John GENOUW
Lieutenant Colonel (GS)
Head of the department Scientific and Technological Research of Defence
Biography
The military career of Lieutenant Colonel John GENOUW has been marked by operational communications and information systems (CIS).
In 2006, after obligatory stints as part of a CIS unit and at the CIS school, he became equipment manager for satellite communications. As of such, he was responsible for leasing capacities on civilian and military satellites, investment and maintenance projects for the anchor station and the military equipment – both portable and aboard ships – for end users.
At the same time, he worked as project officer for the then-new Counter Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (C-RIED) capability (or jammers). He was able to fully carry out this project, from the needs identification stage to the use in operations.
In the following years, he worked as Joint Operational CIS Resources Manager and was responsible for the planning and allocation of CIS equipment for training activities and operations.
After completing the Senior Staff Course in 2014, he was put in charge of the Tactical Intranet sub-department, which employs highly trained CIS specialists and programmers who were responsible for second- and third-line support to operations.
In 2016, he became corps commander of the 10th Group CIS in Leopoldsburg. For two years, he was at the head of this unit which provides direct operational CIS support to deployed troops.
After this, he became one of the Land Operation instructors in the Defence College, where he taught about the IT aspect in the planning process.
In 2020, he returned to Peutie as Chief of Staff, but mainly as the right hand of the Director of the Competence Centre for Aeronautical Material and Communication and Information Systems (CC V&C).
Currently, he is the Director of the Department Scientific and Technological Research of Defence (STRD), which is part of the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (KHID). As such, he has a coordinating role in the fields of fundamental and operational research and helps shape national and international collaborations between military, academic and industrial partners.
Lieutenant Colonel John GENOUW is married and has one daughter.