Wouter Kool

Wouter Kool is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in machine learning and operations research. Currently serving as VP of Research & AI at ORTEC since January 2014, Wouter leads strategic initiatives focused on vehicle routing algorithms and the integration of large language models to optimize products and processes. Previous roles include a PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam from September 2017 to March 2022, where research centered on deep reinforcement learning for combinatorial optimization problems, and a research scientist internship at Google DeepMind in 2021, contributing to award-winning research. Wouter holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Machine Learning for Combinatorial Optimization, two master’s degrees in Econometrics and Operations Research and Business Analytics, and a bachelor's degree in Business Analytics, all from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.