Yolanda Díaz (1971) has worked as a lawyer mainly in the field of labour law. As Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, she has championed social dialogue to achieve far-reaching agreements such as the Labour Reform or the increase in the Minimum Interprofessional Wage (SMI), which has risen by 47%.

In addition, it tackled the pandemic with the ERTEs, which covered up to 3.6 million workers and 550,000 companies. It promoted other pioneering regulations such as the so-called Rider law, which is serving as the basis for the future European directive on workers on digital platforms, and measures against the wage gap, embodied in the Equality and Equal Pay regulations. It has also settled a great historical debt with domestic workers, who can now access unemployment benefits.

Nicolas Schmit took up office as European Commissioner responsible for Jobs and Social Rights in December 2019. Prior to this, he served as a Member of the European Parliament for the social-democratic Lëtzebuerger Sozialistesch Aarbechterpartei following his election in May 2019. From 2009 to 2018, he held the position of Minister for Labour and Employment in the Luxembourgish government. In 2004, he was appointed Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Immigration.

Following a long career of public service, he took up duty as Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the EU in 1998 for a six-year term.

Nicolas Schmit holds a Doctorate in International Economic Relations and a Masters in French Literature from the University of Aix-Marseille.

She holds a degree in criminology from the University of Liège. From a very young age and for almost 10 years she worked as an advisor in various ministerial cabinets (Deputy Prime Minister and Gender Equality, Minister of Justice, Walloon Minister of the Interior, among others).

In 2006 she was appointed councillor for Esneux (commune of Wallonia, in the province of Liège), a position she held until 2014. She was elected Walloon MP in the 2014 regional elections and was delegated by the French Community as a senator.

In September 2019, she was appointed Minister for Employment, Training, Health, Social Action and Social Economy, Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights, in the regional government led by the former Belgian Socialist Prime Minister, Elio di Rupo.

Although he started his career in banking, he soon moved into political positions as an advisor in various ministries.

In 1998 he was elected as a member of the Swedish Parliament for the Liberal Party. As Minister for Employment and Integration from 2022, he will be responsible for labour and labour market issues, integration, non-discrimination, human rights and minorities.

The government consists of three parties: Prime Minister Robert Golob’s Freedom Movement (centre and green), the Social Democrats and Mesec’s left-wing “Levica” party. Mesec is the coordinator of the ecosocialist left-wing party “Levica” and has been a member of the National Assembly since 2014.

A graduate in European studies, before becoming an MP at the age of 27, he was coordinator of the activist organisation Workers’ University and director of the Slovenian Institute for Labour Studies.

Leonie Gebers (1971, Karlsruhe) completed her studies in political science, sociology and economics at the University of Augsburg (Magister Artium) between 1990 and 1997. In 1994, she completed part of her studies abroad, in particular at the University of London (SOAS).

Since March 2018 she has been Permanent State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Previously, she was head of the directorate responsible for “Environment, Climate, Bioeconomy” at the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (end of 2017 to March 2018).

In 2017 she held the position of head of staff for “Policy Coordination” at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs; between 2016 and 2017 head of the directorate responsible for the Minister’s Office, Policy Planning at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, and between 2014 and 2016, she was head of the division responsible for “Policy Coordination” at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy

From 2009 to 2014, she was responsible for policy coordination for economic and labour market policy in the Social Democratic Party’s parliamentary group in the Bundestag.

Between 1999 to 2009 she was policy officer at the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and previously policy officer in the SPD Executive.

Ivan Vidiš is the State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family, and Social Policy, whose scope of responsibilities includes the labour market and employment policies, with a particular focus on active employment policy measures, as well as labour relations regulation and the management and implementation of operational programs co-financed by the European Social Fund. Prior to his appointment as State Secretary, he worked as an Advisor in the Cabinet of the Minister, responsible for coordinating and managing international activities and playing a key role in the preparations for Croatia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2020. He gained valuable professional experience in the field of diplomacy through his previous roles as a European Commission Trainee at DG for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion in Brussels, and as an employee in the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. He also had the privilege of serving in the Office of Andrej Plenković, Member of the European Parliament in 2014. He holds a Master’s degree in Current Democracies: Federalism, Nationalism, and Multiculturality from Pompeu Fabra University, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Zagreb.

Miguel Fontes (1971) holds a degree in Sociology from ISCTE-IUL (1994) and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from INDEG/ISCTE (2003).

He began his career in 1994 as a researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon. He was Assistant to the Prime Minister’s Office, in charge of the Social Advisory Office, from October 1995 to November 1997.

Furthermore, he also served as Secretary of State for Youth in two governments, from November 1997 to April 2002. He was a director of MRB Holding S.G.P.S., S.A., MRB Promoção Imobiliária S.A., Somalfa – Gestão e Investimentos Imobiliários S.A., as well as non-executive director of Leisurecorp, S.A – Gestão de Health Clubs S.A. He was executive director of Aicep Global Parques – Gestão de Áreas Empresariais e Serviços, S.A. from 2010 to 2015.

His other positions and responsibilities include:

• Staff at Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, where he worked in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Social Economy, and in the Department of Quality and Innovation.
• Executive Director of Startup Lisboa since January 2016.
• Member of the Strategic Council of Startup Portugal.
• Co-opted member of the Board of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Nova University (2017- 2020) and member of the MBA Strategic Board at ISEG.

Mădălin-Cristian VASILCOIU, State Secretary Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity

Born on the 14th of October 1980, Mădălin-Cristian Vasilcoiu is a Journalism and Law graduate, with 17 years of experience in both local and central media, reporter, correspondent and producer for several national newspapers and TV channels.

He has 7 years of experience in central public administration in positions such as Head of Cabinet of the Minister of Labour, advisor to the Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity, head of the Communication Department within the Ministry of Labour, advisor to the Secretary, the Quaestor and the Vice-President of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies.

He is a member of the Social Democratic Party.

He was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity in December 2021. 

Since 2010 he has been a member of the Bratislava – Dúbravka City Council, a member of the Bratislava Autonomous Region, and also a member of the City Council.

From 2016 to 2020 he was a member of the Executive Board of the Cvernovka Foundation and from 2018 to 2020 he held the position of Deputy Mayor of the City of Bratislava for Sport, Education, Communication with BSK and Security.

During his professional career he worked in the private sector in different managerial positions. In 2020 and 2021 he was a member of the Board of the Environmental Fund under the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic. Since September 2020 he has been heading the Social Insurance Company as its General Director.

On 23 March 2022, the Government of the Slovak Republic appointed him State Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic.

Antonio  holds a degree in Political Science and Sociology from the Complutense University of Madrid, where he also completed a postgraduate degree in the specialty of Praxis of the Sociology of Consumption.

Expert in management and coordination of teams, management processes and employment and training programs for employment, he carries out an important work as a driver of change and continuous improvement, directing and coordinating innovative projects both internally in his organization and at national and international level.

The organization of the I International Training for Employment Exhibition 2021 “Formando Futuro” to coincide with the 45th meeting of the ILO/Cinterfor Technical Committee, the participation and leadership in projects framed in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and the implementation of the Digitalízate project for training in digital skills and support for the digital transformation of SMEs are some of the key milestones of his professional career.

With a degree in Business Administration and Management from Schiller International University in London and a Bachelor in Transport Techniques and Systems from Loughborough University, he has never abandoned his technical and humanistic training and in 2015 he moved to Boston (USA) to study the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

After being appointed Coordinator in the Maintenance Division of ALSA GRUPO, he was appointed Director of ALSA GRUPO in the same division. Subsequently, he created the Board of Directors of ALSA GRUPO in which he participated and which functioned until 2005, the year in which the integration into NX took place. Since then, he has been a member of the Board of ALSA in Spain.

2023 is the year in which ALSA celebrates its first Centenary.

In 2006 she was appointed Director of Operations for the Northern Territory of Telefónica Spain, where she was responsible for the creation, provision and maintenance of Telefónica’s fixed and mobile network in the region. A few years later, in 2012, she was appointed Director of the Southern Territory, before taking over as CEO of Telefónica Spain in 2018. In April 2021, she was elected CEO of Telefónica Tech Cyber Security and Cloud, where she had been leading the cybersecurity and cloud division of Telefónica Group’s leading technology services provider NextGen.

She has recently been appointed COO (Chief Operating Officer) for Spain and the Americas. Telefónica Tech has more than 6,000 professionals of +60 nationalities, with +3,500 certifications, and has a strategic presence in Spain, United Kingdom, DACH region, Adriatic region, Nordic countries, United States, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Chile and Mexico. It has the capacity to provide its services to 5.5 million B2B customers of the Telefónica Group, including Companies and Public Administration, as well as SMEs and SOHOs.

After completing his civilian service and gathering work experience at a Russian industrial group, he joined the STRABAG Group in Russia in 2011, where he worked, among other things, as a commercial project manager. From 2015, he worked in the Stuttgart subdivision of the German STRABAG Group company Ed. Züblin AG – initially as manager of the commercial business unit for turnkey construction, from 2018 as manager of the commercial subdivision.

Klemens Haselsteiner has been a member of the Management Board of STRABAG SE since 1 January 2020, with responsibility for the areas of innovation, digitalisation and sustainability. From 1 January 2023, he has been entrusted with the function of CEO of STRABAG SE.

Jürgen Siebel holds a degree in economics from the University of Hamburg. He joined CEDEFOP from the private sector in September 2019. As Executive Director, he is responsible for managing the Agency’s operations in line with the strategic direction of its tripartite Board of Directors.

Jürgen has a background in human resource management, with a special emphasis on learning and education. In this context, he has also worked with institutional actors in the field of vocational education and training at national, European and global level.

He holds a degree in economics from the University of Rome and a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Between 2002 and 2006, he worked as chief economist and labour market advisor at the World Bank.

Within the OECD he has held various positions. In 2010 he was appointed Deputy Director of the ELS Directorate until 2013, when he was promoted to Director.

His publications are mainly on skills mismatch and educational attainment, the Gender Gap in the labour market, labour market institutions and public policy evaluation.

She started her career in the International Relations Department of the Brussels-Capital Region, where she was Head of the Multilateral Relations Unit for eight years (1999-2008). Between 2009 and 2011, Caroline was a.i. Deputy Delegate (Competitiveness and EPSCO Council) at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU (Delegation of the Brussels-Capital Region).

During the Belgian EU Presidency (2010), her main mission was to prepare and coordinate the Presidency’s activities in the field of Research (Competitiveness Council). Subsequently, she was Research and Innovation Advisor to the Minister for Research of the Brussels-Capital Region, Benoît Cerexhe – Céline Fremault (2011-2014). In 2014, Caroline joined Actiris, the Brussels Public Employment Service, as Director of the Employers’ Department and in 2016 she was appointed Deputy Director General.

Since 1 July 2023, Caroline Mancel has held the position of President of the PES Network.

Subsequently, from 1999 to 2007 she worked as a policy officer in several federal ministries as well as in the office of the Commission “Modern Services in the Labour Market” (also known as the “Hartz Commission”). Between 2007 and 2022, Vanessa Ahuja worked at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, most recently as head of the Department for “Labour Market Policy, Employment of Foreign Residents, Unemployment Insurance and Basic Insurance for Jobseekers”.

Since May 2022, she has been a member of the Executive Board of the German Federal Employment Agency, where she is responsible for Benefits and International Affairs.

Previously, he was director of Ed Policy Forward and an associate professor at George Mason University. During the Obama Administration, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education and Student Financial Aid at the U.S. Department of Education, Senior Advisor for Higher Education to the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Senior Policy Advisor to Congressman Polis of Colorado.

Spiros holds a PhD from the University of Colorado Denver, an M.A. from the New School University and a B.A. summa cum laude from Northeastern University.

He holds a degree in Law and is an expert in Employment, Labour Relations, Social Dialogue and Social Security. He also holds a Master’s degree in Leadership and Management of public policies.

Gerardo has held various positions in the National Employment System, which means that he has significant knowledge of the state and regional employment framework in Spain. From 2008 to 2011 he was Director General of Employment in the Public Employment Service of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha, having subsequently also held other relevant positions in the labour field.

Since July 2018 he has held the position of director general of the State Public Employment Service (SEPE).

Between 1995 and 2008 he held management positions in the secondary schools where he works, in the provinces of Barcelona and Guadalajara.
Since September 2008, he has held his current position as Deputy Director General of Statistics and Information of the State Public Employment Service (SEPE). This sub-directorate houses the SEPE’s Occupations Observatory, which analyses the situation and trends in the labour market and prepares the Annual Report on Training Needs.

The S.D.G. for Statistics and Information coordinates the information systems of the Public Employment Services of all the Autonomous Regions. It is responsible for compiling statistics on registered unemployment, contracts and unemployment benefits.

It has been Spain’s representative in the Indicators Group of the European Commission’s Employment Committee. He currently participates in the Expert Group on Labour Market Statistics of the same Committee, and is a member of the Steering Group of the Benchlearning Project, for benchmarking and mutual learning between Public Employment Services of the European Union.

On 1 November 2015 he took up the position of director in the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. He was responsible for the management of the European Social Fund in Romania, Bulgaria, Malta and Spain, the implementation of the Employment Strategy through tools such as the Youth Guarantee, the Recommendation on long-term unemployment and the network of Public Employment Services, as well as legislative and policy issues related to working conditions, including health and safety at work.

Since 1 September 2022 he is Deputy Director-General responsible for policy issues in the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.

He holds a PhD in Economic Sociology from the University of Salamanca, where he worked for several years as a researcher and lecturer. Previously, he also worked as a researcher at Eurofound (Dublin), participating in and coordinating large European research projects, such as the European Working Conditions Survey.

He has made numerous contributions to the study of job quality, changing occupational structures, technical change and socio-economic inequalities.

Since 2016, he has also been the editor of NAV’s Horizon Scan publication, which analyses the most important societal trends that may affect the labour and welfare field by 2035, and the challenges and opportunities these trends will bring to the organisation.

Ole Christian Lien is an economist from the University of Oslo and Humboldt University in New York.

Her participation in the preparation of the National Reform Programme is in line with the EU Employment Strategy and EU 2025, the National Programme for the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM). Active participation in the network of Public Employment Services (at EU level) provided many opportunities to learn from the best practices of other Member States in the design and implementation of employment, social inclusion and work-related policies.

She has more than 15 years of experience in the field of labour market policy in the Employment Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. She holds a Master’s degree in Administration and Management from the Kaunas University of Technology.

Furthermore, she is also an expert in the EU twinning project “Support to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population in the modernisation of Public Employment Services in the Republic of Azerbaijan” and responsible for the definition, evaluation and monitoring of key tasks of the Central Project Management Agency.

Ashwani has also led major research projects and publications such as the ILO Toolkit for Quality Learning, the Core Competencies for Work and Life Framework, Lifelong Learning and Skills for the Future of Work, Recognition of Prior Learning and Skills Development Policies.

One of his most notable achievements was leading a team drafting regulatory reports and background information for a new International Labour Standard on Quality Learning for International Labour Conferences.

She has more than 20 years of professional experience in the management and direction of employment services at local, national and transnational level.

In 2005 she joined Barcelona Activa – the local development agency of Barcelona City Council – as digital content coordinator. Since then she has assumed different responsibilities linked to the conceptualisation and implementation of projects for the promotion of employability and labour intermediation.

Since 2021 she has been in charge of career guidance and job search services at Barcelona Activa.

Maru Menéndez has a  Degree in Psychology from the Complutense University of Madrid.

She was an official of the State Public Employment Service (SEPE) of the Ministry of Labor, Senior Scale of Autonomous Organizations.

She was a member of the Executive of the General Union of Workers of Madrid.

She was Senator for the Assembly of Madrid and Spokeswoman of the Socialist Parliamentary Group in the Assembly of Madrid.

She was Deputy Director General of Active Employment Policies of the SEPE.

She was born in Vitoria (Álava) on 14/09/1973, she holds a degree in Law from the University of Deusto, an MBA from the Autonomous University of Madrid, and a Master’s Degree in Management of Non-Profit Organisations from the UNED.

She has also completed the European Affairs Technician course and the European Master in Fundraising promoted by the Plataforma de ONG, and Third Sector Manager, as well as the PDG General Management Programme at the IESE (Business School) of the University of Navarra.
She is currently General Secretary and Director of Transformation, Excellence and Equality at Fundación ONCE, as well as General Secretary of Inserta Empleo, an expert in employment and training for people with disabilities at Fundación ONCE.

She is a member, among others, of the Monitoring Committee of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the World Bank to promote the economic and social development of people with disabilities through education, employment, skills development, training, universal accessibility and design for all; trustee of the ONCE Guide Dog Foundation, and member of the boards of directors of Grupo ILUNION, Ilunion Facility Services and the Servimedia news agency.

She is currently leading, from her management position, the development and implementation of transformation strategies with a high social impact on organisations, through highly disruptive technologies, where Artificial Intelligence stands out.

Živa Štiglic holds a master’s degree in law and is currently working as an expert in the International department of Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS). Her duties include implementation of inter-state labour- and employment-related agreements, as well as cooperation with other stakeholders in the labour market  and public employment services of other countries. Previously she has been in charge of the Central Office for Employers at ESS, responsible for developing and implementing new approaches and services for Employers and has been working mostly on employer engagement challenges. 

Her rich previous experience also include working as a project manager and head of advocacy in the NGO sector, as well as working as an expert for Socieux+ to share knowledge and experiences through short-term missions and activities that enhance the capacity to design, manage, and monitor inclusive, effective, and sustainable employment strategies and social protection systems.

Konstancja Piątkowska – since 2019 Head of Labour Market Strategy Unit in the Labour Market Department, Ministry of Family and Social Policy of Poland. Member of the Employment Committee of the EU and Alternate Member of the Social Protection Committee of the EU.

Graduated from the University of Warsaw (Work and Organisational Psychology) and doctoral studies in Economics at the Warsaw School of Economics. Professional civil servant since 2004, a graduate of the National School of Public Administration in Warsaw. In years 2007-2017 Deputy Director in the Ministry of Regional Development responsible for the EU Cohesion Policy implementation in Poland, then in years 2017-2019 Deputy Director in the Ministry of the Environment responsible for climate negotiations and international cooperation.

Expert in several development aid and twinning projects in strategic planning, regional policy and employment policy (in Ukraine, Georgia and Western Balkan countries). Speaks English and French.

Arantza Fernández Espiñeira is the Director of the Employment and Innovation programs of the Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) since 2010. Previously, she was Coordinator of training and employment programs of the FSG in Madrid, starting her work with the Roma population in 2000 as an employment counselor, experiences that give her a broad knowledge of the reality of the Roma population in the labor market. She has a degree in Political Science and Sociology, a Master in Local Development, as well as specialized training in Innovation and Data Analysis.

Susana Díaz Martínez has extensive experience in the field of public policies and, in particular, public employment policies. She holds a degree in Law (Universitat Barcelona) and a Master’s degree in Leadership and Management of Public Policies (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya). In addition, she teaches the subject of employment policies in the Master’s degree in LGTBI+ public policies organised by the University of Lleida.

She has held various positions within the Regional Employment System of Catalonia (SOC) which gives her a great knowledge of the state, regional and local employment frameworks in Spain. From 2014 to 2016 she was head of the legal service of the Public Employment Service of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia.

Subsequently, she held the position of Deputy Director General of Employment and Territory with competences in the coordination and modernisation of the employment offices of the Generalitat, as well as business services, guidance and intermediation.

From March 2020 to date, she has been Deputy Director General of Active Employment Policies of the Public Employment Service of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia (SOC). Her responsibilities include the planning and implementation of programmes and calls for applications for all occupations in Catalonia, as well as the promotion and design of the new territorial pact.

Maxime Cerutti has been director of Social Affairs at BusinessEurope, the European employers’ organisation created in 1958, since 2012. Currently representing 40 organisations from 35 countries, Cerutti coordinates European social dialogue issues.

He joined BusinessEurope in November 2007 as social affairs advisor. Between 2005 and 2007 he worked as policy officer at the European Youth Forum in Brussels.

With a degree in European Law and Political Science, he holds a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris, as well as a double degree in Law from the University of Bordeaux in France and the University of Canterbury in the UK.

She holds a law degree from the University of Pisa and has been the organisation’s legal advisor since 2003.

In 2005, she was appointed Director of the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association (HOSPEEM), a position she held until 2010.

Between 2009 and 2016 she was responsible for European affairs at UNIZO (Belgian member organisation of SMEunited), responsible for the advocacy of policies affecting SMEs at EU level.

Véronique started her career at UNIZO in 1999 as policy officer in charge of SME education, training and counselling and moved on to work at regional level as responsible for regional advocacy, mentoring programmes and individual counselling for entrepreneurs

He combines a background in external relations with extensive experience in policy development and management in various EU institutions.

Between 2017 and 2022 he worked as Director of the European Training Foundation, the EU Agency promoting reforms of skills and training policies in third countries.

From 2014 to 2017 he was Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to India and Bhutan. He joined the EU Delegation to the United Nations in New York in 2008 as coordinator for Political and Security Council Affairs. From 2010 to 2013 he contributed to the establishment of the European External Action Service, reporting directly to the Secretary General of the EEAS.

At the European Commission he worked for the Directorate-General for Education and Culture from 1995 to 2000, for the Directorate-General for External Relations and the Directorate-General for Transport and Energy from 2001 to 2004, and for the Secretariat-General of the Commission and the Directorate-General for Trade from 2005 to 2008.

He holds a degree in Humanities and a Master’s degree in European Politics (MA), as well as a PhD in Politics and International Relations from Oxford University.

He studied at the Bulgarian University of Economics and has served two terms as Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, from 2005 to 2009 and 2014 to 2016. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (2005-2009) and Minister of Labour and Social Policy (2014-2016).

Between 2009 and 2014 he was MEP, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Budgets and rapporteur for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020.

Dr. Pilvi Torsti is a Finnish education expert who serves as Director of the European Training Foundation. Since the 1990s, Dr. Torsti has held academic, policy and founding roles in the fields of education, learning, research, science, innovation and employment in Finland and around the world.

During her political career, she has served as State Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Culture 2013-2015, Member of Parliament including the Education and Future Committees 2017-2019, State Secretary at the Ministry of Employment and Economic Affairs and at the Ministry of Traffic and Communications 2019-2023, and member of the Helsinki City Council and City Board 2012-2023.

She has been involved in the preparation and implementation of the Youth Guarantee and the vision for the future of education 2030, which included major reforms of secondary education and lifelong learning in the government of Sanna Marin 2019-2023.

She has been an assistant professor at the University of Helsinki since 2012, and has worked as the director of two internationally organised research projects: Finns and their History (2008-2011) and Youth and History in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1999-2003). She is a specialist in the region of the former Yugoslavia and issues related to war and peace, historical politics, historical thinking and generational experiences.

Dr. Torsti was founding CEO of the start-up HEI Schools between 2015 and 2017 and co-founder of the United World College of Mostar, which opened in 2006 as the first secondary school open to all nationalities in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina, drawing on over 40 years of experience in international education to bring young people together. Since 2016, he has chaired the board of the school’s governing foundation, Education in Action. She is on the Advisory Board of the NGO Dream a Dream in India and has previously volunteered in Nepal.

Dr Torsti has been awarded two international peace prizes for her work for UWC Mostar and was named Associate Professor of the Year and Knight of the First Class in 2020. Pilvi is a graduate of UWC (1995) and an Eisenhower Fellow (2013).

ILO/Cinterfor provides technical assistance and coordinates a network of training institutions in Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal and Cape Verde. She has worked for 25 year in the ILO, in Geneva and Latin America, on issues related to training, skills development and employment policies.

She created and directed the Pôle Emploi Management University and subsequently initiated the project to create an e-university within the French PES.

Today, in her Directorate, she supports the development and structuring of the offer of support services for international mobility, both for the workforce and for companies. As Assistant for PES European Affairs (AFEPA) in the PES European Network, she actively participates in European work and continues to professionalise and reinforce Pôle Emploi’s expertise in international cooperation.

In addition, on behalf of Pôle Emploi, she is currently vice-president of the European region of WAPES (World Association of PES).

For the past 13 years, he has been with the Dutch Public Employment Service, UWV, holding various roles such as employer services, online service development, HR, objection and appeal departments and the division of social medical affairs. Additionally, Niels has taken on ancillary positions as Secretary General and Chair of the Audit Finance and Risk Commission for the UWV Pension Fund.

Since 2020, Niels has been responsible for international relations, where he eagerly learns from other countries’ practices to enhance employment services. His commitment to making a positive impact, combined with his leadership and financial expertise within the UWV Pension Fund, drives his contributions to both the public and private sectors.

During her professional career she has held various management positions in Barcelona and Valencia, in the service of the General Treasury of the Social Security, and more recently, in the State Public Employment Service where she joined in 2016.

Since January 2023, she has held the post of Deputy Director General of Unemployment Benefits.

Head of the Directorate for Europe and International Relations at Pôle emploi, a lawyer by training, has acquired, for several years, a solid and broad experience of PES management, holding operational management positions in the network at all levels of the territory, including national, and responsibilities in the field of human resources management. She set up and directed the University of Management of Pôle emploi, and then initiated the project to create an e-university within the French PES. Today, within her Directorate, she supports the development and structuring of the international mobility support service offer for both the active population and companies. As Assistant For European PES Affairs (AFEPA) in the European PES Network she actively participates in European work, and continues to professionalise and strengthen Pôle emploi’s expertise in international cooperation. In addition, on behalf of Pôle emploi, she is currently Vice-President of the Europe region of WAPES (World Association of PES).

Its functions include the implementation of the Spanish Employment Activation Strategy 2021-2024 and the definition of the Annual Employment Policy Plans in collaboration with the National Employment System. It also promotes the implementation and evaluation of the Youth Guarantee Plus Plan 2021-2027.

It develops the planning and promotion of the public training offer for employed workers and the coordination of its implementation through the State Foundation for Employment Training.

It participates in the management of the monitoring and control of incentives for hiring through the rebates on social security contributions, and the management of the funds and the corresponding training actions.

She collaborates in the establishment of objectives and joint actions with the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate.

Belén is also an expert teacher with more than 3,000 hours of teaching experience.

In 2020 he left the FLC to direct the area of PRL Training and Projects of the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CEPYME), participating in different social dialogue roundtables with the Spanish government, as well as in different councils and boards of trustees of various entities.

In 2022, she returned to the FLC to take over the management of the Training and Employment area, where she manages training programmes, innovative training and employment projects, evaluation, subsidies and the design of new qualification itineraries for the construction sector.

She has developed her activity in the field of human resources (selection and training) in different companies until 1996, when she joined the Fundación Estatal para la Formación en el Empleo (formerly Forcem and Fundación Tripartita).

Since 2009 she has held different positions in the Directorate related to the management of different initiatives. She is currently head of the Training Evaluation, Studies and Organisation Unit and is responsible for the Digitalízate, Fundae Google Scholarships and Fundae’s Online Platform projects.

She has more than 25 years of experience and practical capacity for the design and management of laboratories for Technical Education; experience in the design and execution of projects for organisations, as well as experience related to the sustainability of Technical Education projects and the management and control of the adaptation of laboratories; control of supplies and training.

Her organisational skills, leadership, innovation, perseverance in the face of change and her vision of business opportunities have led her to become the CEO of EDIBON.

The strategy of EDIBON, a company led by Myriam Bonilla, one of the few women at the head of scientific and business projects, is based on continuous Research and Development (R&D&I), which today allows EDIBON to have more than 4,000 products of its own development, design and manufacturing process with the most advanced technology and complying with international quality standards.

Thanks to the human team, its knowledge and the good management of the Board of Directors led by Myriam Bonilla, EDIBON offers a personalised and comprehensive service that includes the design, manufacture, installation, maintenance and consultancy of all its Technical Education products.

In the area of management, he has held the position of vice-rector for lifelong learning since February 2023 (https://www.ubu.es/vicerrectorado-de-formacion-permanente) and since 2015 he has been the director of the Institute for Training and Educational Innovation.

He has been a member of the UBU’s Teaching Activity Evaluation Committee-DOCENTIA since 2012 and a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Association Red de Docencia Universitaria (RED-U) since November 2017, holding the position of secretary of this national association from June 2021 to the present day.

Prior to this position, Thilo led teams working on HR IT, IT support and communication tools, such as internal ticketing tools, an internal social network or a live streaming platform.

As part of an internal rotation, Thilo moved to HR to lead the People Development circle. His main task has been to drive the reskilling challenge with a strong business vision, but also talent programmes, leadership development and ‘skills building’ to find other ways to find skills for the organisation.

She joined the Croatian Employment Service in 2010.

She has worked in the Labour Intermediation Department and EURES Croatia. During her work in these departments she has gained professional experience and knowledge in the field of labour market mobility.

Vilma Mostahinić holds a Master’s degree in foreign languages and education.

She has also participated in the drafting of the pioneering Depopulation Law of Castilla-La Mancha, from where she has promoted programmes such as Talent Recruitment.

From 2010 to 2019 she was provincial head of the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate in Cuenca and since July 2019 she has been Deputy Minister of Employment, Social Dialogue and Occupational Health and Safety in Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM).