Georgia Institute of Technology

John Ball

Chief Executive Officer, KXEN

As an undergrad, I felt a natural draw toward international engineering.  I spent my Junior year studying abroad in Germany, and when I finished, I knew I’d return to Europe soon.  Little did I know, less than a year later I’d be one of the pioneers of the Georgia Tech Lorraine program, and taking a journey that has me positioned as CEO of a global software firm.  

When I initially inquired about the program, Dr. Puttgen (the first President of Georgia Tech Lorraine) asked if I could be in France in 2 weeks, and the rest as they say, is history.  I left for France without knowing any French, and not knowing exactly where I was going.  The program was so new, there wasn’t even a building when I arrived.  Despite the initial physical limitations, my time at GTL proved to be a cultural awakening; and an experience that propelled me into international entrepreneurialism.   

I enrolled in the dual MS degree program with Supelec, a grand ecole in France, where I learned to speak French fluently and developed a global perspective; one that’s become the hallmark of the Georgia Tech Lorraine program.  Following graduation, I’ve been in leadership roles with several global software firms, developing innovative software products and bringing them to market.  Today, I’m currently CEO at KXEN, an organization that provides next generation business analytics software to drive improved corporate decisions.  I developed my global commerce skills at Georgia Tech Lorraine and Supelec and it’s clear that without my time there, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today.  This global preparation and approach to education and cultural awareness, has helped fuel innovation throughout the Lorraine region, Europe, and the southern United States.  As part of the inaugural class of five, I’m proud to be part of an alumni base of over 2,500 worldwide. 

Dr. Bertrand Boussert

Georgia Tech Faculty Member, Electrical & Computer Engineering

In August 1990, I joined Georgia Tech Lorraine with 4 other american students.  As the the first five students to enroll in the new program launched by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Supelec in Electrical & Computer Engineering, we were pioneers. I heard about the program while finishing my Maitrise de Physique at the University of Metz and immediately saw the terrific opportunity to graduate from a top American University. Having a dual-engineering degree from a world-wide recognized institution and a top French engineering school, was an ideal start-up for a career in an international environment. Looking back at this pioneering experience, the Georgia Tech Lorraine experience was a differentiator.   It pushed me to take risks, recognize the benefits and finally be an eye-opener on what’s going on in the world. Even though we each followed a different route, we (the 5 pioneers) are always in contact, 20 years after.

Derek Treatman

International Medical Research Consultant

Having spent a summer abroad in Paris, I enrolled in entry level French courses in grammar and literature and I swore that I would one day return in hopes of getting to know the language better, the culture, and of course, the gastronomy that made such a lasting impression in my short two month stay. Little did I know that it would be only one year later, prompted by an acceptance letter to Georgia Tech, that my hopes would come to realization. Enrolled in the dual degree master's program with a french grandes écoles in electrical engineering, Supélec, I followed far more than the standard graduate curriculum: mine including french language and cooking lessons from my roommates in the student dorms and learning the ropes of not only a new school but a new school system with its own methods of teaching, studying, and application. I realized that as an engineer my work would be international, designed with the world in mind - solutions that fit all over the planet. With a fair amount of effort within the year, my french became fluent, allowing me to explore deeper into the rich culture around me. During a summer internship with Silicom as a validation engineer for cellular providers, I traveled the country testing mobile phones and got to know France from not just its major cities like Lyon, Marseille, and Toulouse, but from its smaller towns left off the site-seeing map. From the suburbs of Paris to the center of Limoges. I saw France from the perspective of those who live there, rather than a common passing tourist, and became fascinated, eager to explore what normal life is across the globe. Since graduation and with a couple years of experience designing clinical information systems for the Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City, I now work independently and remotely for medical research groups in New York and Taiwan as I travel the world in pursuit of learning new languages and experiencing life elsewhere. My decisions in the past year have taken me across Panama and Mexico while learning Spanish, from the northern tip of Sweden above the arctic circle down through the center of Spain, and across the Mediterranean to Tunisia to study Arabic. As my perspective grows wider, it becomes ever more clear not just the differences between peoples but the similarities, enabling me as an engineer more capable of innovating, designing, and working for all people, not just a people.

Philippe Jaspart

Principal Manager, Celerant Consulting

Studying at Georgia Tech was a great opportunity to get a recognized American degree and complement/enhance my French engineering degree while strenghtening my English, discovering a new culture, and meeting people from various horizons.  Following Georgia Tech, I spent close to 5 years in the US; of which, 4 were based in Atlanta.  I chose Atlanta to take advantage of the network of people I had met while at Georgia Tech.  The Georgia Tech degree helped me greatly, by opening doors in the U.S., particularly with Celerant Consulting, with whom I'm still working after 10 years.