Patrice Brand is no ordinary CTO, having also come from a commercial background and previously founded his own company. Animated and engaging, Patrice is tangibly excited about the task ahead, taking over from Charles-Henri Faure after 15 years. We caught up with him to find out what brought him here, and his ideas for continuing AQUA4D’s rich history with R&D.
Q: Patrice, what convinced you to make the move to AQUA4D?
PB: I’m an engineer but I work a lot with my feelings, and when I first met the team I felt this was the right thing for me. I like it when there are lots of things to grapple with. Here it’s not just about the technology it’s about lots of different aspects, and impacts in agriculture, buildings, animal health and more. It’s a new discovery and a very nice challenge.
I’ve always loved working with people of different fields and different profiles. It involves mental gymnastics, and always staying flexible. If you’re not flexible, it’s impossible to be a good manager.
Q: What were you doing before, and how does this relate?
PB: I had two key formative experiences which are relevant – one with an architecture firm, one with a medical devices firm. In the first I essentially learned the job of an architect, and all the aspects it takes to construct a building and manage all stakeholders. These were global projects across Europe and language boundaries, and also a good learning in terms of working to very fixed deadlines and budgets.
I then began a medical devices startup, B2B and B2C, as well as working with institutions. As it was a scientifically complicated device, I needed to ‘translate’ the engineering language to communicate the benefits to a nurse, for example. But at the same time, I needed be exceedingly scientific and exact for scientific publications – this was a huge act of mental gymnastics. There are many parallels with AQUA4D; especially in the Buildings segment the installation of an AQUA4D® system involves this same bridging between installers, institutions, customers, and juggling various regulations.
Patrice Brand at previous company Anaxi (2015)
Q: As an engineer, what were your first impressions of AQUA4D® technology?
PB: At first, I didn’t understand the engineering behind it, and as a scientist I never like not understanding something! I read a lot of publications about water tech, Maxwell fields, quantum physics etc. I now have a good basis, so I can better help users of the system understand what is going on.
Soon we plan to work with different universities in Switzerland, Slovenia and more, to build a European / Eureka project to understand the parameters of analyzing treated water and show the impressive AQUA4D® effects.
Q: How is AQUA4D as a place to work?
PB: As a nature lover, Valais is the place to be. I’ve already enjoyed so many outdoor activities together with my new colleagues. As a team, both at work and out of office, we are all on the same wavelength here. I love being with the team and sharing beautiful moments. The atmosphere, good communication, innovative spirit, constant investigation, and the can-do attitude make this place special.
Q: AQUA4D® has many possible uses. Are there any other things you’d like to explore?
PB: I want to further expand our customer follow-up, especially in the US, with strong technical teams. This will expand our “Technology-as-a-Service” aspects and Agriculture 4.0 monitoring, and continue sharing and improving water management issues, irrigation practices, and decision-making processes. The more results and info we have in our hands, the better we can be, and the better more we can deal with problems.
On a design level, we plan to expand technical assistance and showing where AQUA4D fits into existing water infrastructure. We want to improve the experience from beginning to end – from the design to after-sales, so that the customer feels they are never alone.
Soon I will be in Chile and then in California, to see the applications in the field. In Chile, there is a huge opportunity for AQUA4D in the mining industry – as an engineer I am excited by the opportunities and challenges this poses, and the huge potential benefits.
Q: What do you hope to achieve in the coming years?
PB: I want us to become an important worldwide company. Coming from a start-up mentality, I have a huge motivation to grow. We are all rowing in the same direction and this is a very good time but we need to make the best decisions right now.
I am an early riser and a constant learner. One needs to open their mind 360 degrees, and never stop learning. I walk 30 mins every day to the office, even in winter – I prepare my mind, imagining the different chapters of the day. It is my best moment of the day, and my meditation.
Thanks, Patrice!
Switzerland
Precision Irrigation
AQUA4D People
“Coming from a start-up mentality, I have a huge motivation to grow, and we are all rowing in the same direction. We want to keep improving the AQUA4D experience from beginning to end – from the design to after-sales, so that the customer feels they are never alone.”
Check this video interview with Patrice to find out more