David Ariens entered the world of large chemical plants in 2010 as a freshly graduated mathematical engineer, stepping into a newly invented position: data scientist at BASF, the multinational chemical giant. He arrived at a pivotal moment—that same year, the industrial world was shaken by Stuxnet, the first computer virus to target an industrial plant. Designed to damage an Iranian uranium enrichment facility previously considered impregnable, Stuxnet sent a shock wave through the industry and marked the tipping point when IT made its way into the heart of manufacturing companies.

Building the bridge between the corporate IT world and the operational OT world became Ariens's profession. He traveled the globe, guiding companies through this complex and fascinating change. In 2012 he introduced BASF's global Industrial Cyber Security program and was put in charge of overseeing the EMEA region. By 2018 he had become responsible for the industrial digitalization teams at one of the world's largest chemical production sites—the BASF facility in Antwerp—while also taking functional leadership of the EMEA Industry 4.0 team.

Today Ariens is the managing director of Analytics For Industry, a company focused on accelerating IT/OT convergence. He serves as an advisory board member for the software startup Timeseer.AI and teaches courses on industrial digital transformation. He is committed to becoming the go-to resource for leaders navigating this paradigm shift.