Ian Verhappen has been interested in process control since he was a student at the University of Alberta with their Process Control program. His transition into the automation industry occurred when he was hired to design and troubleshoot process analyser sample systems in the oil sands industry, where he worked for 20 years before transitioning to the Manufacturing and Engineering/Consulting sectors of the automation business.

In North America, automation is one of those sectors that many practitioners ‘fall into.’ Because, there are limited formal education opportunities to learn about the profession; international standards are one source of the best in class industry knowledge. Ian has always been someone who participates rather than simply observing. Thus, contributing and participating in standards development has been one way of continuing his professional development. Sharing knowledge with others through this participation and publishing of technical materials is another way to give back and share his passion for this exciting industry that is so important yet not understood by most people.

The common denominator during Ian’s automation career has been technology and standards. Being able to implement standards on safety, security, and IIoT technologies here at Willowglen as part of the SentientQ team aligns with what “makes him tick”. Knowing that doing so will make a difference on multiple levels including protecting people and the environment, and improving economic conditions makes his role very rewarding and exciting to share with others.