Our Network In Action: Turning Practitioner Expertise Into Influential Ideas

November 12, 2026. London, UK. At Verdantix, our research starts with great expertise. That expertise comes not only from our analysts, but also from the practitioners who shape our communities, challenge our assumptions and share what is working on the ground.

Our Vantage Councils bring together senior practitioners from across industries and regions to compare approaches to shared operational challenges. Vantage members receive free access to our Voyager intelligence platform. Council members go further, helping to shape our research agenda and taking practical lessons on operational transformation to a wider audience.

Our recent webinar, What It Takes To Scale Reliability Across Industrial Operations, was a snapshot of this insight in action. For the first time, a member of our Vantage Industrial Asset Management Council joined us as a guest speaker, bringing first-hand experience to peers beyond the Council, sharing expertise with a wider audience.

Thomas Povanda, Head of Asset Management at Sanofi and a member of our Vantage Industrial Asset Management Council, spoke alongside Malavika Tohani, VP of Research, and Sayanh Alam, Industry Analyst. Drawing on experience at Wyeth, Pfizer, Merck and Johnson & Johnson, Thomas explored how leading manufacturers scale asset reliability across global operations. The discussion focused not only on technology, but also on the organizational disciplines that underpin operational transformation, from maintenance strategy and governance to workforce engagement and continuous improvement.

“Our Councils exist to bring real-world experience into our research. Hearing Thomas discuss what works on the plant floor, and what doesn’t, is exactly the kind of insight our community values. By bringing member voices into our webinars and events, we keep our research informed by the challenges organizations face, and we will keep creating more opportunities for peer learning across the community,” said Malavika Tohani, VP of Research at Verdantix and Chair of the Vantage Industrial Asset Management Council.

Thomas's participation reflects how the Vantage Councils offer the chance for practitioners to share experience, influence industry conversations and help peers navigate similar challenges.

For Council members, participation goes well beyond attending meetings, with opportunities to:

• Speak at Verdantix Transform summits, where Council members present lessons learned to broader audiences of peers.
• Influence research agendas by highlighting the issues that matter most to practitioners.
• Exchange ideas with senior leaders across industries and regions facing similar operational challenges.
• Provide analyst teams with first-hand feedback on technology providers, implementation approaches and emerging market trends.

Each contribution helps the next practitioner facing a similar decision and keeps our research anchored in real-world experience.

At our Transform Industrial Agility Summit in March 2027, Council members, business leaders and technology experts will come together to share practical approaches to improving industrial performance. Our next webinar on November 24 will explore high-impact AI use cases for maintenance and reliability, continuing the conversation around the technologies and strategies shaping the future of industrial operations. We hope to see you there! Thank you to Thomas for sharing his time and experience, and to everyone who joined the discussion.

Are you a senior practitioner interested in joining a Vantage Council, or would like to speak at a Verdantix event? Get in touch with Lucy Drury, Marketing Manager, Councils & Brand, at [email protected] to find out more.