MEMBER PROFILE Maurice Bottiau: DFI Europe Founder, a Valuable Link Bottiau’s technical expertise was on display when he served as a keynote speaker at DFI’s 2006 Amsterdam Conference in addition to those held in London in 2010, Stockholm in 2014 and at the 2018 DFI- EFFC gathering in Rome. In Rome, he served as the conference’s technical co-chair. In 2016, Bottiau was the co-editor of the Proceedings of the International Sym- posium of ETC3: Design of Piles in Europe – How did Eurocode 7 Change Daily Practice? Busy? You Bet! A Career Based on Solid There is an old saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” In the case of Maurice Bottiau, Franki Foun- dations, Belgium, the saying could not be more spot-on. He serves as Franki Belgium’s deputy general manager and is a member of the firm’s board of directors. He is responsible for global commercial and technology strategy. He is also a director of the French, Dutch and U.K. branches. Being fluent in French, Dutch and English languages is not only a plus but also a requirement to operate effectively across multiple national borders. DFI members know Bottiau from the many important volunteer positions he has held in the organization. He is a past trustee of DFI and a founder and member of the board of DFI Europe. His European industry leadership includes serving as the current president of the Belgian Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineer- ing. He is the chair of the European Technical Committee of ETC3 of the ISSMGE (International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering) on Pile Foundations. He is the past president of the Belgian Federation of Foundations Contractors, as well as the past president of the European Federation of Foundations Contractors (EFFC). AUTHOR S. Scot Litke, Hon. D.GE DEEP FOUNDATIONS • SEPT/OCT 2019 • 75 Underpinnings Bottiau’s early education focused on Latin and mathematics forming a solid base for advanced studies. In what seems to be a repeating theme in many of the DFI members that we have profiled, Bottiau initially thought that he would study architecture, but he ultimately decided to pursue civil engineering instead. His interes t s gravi tated toward deep foundations, which he found to offer a creative approach toward solving civil engineering challenges. (A bit of the architect coming through?) He received his M.S. degree with greatest distinction in civil engineering at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). He later studied business administration at the University of Antwerp from which he earned an advanced degree. He feels that this work prepared him for his business- related career that began in 1986 at Franki. In 1988, he joined SOCOFUNDA and was with the firm from 1988 to 2010, advancing from project engineer to commercial director and ultimately to managing director. He rejoined Franki in 2002 as group commercial director. Through this process, Bottiau gained a good deal of valuable operational and corporate leadership experience. Opportunities Offered, Opportunities Taken He credits Dr. Alain Holeyman, professor at ULB, as the person who helped pique his interest in deep foundations. Bottiau notes, Dr. Holeyman “places a premium on creative problem solving rather than rigid rules and the benefits of versatility.” He credits his relationship with Dr. Holeyman with exposing him to the relationship between academic research in ground engineering, specifically soil dynamics, and industry. He liked the fact that, “feeling and experience plays a major role in how projects are designed and executed.” Bottiau was also influenced by meeting world renowned geotechnical engineer Dr. Van Impe, long-time president of the ISSMGE. They have remained close. He also mentions that David Sherwood, director of Bachy Soletanche in the U.K., invited him to become a member of EFFC, of which he later became president. He points out that the many organizations in which he has participated, including DFI, have provided him with opportunities to meet wonderful people from whom he feels he has learned so much. Bottiau’s tells us that, “ having exposure to a broad spectrum of practices in Europe and in the U.S. as it relates to design, codes, contracting and risk, offers a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other.” He goes on, “However, it is important to recognize the importance of local knowledge. Reflect globally, but think and act locally, and always challenge your thoughts.” He points out that this subject was explored in detail at the Bored Piles presentation at a workshop during the DFI Annual Conference in Atlanta in 2014. The session addressed differences in European and U.S. practices. Technical papers from that session can be found in the DFI Journal, 2016, Volume 10, Issue 2.
