Eda Ozdek works as a senior project manager at White Research (http://white-research.eu/), a Brussels-based research and consultancy company. Her key expertise lies in international funding, lobbying, project and policy research. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Master’s degree in Statistics at KU Leuven (Belgium), and is currently a doctoral researcher at KU Leuven’s Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. Eda began her professional career as a consultant in World Bank projects. She gained extensive experience in data management and complex data analysis by contributing to the Eurobarometer studies conducted on behalf of the European Commission and the World Bank. Eda has been working as a project manager and consultant in several funding programmes for over ten years. Her complementary skillset allowed her to participate in over 50 project proposals in IPA, FP7 and H2020 programmes in various fields. With White Research, Eda has also taken part in the preparation and implementation of tender projects for the European Commission on a wide array of topics, ranging from ICT and KETs to entrepreneurship. Building on her first-hand experience, she has delivered several trainings and coaching on EU Funding programmes and project development for SMEs, Universities and Research Centres, Public institutions. 

Tommaso Mignani graduated at the Faculty of Economics and Law at the University of Bologna and accomplished a Masters’ Degree in Development Studies at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, in UK. He has several years of work experience in managing and coordinating grants-related processes, including in conflict affected countries. He worked for EU institutions and international NGOs in Nepal, Brussels and Colombia and he is knowledgeable of disaster preparedness, humanitarian assistance, rights of indigenous people and gender equality issues, and the protection of human rights defenders. He currently works as Grants Coordinator at the secretariat of ProtectDefenders.eu, a consortium of twelve international NGOs implementing the EU HRD Mechanism, a project funded by DG DEVCOs’ EIDHR. 

Philippe Morin has a working experience of 12 years in the field of Aviation and in EU affairs. Previously he has worked as Deputy Representative at Air France KLM and as Manager Public Affairs at the Association of European Airlines. Currently, he is Assistant Director EU Affairs for IATA the International trade association representing more than 270 global airlines. Philippe is dealing with consumer rights, safety, financial issues, and access to infrastructures, taxes and many other files. 

João Pedro Silva has more than 15 years of professional expertise in the field of EU environmental policy and related funding programmes. He has been involved in LIFE programme, first as a LIFE Nature project manager, and now as a contractor supporting the European Commission on LIFE programme communications, especially on nature conservation and biodiversity strand. He is experienced in nature conservation and biodiversity issues and in EU Biodiversity policy; he has 7 years of experience in providing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). João is a Portuguese professional with a PhD from the Autonomous University of Madrid in Evolution Biology and Biodiversity.

Vincent Curie has a working experience of ten years in the field of EU funded projects. Previously he has worked as a project officer at the European Commission / EuropeAid and as senior adviser in EU projects at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Currently, he is responsible for EU funded projects in Business and Strategies Europe. B&S Europe is a Brussels based consultancy firm, specialized in cooperation and development projects, mainly in the governance sector. Vincent is responsible for the ENPI SOUTH and Balkans Department in B&S Europe, where he is managing different projects such as “Support to Fight Financial and Economic Crimes in Kosovo”, “Support to Criminal Justice in Serbia” and “Support to the Central Authority for Organisation and Training in Egypt”.

Enrico Riberi is an EU official working as External Auditor for the DG “Agriculture and rural development” of the European Commission. Before this position he has worked 7 years as Financial Adviser at the EACEA, the Education Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency of the European Commission. He developed his in-depth knowledge of the financial management of the EU grants working both in the Commission’s education sector (Lifelong Learning Programme – EACEA) and in the external aid service (EuropeAid). Before joining the European Commission, he worked as a project manager for several EU-funded projects (e.g. Interreg) at the European Affairs office of the Italian National Association of Municipalities (ANCI) based in Brussels. He is an IMES graduate; he also holds a university degree in Business Economics and the professional qualification of chartered accountant in the UK (ACCA – Association of Chartered Accountant).

John Baptist Onama was born in Lacor, Uganda. He has a solid background in the field of EU development co-operation policies, thanks to his direct participation in study missions and project fieldwork experiences in Kenya, Uganda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Ireland and Romania. Currently, he is a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Padua, yet he has been often called to conduct lectures on EU Project Cycle Management techniques both in Italy and abroad. He is Founder member and Chairman of the Italian Research Association for Sustainable Development Initiatives (IRASDI) and Vice Chairman of Incontro fra i Popoli NGO. He is the author of several publications such as «Africa Fifty Years After Decolonisation», «Development Cooperation and Gender Empowerment», «Decentralised Cooperation and Sustainable Urban Development», «Witnessing in Awareness» for UNICEF, «Promoting the International Cooperation Capacity of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)». He is a member of the Council for Dignity, Forgiveness, Justice and Reconciliation in Rome. He was Quality Board member in the EU Uni-Key Project. In 2012, he was part of the Committee for the Revision of the Development Cooperation Guidelines on Minors, developed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2009 to 2011 he worked on the Implementation of the law on Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation.

Thomas Berger has been head of the EU liaison office of the University of Applied Sciences (UAS) Fulda since 2016. Before he joined the university he had been managing director of the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research inter.reseaerch e.V. for 17 years. He still works part-time for the institute as director of mobility programmes and online academy. He has managed a regional Erasmus+ traineeships consortium since 2001 and the European Erasmus for young entrepreneurs consortium OPEN-EYE since 2009. He has been involved in numerous European research, education and innovation projects. The online academy implements results of European funded projects, which focused on the development of entrepreneurial, intercultural and civic key skills of mobile learners. Mr Berger received his Diploma Degree in Applied Computer Science in 1999 from the UAS Fulda and his MBA Degree in Science and Education Management in 2011 from the Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg.

Gabriella Iglói studied foreign trade and international relations and holds a PhD in management and business studies. She worked for 14 years within the national administration of Hungary as being in charge of several EU assistance programmes from pre-accession to Structural Funds. She had been representative of Hungary in cohesion policy related working groups of the European Council for 5 years and was president of these working groups during the Hungarian Presidency in 2011. Currently, she is policy officer within the European Commission, Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Policy.

Ilenia Gheno is Research Project Manager at AGE Platform Europe, International NGO advocating for older people, and representing directly more than 40 million seniors in the EU28. She holds a Master in European Policies and has worked as Project Manager and Coordinator for European Consultancies, Public Authorities, European Non-Governmental Bodies and Non-for-Profit Associations for more than 10 years. She has been responsible for the management of project activities, reporting and financial duties for more than 50 different European projects under FP7, CIP PSP, IEE, LLL, H2020, COSME; she coordinates inputs on project proposals, especially in the field of social policies, health and tele-medicine, transport, accessibility, senior tourism and ethics; she is responsible of team management (capacity building, quality control, efficacy and time efficient, internal communication, team valorisation) and works on user engagement strategies and implementation, especially addressed to older vulnerable persons. Since 2013 she has been appointed as independent reviewer at the European Commission on FP7 and COSME programmes.