• Raf Degrève

    .:: Consultant, Teacher, photographer ::.

  • "MidFields" is... Raf Degrève.

    You found my personal web space, nice!

    Recently added: a secondary education teaching qualification (Artesis Plantijn – Vives) and teaching experience in three secondary schools (3 education levels, covering years 3 through 6).

    Corporate experience: I have over 20 years of professional experience in roles heavily focused on digital adoption, knowledge transfer, communication and project management. I have worked with companies such as Janssen Pharmaceutica, LifeScan, Virco, Tibotec, AstraZeneca, Elanco Lilly Animal Health - serving both as an internal employee and as an external consultant (Across Health, Pauwels Consulting).

    My passion: working - and teaching people how to work - with digital applications, platforms, and content; delivering demos and training (both online and on-site); creating documentation; managing projects; conducting UAT; bringing people together and convincing them through promotional communication!

    I have trained many people, both online and on-site, in +10 European countries, the USA and South Africa.

    I have a strong interest in internal and external communication as well as visual and textual storytelling using digital tools (CMS, email, social media, photography, etc.).

    I was a Creative Communications department member at Janssen Pharmaceutica (Beerse) and joined various digital teams within Johnson & Johnson. I worked as an Intranet Manager/Webmaster at Telenet and contributed to the Telenet Broadband and Corporate Portal web teams.

    Read more about my desired role!

  • Quick Links

    Quickly navigate to some highlights!

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    Career

    Career overview! Read more.

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    Accomplishments

    A few projects I worked on! Click here.

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    My "value"

    Desired position and skill set in this section.

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    Contact me!

    Read recommendations from co-workers and contact me.

  • How Midfields can contribute!

    Desired position & environments

    Education is a key ​​interest in various settings from schools and corporate environments to L&D!

    In a corporate context, I enjoy helping people get up to speed on digital tools, applications, platforms, SaaS solutions and websites, and I ensure successful adoption through detailed documentation and training.

    Environments

    • companies whose core business involves promoting digital tools, applications, or SaaS, requiring specialists to provide support to end-users or clients
    • companies requiring management of web platforms or websites
    • working within a team of front-end and back-end developers, project managers, web/UX/UI designers, copywriters, digital marketers, and/or consultants
    • secondary education (English, ICT, Dutch, anatomy, physiology, medical/sports theory subjects, etc.)

    Desired role: examples

    • IT application training & documentation expert
    • Content/CMS manager
    • Digital adoption/onboarding specialist
    • Digital product evangelist
    • Customer success manager digital
    • (Digital) Communication specialist
    • Teacher/trainer
    • ...

    Skill set

    Project Management & follow-up

    • project (web portfolio) management, working with creative agencies
    • content editing/management – Content Management Systems (Drupal, headless Contentstack, SharePoint, Strikingly)
    • team communication tools: Teams, Slack, Basecamp, Lucidchart, SharePoint, Invision, Miro
    • release-change-localization Mngmnt (JIRA, Trello, Redmine, Mantis)
    • Agile SCRUM framework: sprints, sprint demos, user story creation, backlog prioritisation,...
    • UAT: testing user stories/acceptance criteria, Applitools

    Communication

    • internal and external company communication, writing
    • email marketing campaigns in Eloqua, Marketfirst, Constant Contact
    • intranet (promotional communication), SharePoint Modern website management

    Training/adoption

    • train/onboard users: on-site en online
    • Smartschool, Pelckmans Portaal,...
    • facilitate digital adoption of processes and applications (CMS, SaaS,...) via documentation, WIKIS, how-to's, guidelines, screen recording videos (Camtasia Studio, Focusee), Atlassian Confluence, MS Sharepoint, Teams
    • boost internal user involvement and motivation

    Overige

    • web analysis: quantitative (Google Analytics Universal) & qualitative (online surveys)
    • web editors, HTML, XML
    • SEO basis: in-page SEO methods
    • social media management (Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube)
    • design: Adobe Photoshop CS & Lightroom, Snapseed
    • photography knowledge (see gallery and photography info)
  • Experience & Education

  • A chronologic overview

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    midFields

    2024 - 2026

    • teacher secondary school (3rd and 4th formers) D, D/A en A @ WICO Campus - Lommel
    • teacher secondary school (5th and 6th formers) D & D/A @ HT2O, High Tech Onderwijs - Turnhout
    • teacher secondary school (5th and 6th formers) + student tutor and counseling D/A @ Sports Management Campos, School for Sport & Entrepreneurship - Turnhout
    • Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerp (Verkorte Educatieve Bachelor Secundair Onderwijs), Vives Hogeschool Kortrijk/Torhout
    • photography, website and social media management
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    Digitale Adoption Specialist web platforms

    Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine: 2022 - 2023

    • digital communication & promotion of department expertises
    • facilitate use/understanding digital tools (eg. headless CMS Contentstack) & processes (eg. working with creative agencies)
    • setup training/onboarding/documentation/online sessions
    • content manager web portfolio (+ 30 country sites and micro-sites)

    Janssen Medical cloud 2.0 Web Platform Training Lead

    Janssen Pharmaceutica (Johnson & Johnson): 2022

    • training webmasters, IT & Business leads in migration project J&J web platform 2.0 for HCPs and patients

    Content & Webmaster Lead

    Janssen Pharmaceutica (Johnson & Johnson): 2019 - 2022

    • supervision content & localisation projects with international webmasters, agencies and copywriters

    IT Application Test & Training Lead

    Janssen Pharmaceutica (Johnson & Johnson): 2016-2019

    • testing new developments for web platforms
    • training via online en on-site sessions: web platform use, processes, best practices, CMS, Agile sprint demos
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    Digital Project Manager Web Platform

    LifeScan & Janssen Animal Health (Johnson & Johnson): 2008- 2016

    • managing European web portfolio LifeScan (25 Drupal websites) and multi-lingual Animal Health website
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    International Digital Coach, campaign architect

    Janssen-Cilag & Janssen Pharmaceutica (Johnson & Johnson): 2002-2008

    • trainer “eHealth” web platform in USA, UK, and Europe
    • setup and localisation international email campaigns
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    Company intranet Manager

    Telenet: 2001-2002

    • setup of portals en company internal websites
    • spread company information (promotion, news, updates) for marketing and HR purposes
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    Education

    I am a Professional Bachelor (Mechelen) and a Master in Physiotherapy and Revalidation (KU Leuven) with a Post Master degree in Manual Therapy (KU Leuven).

    I am a certified secondary school teacher (graduated magna cum laude @ Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerp), having followed English courses

    @Vives Hogeschool too.

    Other courses

    • Introduction Instructional Design & Storyboarding (The Learning Hub - Kontich)
    • ICT Project Management (Thomas More)
    • Email Campaigns – IAB (Brussels)
    • Adobe PhotoShop CS en Lightroom – CVO (Turnhout)
    • Macromedia Flash and Actionscript (KISP – Gent, St.- Lucas Antwerpen, Heverlee)
    • Dreamweaver ASP database-driven website creation, Illustrator (Heverlee)
    • CSS en Dreamweaver (St.- Lucas Antwerpen)
    • Webmaster VDAB (full – time course 6 months): website development, HTML, XML, Javascript, Intro server languages, PhotoShop, Flash,…
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    Janssen Animal Health (Elanco Lilly)

    Project management for the JAH corporate website, a drupal multi-lingual site with strong focus on product presentation with back-end taxonomy

    • alignment of project partners -Drupal development - XIO (Gent)
    • Web design & house style compliance control
    • Creatie learning materials for CMS usage en administrator/editor roles
    • Solide change management via Mantis
    • Control JNJ processes and compliance checks

  • Photo & social

    In need of imagery?

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    Photography

    All photos on this website are made by me. I am a real Fujifilm fan!

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    Social Media visuals

    Interested in visual storytelling! You can find some examples on my photo website.

  • My family & Hobbies

    A nice job is cool, but I like other stuff too! :)

    Spend time with wife, daughter and twin sons

    Sport: cycling (road, Gravel, MTB & indoor), fitness, Padel

    Music: trumpet - New Sound Big Band (Arendonk)

    Visual storytelling & Photography: Fuji fan

    Social media Manager Cycling Club "de Gruun" - Retie

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    Inge

    My wife

    Materials Planner - Soudal

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    Jade

    Super sister

    17 years old

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    Liam

    Funny guy

    12 years old

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    Lauren

    Nice dude

    Hey, what did you expect?

  • Recommendations

    gathered via linkedin, school,...

    "Raf, je was oprecht een fijne, gemotiveerde 'zij-instromer' waar ons onderwijs zo'n nood aan heeft!

    Je verdient absoluut een carrière in het onderwijs! Ik duim dat je in onze school een plaatsje toegewezen krijgt!"

    Ine Jansen - Leerkracht Wiskunde/Coach @ WICO Campus Lommel

    "Having worked with Raf for the last 5 years I can say that he's incredibly passionate about driving adoption of digital processes and platforms with a broad set of stakeholders.

    He's a very service minded person treasuring his relationships within the team, broader set of stakeholders and his leadership.

    Raf is a proud person, taking pride in what he delivers and how he delivers it with great attention to detail always making sure that his efforts facilitate the work of others.

    He treasures a warm working environment and support in maintaining that with the team. Raf has been a cornerstone of the team for the past 5 years."

    Sven Pype - EMEA Digital & Web Operations Director @ Janssen - Johnson & Johnson

    "I had the opportunity to work with Raf during one year on the Janssen Medical Cloud project.

     

    Thanks to Raf's indepth knowledge of digital products, his training experience and his enthusiasm, he was able to train a complex CMS to a large group of international users in more than 30 countries. Raf played a key role in the deployment of the JMC platform to the EMEA countries within Janssen.

     

    He has the capability to look at a project or tool through the eyes of the end-user or end customer. This way, he's able to convince the users to embrace the solution.

     

    I strongly recommend Raf, not only for his professional skills and background but also for his interpersonal intelligence - he's a true professional and teamplayer!"

     

    Dennis Vansweevelt - EMEA Customer Website Manager @ Janssen Johnson & Johnson

    "Raf is more than just a training and adoption lead; he's a problem-solver, a team builder, and a motivator rolled into one. He's got a knack for anticipating roadblocks and tackling them head-on, while his infectious enthusiasm keeps everyone around him energized and engaged.


    Think complex digital solutions? He has deep understanding of the digital landscape and the ability to translate that knowledge into clear, actionable strategies. Raf can explain complex topics in a way that makes sense.


    What truly sets Raf apart is his dedication to his team. He leads by example, fosters collaboration, and empowers each individual to reach their full potential. He's a true asset to any team and someone you can always count on to go the extra mile.


    Raf, thanks for your mentorship, and for the honour of working together for many years."

     

    Niko Geens - Web Analyst @ Janssen - Johnson & Johnson

    "Raf is a smart and fast thinking solution oriented person you should contact for delivering successful user experience!


    Talented, focussed on customer engagement and user experience, detailed oriented and strong in analytics.. a must-have team player in your group with a thinking out-of-the-box mindset!"

     

    Ilaria Piubelli - Digital Marketing Specialist EMAC @ Bristol-Myers Squibb

    "Raf is a great businesspartner. He is professional, extremely competent and absolutely reliable.
    Raf has been my light in the dark in many occasions, as he is smart, pro-active and a great team player!

    His advice and support are really precious and helpful when you have to manage complex digital projects, liaising with the IT team, the local market and the agency.

    Great communicator, even negotiator,with an extraordinay sense of humor that helps a lot in the foggy moments. And when
    the going gets tough… you need Raf at your side!

    Annalisa Guazotti - Marketing Associate @ LifeScan - Johnson & Johnson

    "Raf is a great professional with exceptional managerial skills.

     

    Possesses sound hands on knowledge of relevant technology in use. Great in handling crunch situations; understands all view points clearly and acts accordingly. Superb analytic & communication skills; not to mention his witty remarks now and again.

     

    Proactive and helpful, he is an effective channel among all the team members. Undoubtedly one of the best in business!!"

     

    Pratik Anand Systems Engineer @ TATA Consultancy Services

    "A natural leader, Raf is highly respected by his colleagues. He has superb problem-solving skills as well as exceptional team-building skills.

     

    Raf has an uncanny ability to foresee a potential problem and essentially nip it in the bud. He is able to focus on the stated objectives of projects and prioritize every task necessary to accomplish the desired end result. An effective delegator,

     

    Raf trusts the team he assembles and the team have tremendous faith in him as an effective leader.

     

    Raf’s enthusiastic and optimistic attitude is contagious and serves to motivate and energize the team."

     

    Katarazyna Walsh - Project Manager @ AESOP Agency UK - Digital & Localisation

  • Social Media

    Find me through different channels!

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    LinkedIn

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    Instagram

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    WhatsApp
    +32 483 22 95 09

  • Contact me

    Questions, remarks,...? Shoot!

    Retie, Belgium
    +32 483 22 95 09
  • Download

    Download my CV and make it happen!