Yanis Chauvel

R&D Manager · Digital transformation & AI

I turn the way people work into software they actually use.

I lead R&D at a Belgian engineering company and run my own AI product studio. Before software, I spent twelve years leading teams, events and projects in tourism. Different fields, same starting point: the people and the way they work.

See what I do today Say hello →
Portrait of Yanis Chauvel

The story so far

Three chapters, one method

Studies, twelve years in tourism, then software and AI. The skills came along at every step.

Pick a chapter, or use the arrow keys.
2003 2003–2007 · Brittany, France

Law, then tourism design

I learned to design a product around the person who will use it.

  • LawTwo years of law at the Université de Bretagne Occidentale.
  • DesignUniversity diploma in tourism product design and development, IUT Quimper.
2007 2007–2019 · Swiss Alps · Egypt

Twelve years of teams, events and projects

An event is a project with a fixed date and a live audience.

  • TeamsRan the team of an eco-lodge in an Egyptian oasis.
  • EventsCoordinated more than a thousand events across four ski resorts and their villages.
  • ProjectsLed projects with external partners: an augmented-reality game, a local social network and projects showcasing local heritage.
Now Since 2019

Digital products and AI

Same skills, new medium.

The switch

In 2019 I moved from tourism to software: freelance projects first, then the Digital Project Manager title from OpenClassrooms in 2021. Leading teams and running projects carried straight over.

Since 2022 · Namur, Belgium

R&D Manager, Thelis

I lead a multidisciplinary team of 15–20 developers and engineers. We build software for public institutions and industry. I take projects from business analysis and functional design to delivery and maintenance.

Since 2019

Founder, Thinkify

My product studio: AI agents, process automation and web applications for small businesses, and three products of my own.

Kitebakiteba.eu ↗

School life in one app: attendance, grades, timetables and a parent portal. Nine languages, Arabic included.

 Thinkibotthinkibot.eu ↗

WhatsApp, Instagram and website messages in one inbox. An AI agent answers and qualifies new leads.

 Thinkitradthinkitrad.com ↗

AI pre-translation that runs on the client's own machine. Tested on Arabic, French and English.

How I work

Three steps, in this order

  1. Listen

    Meet the people who will use it. See how the work is done today, with its shortcuts and its workarounds.

  2. Shape

    Map the process, write the specification, and choose the tools last.

  3. Deliver

    Ship in small steps, train the users, and stay until the tool is really used.

Contact

Say hello

The quickest way to reach me is WhatsApp. I also read my LinkedIn messages.

LinkedIn ↗