Welcome to our March FME Community User Spotlight! Every month, we’ll be spotlighting a user in the community whose active participation and helpful contributions have been invaluable to the community. We’re excited to highlight their experiences and insights!
In anticipation of the Peak of Data & AI 2025 coming up this May, we’ll be featuring speakers from the Peak over the next three months in our spotlights.
User Spotlight: Margot D’haemer @margotdh
What’s your name?
Margot D’haemer
What company do you currently work for?
Nordend
What’s your current job role and title?
BIM/FME Consultant
Tell us more about what you do and how you use FME?
Since 2022, I’ve worked for Nordend (a Belgian company). I use FME (Form/Flow) on a daily basis to create data workflows for clients in different fields (government, utilities, and AEC). The assignments range from easy ETL tools to complex geometrical transformations.
Why did you join the FME Community?
The main reason I joined the community was to ask questions or find solutions there. It’s amazing how active the FME community is - the chances are high that the solution to your problem is already out there!
What are you speaking about at the Peak of Data & AI 2025?
At the Peak 2025, I’ll be speaking about handling large datasets in FME, with a special focus on working with OpenStreetMap (OSM) data from multiple large countries.
While developing a workflow for Reijers, a Dutch cartography company, I encountered unexpected memory limitations in FME. This challenge forced me to rethink my approach to processing this data, leading to innovative solutions and valuable insights on managing memory efficiently. I’m excited to share these lessons and strategies at the Peak this year.
Why do you think an FME user should attend the Peak 2025?
I believe it’s the best way to discover the full potential of FME. Attending the Peak in the past opened my eyes to the many ways FME can be used. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with others in the field, exchange ideas, and learn from their experiences.
If you’ve been to a past user conference hosted by Safe, what’s one of your favourite memories from it?
Speaking at my first user conference in 2023 in Bonn was a great experience. I was extremely nervous for my short 10-minute talk, but afterward, several people came up to me to say that they found it interesting and valuable. This gave me a huge confidence boost and made me so happy.
What are you most looking forward to at the Peak 2025?
Difficult to choose! Recently, we at Nordend started working with an American client. I’ve been collaborating with them for months looking at a screen and now I'm really looking forward to finally meeting the people in real life!
If you were stranded on an island and could only bring three things with you, what would they be?
- An oven
- An electric generator
- A homemade lasagna, fresh out of that oven
