.

Based in
Hasselt, Belgium
Focus
  • Agentic engineering
  • Training
Background
  • Software engineering
  • Team leadership
LinkedIn

About me

I combine architecture with hands-on engineering. In earlier roles I built systems that other business applications rely on every day and led engineering teams. Now I build agentic workflows, connect them to existing systems and help get them running reliably in production.

I like sharing that hands-on experience with other teams. As a team lead I coached developers; now I design and deliver training, from AI foundations to hands-on agentic engineering. I help teams apply what they learn in their daily work.

Career

SmartAgents

2026– · Hasselt

Co-founder and AI engineer

Builds the agentic systems behind the projects and develops training that helps teams put AI to work themselves.

Cegeka

2026– · Hasselt · freelance

Senior consultant, AI and full-stack

Builds agentic workflows for a platform where teams configure their own agents, exposing existing functionality through custom MCP servers. Also works on an event-driven backend and web interface on Azure. Brings both projects into production.

Ravago

2021–26 · Arendonk

Software engineer, then team lead

Built backends and data integrations for the digital team, including a dynamic pricing engine. Then led several teams through the full lifecycle: code reviews, pairing, and the architectural decisions behind them.

UHasselt

2021–24 · Diepenbeek · part-time

Teaching assistant, industrial engineering

Gave lectures and lab sessions, and supervised projects and theses for students with varied backgrounds. Adapted complex material to each group.

UHasselt

2016–21 · Hasselt

Doctoral researcher

Conducted five years of applied research in industrial engineering while teaching. Tested assumptions thoroughly and refined solutions until they worked.

Education and certifications

  • PhD in industrial engineering UHasselt and IET InnoEnergy 2016 – 2021
  • Postgraduate AI Technical Architect Hogeschool PXL 2023 – 2024
  • MSc in industrial engineering, magna cum laude UHasselt 2012 – 2016
  • Claude Certified Architect (Foundations) Anthropic 2026
  • Model Context Protocol: Advanced Topics Anthropic 2026
  • Building with the Claude API Anthropic 2026
  • Certified Kubernetes Application Developer The Linux Foundation 2021
  • AWS Certified Developer (Associate) Amazon Web Services 2020

Away from work

On holiday

Usually somewhere in the mountains.

Dog dad

Walks are non-negotiable.

On the move

Running, working out and exploring new places.