Pierre-Louis Bescond: not born yesterdAI (SKEMA 2004)

SKEMA ALUMNI

Head of Data & Advanced Analytics, Roquette

In the depths of AI

“Before AI and machine learning, we were relatively limited in our ability to explain phenomena using conventional statistics. Deep learning and machine learning enable us to find correlations or patterns we weren’t able to identify with simple regressions.”

Dyed in the wool

“I’ve always been in love with IT, ever since I was 6. A computer was the first thing I asked for, not a football. My parents were dumbstruck: in the 1980s, it wasn’t as common as it is today.

A born coder

“‘I’m in charge of a team of data scientists and data engineers consisting of mathematics PhDs, engineers and top-level statisticians, but I continue to code and contribute actively to our projects. It’s vital to go on participating and maintaining an equivalent level of knowledge, so that you can be effective with these specialised issues.”

The use of words

“When OpenAI trained its first models, they took everything available on the Internet: a corpus created entirely by human beings. But machines have a very statistical approach to content creation. They take the most common words and end up generating texts from texts they have created themselves. We run the risk of confronting a form of intellectual inbreeding in the model. A bit like in sitcoms where under 1,000 words are used during an entire episode.

AI at every stage of the Roquette rocket

“Roquette has always had a strong data culture. The highly demanding markets we are positioned in (nutrition and pharmaceuticals) have always required us to manage our activities meticulously and ensure impeccable traceability through the data. The Usine du Futur programme was an opportunity to roll out the first models using AI to meet our production optimisation challenges. And the other functions were quick to follow: sales forecasts and optimisation, the analysis of huge bodies of documentation, predictive maintenance, talent retention, computer-aided vision… there are endless uses!”

KEY DATES

Since 2022

Head of Data & Advanced Analytics, Roquette

2021 – 2022

Head of Data Science, Roquette

Since 2020

Member of the Governance Committee of La Cité de l’IA

2015 – 2021

Future Factory Program Manager, Roquette

2003 – 2015

Project Director, Rio Tinto

2004

Graduated from SKEMA Business School with a Specialist Master’s in Project Management.

2003

Graduated from ICAM Lille (Highest-ranked graduate and President of his class)