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Tom Stappaerts
Python engineer at Nuage Networks (Nokia)
Professional Background
Tom Stappaerts is a dynamic software engineer with robust experience and a strong educational background in computer science and informatics. He stands out in the technology realm for his expertise in software development and cybersecurity. Having honed his skills at prestigious organizations such as Nokia and Deloitte, Tom has become a respected figure in the industry, contributing significantly to various technology-driven projects.
With a remarkable foundation in engineering and computer science, Tom's journey in the tech world is driven by his passion for innovative solutions and improving cybersecurity practices. At Nokia, he has contributed to developing cutting-edge software solutions, ensuring that products meet the highest standards of quality and security. His role involves collaborating with teams to create user-friendly applications that enhance the user experience.
Education and Achievements
Tom's commitment to education is evident in his academic accomplishments. He pursued his Master of Engineering in Computer Science at the prestigious KU Leuven. This program equipped him with advanced technical skills and a deep understanding of complex computing systems. Prior to that, he completed a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Informatics at the same university, further solidifying his technical foundation.
Before his higher education journey at KU Leuven, Tom studied Economie - Wiskunde at Klein Seminarie Hoogstraten. This unique combination of economics and mathematics provided him with essential analytical skills that complement his technical expertise. Tom’s educational background underscores his diverse skill set that bridges engineering, technology, and analytical prowess.
Notable Professional Experiences
Tom's career trajectory reflects a blend of technical expertise and professional growth. As a Software Engineer at Nokia, he has embraced the challenges of software development, working on excited projects that leverage state-of-the-art technologies. His hands-on experience has allowed him to implement innovative solutions while focusing on performance and user satisfaction.
Before his role at Nokia, Tom served as a Consultant Cybersecurity at Deloitte Belgium. Here, he played a pivotal role in various cybersecurity initiatives, helping organizations enhance their digital defenses against an ever-evolving threat landscape. His work at Deloitte involved conducting risk assessments, developing strategies for cybersecurity, and advising clients on best practices for securing their information systems. Tom’s experience in cybersecurity adds another layer of depth to his professional portfolio, making him a well-rounded technology expert.
In his early career, Tom also gained valuable experience as an Intern at ING Belgium. This internship provided him with essential insights into the financial sector's technology applications, which would later inform his broader understanding of software use across various industries. The grounding he received during his internship laid the groundwork for his later success in technology and cybersecurity roles.
Achievements
Tom’s career is a testament to his continuous commitment to personal and professional growth. His strong educational background in computer science and engineering coupled with practical experience positions him as a thought leader in software development and cybersecurity. His journey reflects a pattern of seeking out knowledge and challenging himself to stay at the forefront of technology.
Through his work in software engineering, Tom has contributed to projects that have a tangible impact on user experience and security in the technology sector. He leverages his educational foundation to influence decision-making processes around technology solutions, enhancing organizational capabilities to respond to complex challenges in cybersecurity.
In summary, Tom Stappaerts exemplifies the ideal blend of education, experience, and passion for technology. His commitment to enhancing software solutions and cybersecurity measures makes him a valuable asset in any tech-driven environment. His journey thus far highlights not just what he has accomplished but hints at the many exciting innovations and contributions he still has to offer the tech community.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Clay is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Clay as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Clay offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Clay's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.
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