Afroditi Mathioudaki, Senior Nature Advisor, CDP Worldwide

Afroditi Mathioudaki is a Greek-qualified lawyer with over 10 years of international experience in advising national and regional governments and private stakeholders in connection with international and european laws, regulations, public policy and advocacy matters. Her current professional activity is centered around environmental protection issues, with a special attention to nature and biodiversity conservation and restoration for coastal cities and regions in Europe and beyond.

Alison De Luise, Adaptation Manager, Climate Alliance

Alison is an urban climate change adaptation specialist, applying policy, partnership & program management experience towards support city resiliency. As Manager, Adaptation to Climate Change at Climate Alliance, Alison contributes to the Covenant of Mayors for Europe's adaptation and energy poverty work, building adaptation capacity across European cities. She also manages the EEA European Topic Center on Climate Change Just Resilience Task. Prior to this, Alison led strategic initiatives aimed at supporting case-making for Green Infrastructure across US cities. As Senior Advisor at the Water Center at Penn, she co-developed integrated solutions to complex urban water resource challenges. As head of Strategic Partnerships at Bioversity International, she focused her partnership development efforts on achieving development impact and securing funding. This work built on her years working for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in food security and in rural development policy. The foundation of all this experience was her three years establishing social enterprise initiatives in Swaziland.

Ana Ardelean, Chief Resilience Officer, Tbilisi City Hall

Mrs. Ana Ardelean graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (Georiga) and a Master of Science at DePaule University of Chicago (United States of America). 

In the United States, Mrs. Ana Ardelean worked in the private sector for more than 10 years. In 2014 she moved to work with the local government in Georgia, Tbilisi. She held a variety of senior positions in the Mayor’s Office including the Head of Vice-Mayor’s office and the Head of International Relations Department. 

Mrs. Ana Ardelean lead Tbilisi to become part of the Resilient Cities Network In 2017 she was appointed as first Chief Resilience Officer for Tbilisi. Since then with a team of experts, she has been working on making Tbilisi a more resilient and livable city. 

Ana Mitić-Radulović, Strategic Planning Coordinator, Centre for Experiments in Urban Studies - CEUS

Ana is a licensed architect and urban planning professional from Serbia, with M.Sc. degree in International Cooperation and Urban Development (Technical University Darmstadt) and MA in Development Economics and International Co-operation (University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’). As an architect, she worked in Spain (urban plans of special heritage protection), Serbia and Cyprus (project of the New Nicosia Town Hall Complex). In the field of urban development and sustainable mobility, she worked on FP7 projects with ISINNOVA – Italy, on IPA projects for the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Serbia, and has worked on GEF, EU and UNV funded project with UNDP Serbia, addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction and circular economy. At CEUS, Ana has been leading local implementation of NBS-related Horizon 2020 project CLEVER Cities, and Horizon Europe projects NBS EduWORLD, UNP+, SMILE City and ClimaGen. 

Anders Ramäng, CEO, Kommunanssurans Försäkring AB

AndreaS GRAU, Senior Project Manager, Center for Sustainable Communities, Bertelsmann Stiftung

Andrea Porcelluzzi, Project Manager, Reggio Emilia Municipality/E35 Foundation

Project manager with an extensive background supporting public and private entities in the design and management of EU-funded projects.

His main focus is fostering cooperation between local authorities and the research, innovation and creative sectors to accelerate the climate transition and drive social innovation.

He currently works at the E35 Foundation in Reggio Emilia, where he supports the city and local institutions in shaping more sustainable and inclusive urban ecosystems. In this context, he is mainly involved in climate transition governance, food system transformation, nature-based solutions and urban resilience.

Anka Stankovic, Consultant, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre

Anka is a research consultant at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, working at the intersection of climate resilience and adaptation, and community engagement. She supports national and local actors across Europe, including Red Cross Red Crescent National Society staff and volunteers, through climate risk assessments, climate change training and local adaptation planning. With a background in biodiversity and environmental science, Anka’s work focuses on making climate knowledge accessible and actionable, bridging science, policy, and the realities faced by vulnerable communities. She contributes to EU-funded initiatives including Pathways2Resilience, supporting localised, inclusive approaches to building climate resilience.

Ann Marie Nienaber, Professor, Coventry University

Anna Lea Eggert, Climate Finance and Innovation Specialist, World Climate Foundation

Anna Lea Eggert is a Climate Finance and Innovation Specialist at the World Climate Foundation in Copenhagen, Denmark. With a background in urban planning, she holds a PhD in Climate Adaptation, focusing her research on the interactions between human-water systems in coastal areas. She contributes to the EU-funded CLIMATEFIT project, which explores innovative financing mechanisms to support climate change adaptation, offering valuable insights into funding sources and strategic approaches for local adaptation initiatives.

Annastina Sarlin, Director, Nordic Aarchipelago Cooperation

Annastina Sarlin, Master of Science in Natural Sciences with a specialisation in Environmental and Marine Biology, has extensive experience in development work within archipelago regions. 

For the past decade, Sarlin has led the Nordic Archipelago Cooperation – a  Nordic cross-border committee with participants from Finland, Åland and Sweden. The cooperation is based on a holistic perspective, focusing on coastal and archipelago areas, where the vulnerability of ecosystems and socio-economic factors calls for integrated solutions.

The cooperation is currently participating in the EU project Regions4Climate which focuses on the green transition of archipelago transport. Archipelago regions face particular challenges related to climate change and significant seasonal variations, which place demands on the adaptation of infrastructure, water resources, waste management.

Anoud Allouzi, Nature Finance Specifalist, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Anoud Allouzi is a Lead Specialist in Nature Finance and Policy at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). She works with EBRD clients to align capital flows with nature-positive outcomes. Her work focuses on structuring innovative financing solutions that integrate biodiversity, sustainable land use, and climate resilience into investment design. Prior to joining EBRD, Anoud worked at the World Bank in Washington, DC, focusing on sustainable agribusiness value chains. She holds a BA in International Development from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Arianna Verga, R&D Project Manager, RINA Consulting S.p.A.

Arianna Verga is an R&D Project Manager at RINA Consulting S.p.A. With an educational background in urban planning, she combines her technical expertise with a strong management skills, focusing on EU-funded projects and private engineering consultancy services. Her works is centered on the resilience and adaptability of multi-scale environments and infrastructures that face climate-related and human-made threats. She collaborate effectively with a variety of stakeholders, working closely with public authorities and private customers, fostering innovative methodologies to integrate resilience into long-term planning and decision-making processes. 

ArTem Hanushchak, Deputy Mayor, Rivne City Council

Artem Hanushchak has served as Deputy Mayor of Rivne since December 2021. He oversees the work of departments such as Economic Development, Energy Management, Digital Transformation, Municipal Security, Business Development, Land Relations, and Municipal Property, among others. He leads the implementation of EIB subprojects focused on energy efficiency in educational and healthcare institutions. He also heads the NEFCO project on thermal modernization and street lighting. Hanushchak is involved in developing the community’s Development Strategy. He leads the NetZeroCities Rivne project, aimed at achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Additionally, he coordinates the municipal business coworking initiative in Rivne, supported by UNDP and the Government of Germany.

Arnoud Molenaar, Global Director Resilience & Partnerships, Square Floating City company

After graduating in Physical Geography, Arnoud started his career with ambitious trainee posts and jobs abroad. As deputy head of the Rotterdam Water Management Department, he was responsible for the Waterplan2Rotterdam. In 2008, he was appointed Manager of the Rotterdam Climate Proof program. Arnoud is first editor of the book “Resilient Cities and Climate Adaptation Strategies” (2014). As Chief Resilience Officer, appointed in 2014, he was responsible for Rotterdam’s first and second Resilience Strategy (2016 and 2022). He joined the Global Center on Adaptation as Strategic Advisor Cities (2018). In 2019 he hosted the Global Urban Resilience Summit in Rotterdam and joined the Global Steering Committee at the Resilient Cities Network. He also is appointed as water and resilience Knowledge Ambassador with Rotterdam Partners. Recently (2024) Arnoud transferred to the Square Floating City company as Global director Resilience and Partnerships.

Athina Chontolidou, Municipality of Thessaloniki

Athina works at the Municipality of Thessaloniki within the Department of Operational Planning and Development Programs. Her role focuses primarily on the management and coordination of National and European funding projects, including initiatives such as Horizon (UP2030), LIFE, URBACT, and CERV. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Business Administration. However, it was during her postgraduate studies—an MSc in Spatial Planning for Sustainable and Resilient Development (Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)—that she discovered her professional calling and mindset. Driven by a strong commitment to sustainable urban transformation, she is deeply engaged in advancing the vision of climate-neutral and net-zero cities. 

Barry De Vries, Green Metropolitan Region Arnhem Nijmegen

Birgit Georgi, Freelance Expert

Birgit Georgi is an experienced freelance expert in urban climate adaptation and resilience. She collaborates with stakeholders ranging from local authorities and businesses to international organizations. As an expert for the European Urban Initiative, Urban Innovative Actions, URBACT, and the Covenant of Mayors, she has supported numerous cities on their path to resilience—drawing on deep knowledge from her time as project manager for urban adaptation at the European Environment Agency. Birgit bridges practical implementation with strategic foresight, recently leading the “Just Transitions – Democratic Transitions” initiative under UIA, linking social equity and adaptation. She also co-initiated the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO) in 2013.

(https://www.birgitgeorgi.eu)

BILAL Taner, Senior Advisor, Rotterdam 

Blaz Kurnik, Head of Unit Climate Risk and Resilience, European Environment Agency

Blaž Kurnik (1978) has worked at the European Environment Agency (EEA) since 2010 in various positions. He has been a coordinator of and contributor to various EEA reports on climate change impacts and adaptation, notably on climate change adaptation in the agriculture sector, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and climate change impacts in Europe. Blaž is currently head of climate risk and resilience. He leads a team of around 20 experts working on various climate change adaptation topics.

Prior joining the EEA, Blaž worked at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and at the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO).

Blaž holds a PhD degree in climatology.  

Brooks Patrick, Global Business Development Manager, ESRI Europe

Catalina Diaz, Research Associate and Project Manager, Frauenhofer IAO

Catalina Diaz is a Research Associate and Urban Strategist in the Urban Systems department at the Fraunhofer Institute of Industrial Engineering (IAO). She holds a master’s degree in integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design from the University of Stuttgart. With a background in architecture and global project experience, Catalina specializes in sustainable development strategies and methodological processes for municipalities and urban practitioners that aim for climate neutral, just, and resilient cities. 

Ms Diaz has coordinated several international projects with a focus on climate mitigation and adaptation in cities in Europe and Latin America. She also has experience developing livability strategies for public realm in Latin America and Middle East. In all projects and endeavours Ms Diaz strives for strategies and actions that engage citizens and local stakeholders in transformative urban processes. 

Cedric Grant, President, Grant Management Group

Cedric Grant has served as a senior executive at each of the three major levels of government. His expertise is in capital development, finance, economic development, government policy development, water utility and disaster grants management and resilience, urban, transportation and strategic planning.

He is currently President of Grant Management Group, a strategic advisory company. He is an advisor to public and private clients on government operations, business development, water management, resilience and sustainability.  During his 40-year career he has delivered billions of dollars of public projects. He led the Hurricane Katrina infrastructure Recovery in the City of New Orleans as well as the Sewerage and Water Board recovery and investment in sustainable and resilience water management strategies. 

Grant holds a BA in Political Science from Xavier University of Louisiana and a master's in public administration from the University of New Orleans.

CElina Solari, Project Manager, Rina Consulting S.p.A

Celina Solari is a Building and Sustainability Expert with over four years of experience as a Project Manager in Research & Innovation at RINA Consulting. She specializes in managing and coordinating European projects focused on building sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate resilience. Celina holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Genoa and is a Qualified Professional Engineer.

With a strong foundation in structural engineering, fracture mechanics, and Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification, Celina oversees several EU-funded R&I projects, including LIFE RESYSTAL and MULTICLIMACT, the latter of which she coordinates, driving innovative solutions to enhance the sustainability and resilience of the built environment.

Chantal Schrijver, Head of EIB Group Office the Netherlands

Chantal Zeegers, Deputy Mayor, City of Rotterdam

Since June 2022, Chantal Zeegers has been working as Vice Mayor in the Municipality of Rotterdam. She is responsible for the Climate, Building and Housing portfolios. She is also a member of ICLEI’s European Regional Executive Committee.
Zeegers believes that urgent action is needed to make the transition to a more sustainable, resilient and socially just society. To meet the challenges brought by climate change, she believes that international cooperation and legislation are required to make the necessary next steps.

Chiara Savina, Principal Consultant, Ecorys

Chiara Savina is a Principal Consultant at Ecorys Brussels, working within the Research and Policy team. She manages and delivers projects for EU Institutions on green transitions, climate adaptation, and Cohesion Policy. Chiara has a strong track record in supporting the EU Outermost Regions, having led the Programme of Exchanges on Climate Adaptation and the Advisory Tool for these regions (DG REGIO). She currently manages the Secretariat of the European Climate Pact (DG CLIMA) and the Cohesion for Transitions (C4T) Community of Practice (DG REGIO), helping stakeholders accelerate climate neutrality. She also contributes to the Just Transition Platform Working Groups, advising DG REGIO on regional green and just transition pathways. Chiara holds a double MSc in International Economic Integration from the University of Pavia and HEC Liège, and a BA in International Development from the University of Bologna.

CHRISTIANE Walter, Project Coordinator (PIK)

With a background in literature, media science, and sociology, Christiane combines her academic expertise with over 15 years of experience managing national and international projects at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Since 2017 she coordinates the Urban Transformations group. Her scientific focus is on social science research, especially on participation, just transition, and equity. Latest projects were interdisciplinary with strong co-creation towards measures to be taken to reach the net-zero climate target without ignoring the social impacts on lifestyles, vulnerable groups and other questions around equity and justice as well as inclusive processes on all levels and in communication with various stakeholders.

Constanza Vera, Associate Researcher, University of Stuttgart IAT

Constanza is an Associate Researcher at the University of Stuttgart IAT. Currently, she is part of the coordination team for the UP2030 project, which supports 11 cities on their journey toward climate neutrality by applying the 5UP method developed within the project. Additionally, she has collaborated on the ACCSESS project, which explores Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage technologies. Constanza has a strong interest in sustainability and biodiversity, striving to integrate these principles into her research and project work.

CristObal Reveco, Scientist, Urban Climatwe Adaptation GERICS

Cristóbal Reveco is a Social Scientist at the German Climate Service Center (GERICS). His work focuses on exploring the social dimensions underpinning the use of climate information. Currently, Cristobal act as the coordinator of the EU Project VALORADA. VALORADA focuses on developing methods to facilitate the uptake and use of climate information for decision making in local governments.

Previously, Cristóbal worked for more than ten years in Latin America supporting local governments planning efforts to adapt to climate change, including the articulation of municipal networks on climate action in Chile, Costa Rica and Colombia, designed and implemented capacity building programmes for urban decision makers and planners, and coordinated collaborations between local governments and universities, facilitating science-policy interactions in the frame of climate change.

Daniel Borup, On behalf of Mayor, City of Aalborg

Eduard Carrasco, Resilience Focal Point, Barcelona City Council

Eduard is a civil engineer with over 15 years in public service, juggling infrastructure projects, urban chaos, and political headaches — all in the name of making Barcelona a bit more resilient (or at least less breakable).

He ran the city’s Operations Center, advised on resilience strategy, and is now elbow-deep in the Climate Master Plan, making sure adaptation and resilience aren't just buzzwords but actually land on the ground.

He also keeps Barcelona connected with the international urban resilience scene, working with partners from UN-Habitat, UNDRR, Resilient Cities Network, and others committed to making cities future-ready.

Believer in cooperation, shared learning, and good beer — especially after a long day of “multilevel governance”.

Eleonora Esposito, Project Manager, City of Milan

Eleonora Esposito is a geographer with experience in the management of environmental projects in support of public administrations. She is responsible for fundraising, project management activities and coordination of multidisciplinary working groups. She currently works for the Municipality of Milan, where she manages projects on climate mitigation and adaptation.

Eleonora Lekavičiūtė, Research Manager, PPMI

Eleonora Lekavičiūtė is a senior researcher at the Public Policy and Management Institute (PPMI, part of the Verian group) and a project specialist at Kaunas University of Technology. Her work focuses on EU policy in the areas of sustainability education, green skills, and Nature-based Solutions. Previously, Eleonora worked on sustainability in the public sector, leading Lithuania’s integration of the UN Sustainable Development Goals into long-term national planning, including socioeconomic, territorial, and urban development strategies. Eleonora holds a BA in International Relations from Brown University and an MSc in Carbon Management from the University of Edinburgh. 

ElisaCostamagna, RESARCHER, POlyTechnic of Turin

Elisa Costamagna is a researcher at Polytechnic of Turin - Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering. She earned her PhD working on green walls for greywater treatment and visualization of microbial activity in constructed wetlands.

Her research approach involves experimental activities and numerical modelling. She contributes to projects related to greywater treatment and Nature-based Solutions (SUPERGREEN, NICE [https://nice-nbs.eu/]) and rainwater management in urban environment (RETURN [https://www.fondazionereturn.it/]). She’s PI in the NBS4MOV project [https://www.nbs4mov.it/], which is focused on NBS in mountain environment. She’s session convener at EGU, participates in international conferences and co-authored more than 10 peer-reviewed publications in the field of Nature-based Solutions.

She likes to be engaged in communication activities in school and public events, and she teaches in Civil Engineering and Architecture courses in her home university.

Elisabeth Hoffmann, Head of EU Affairs, Velux

Elisabeth is Head of EU Affairs at VELUX, a global leader in roof windows, skylights, sun tunnels and related accessories. In her role she leads the EU advocacy and policy work of VELUX in Brussels, focusing on EU legislation on buildings, housing as well as sustainability and Single Market issues. She currently also chairs the Working Group for Communications of Efficient Buildings Europe and the Advocacy Working Group of the Active House Alliance. Elisabeth has nearly 15 years of experience in public affairs. Prior to joining VELUX, she was working at the Brussels office of the Public Affairs Agency APCO Worldwide for nearly ten years, heading up the Energy and Sustainability Practice.  She also gained work experience at Germany Trade & Invest in Berlin and SolarPowerEurope.

Expert, Resilience and Climate Adaptation, ICLEI Europe

Elena Petsani is an Urban Resilience & Sustainability Planner (MSc & MEng.). She has a strong professional background with seven years of experience in inclusive and climate-resilient urban development, sustainability strategies, policymaking, and academic research at the national and local government level. She has supported strategic urban planning and territorial development, climate adaptation policies, and spatial tools for multi-stakeholder engagement in the decision-making process. Elena is involved in EU funded projects focused on adaptation to climate change and Nature Based Solutions such as REGREEN, CARDIMED, RECREATE, MULTISOURCE, Pathways to Resilience and UP2030.

Emily Bankert, Researcher, BPIE

Emily is a Researcher at BPIE (Buildings Performance Institute Europe) in Brussels where she co-leads work on climate adaptation in the built environment. Her focus lies in developing policy advice and facilitating stakeholder engagement to advance climate resilience, particularly by integrating adaptation into housing, building, and related finance policies.

She is also an expert in building-sector energy issues, with a strong interest in the intersection of energy, justice, health, and the adaptive capacity of buildings. Her approach is shaped by years of experience as a coordinator, facilitator, and event organiser in youth organisations and social movements.

Enora Bruley, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Geneva

Enora Bruley holds degrees in Ecology and Environmental Political Science, and earned a PhD in Environment from Grenoble-Alpes University, France. Her research focuses on the adaptation of social-ecological systems (SES) to climate change, with particular attention to citizen and stakeholder engagement processes aimed at supporting inclusive governance for transformative adaptation. Her methodological approach is place-based and transdisciplinary, grounded in the co-production of knowledge with local stakeholders. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Geneva within the EU-funded projects Adaptation AGORA, where she investigates the enablers and barriers to the co-production of innovative solutions for climate resilience in Europe. 

Erica Manuelli, Expert, Resilience and Climate Adaptation, ICLEI Europe

Erica is an Expert at ICLEI Europe. As part of the Resilience and Climate Adaptation team, she is currently involved in diverse European projects, supporting regions in their climate resilience-building process (Regions4Climate, Pathways2Resilience) and focusing on citizen engagement for adaptation solutions (Adaptation AGORA). At ICLEI Europe, she is currently exploring the topic of Just Resilience and inclusion of vulnerable communities in climate resilience action. She holds a Bachelor in International Studies (University of Milan, Italy) and a MSc in Environmental Governance (University of Freiburg, Germany). Her mother tongue is Italian and she speaks fluent English and French, as well as good German and Spanish.

Erika Palmieri, Junior Expert, Resilience and Climate Adaptation, ICLEI Europe

Erika Palmieri is a Junior Expert in Resilience and Climate Adaptation at ICLEI Europe. With over 6 years of experience ranging from architecture and urban planning to humanitarian work, with organisations like the Red Cross and UNHCR, her expertise spans between climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Along her career, she has provided strategic territorial and infrastructure planning, recovery responses and monitoring and assessment tools to enhance resilience of local and regional governments. In parallel to her professional endeavours, Erika is actively engaged in academic research activities and she is currently pursuing a PhD in Regional Planning and Public Policy.

Currently she is supporting several EU funded projects on regional climate resilience, such as Regions4Climate and REGILIENCE, as well as multi-hazard built environment resilience (MULTICLIMACT).

ESther Wienese, City of Rotterdam 

Enora Bruley holds degrees in Ecology and Environmental Political Science, and earned a PhD in Environment from Grenoble-Alpes University, France. Her research focuses on the adaptation of social-ecological systems (SES) to climate change, with particular attention to citizen and stakeholder engagement processes aimed at supporting inclusive governance for transformative adaptation. Her methodological approach is place-based and transdisciplinary, grounded in the co-production of knowledge with local stakeholders. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Geneva within the EU-funded projects Adaptation AGORA, where she investigates the enablers and barriers to the co-production of innovative solutions for climate resilience in Europe. 

Federico Aili, Resilient Network

GIORGOS CHalios, Technical Project Coordinator

Giorgos Chalios is a postgraduate student in the Department of Computer Science and Telecommunications at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where he works as a system administrator and technical project coordinator at the SCAN laboratory. Since 2021, he has been responsible for the maintenance of the laboratory's physical infrastructure and network services. His primary research interests include cloud systems management (Linux, Docker, and Kubernetes) and the programming of Internet of Things (IoT) devices (e.g., sensors and drones).

Giulia Melis, Program Manager City Climate & Encironment, LINKS Foundation

Giulia Melis, Architect and urban planner, is Program manager of the ‘City, climate& environment’ research program at LINKS Foundation in the Future Cities and Communities domain. She is leading several projects of strategic planning and urban regeneration, from European to local level. Her main research interests include urban justice, participatory methods, spatial decision support system (sDSS), smart solutions for sustainability in urban areas, impacts of the built environment on citizens' health and inequalities, climate justice. She is currently coordinating the Just Streets (https://www.linkedin.com/company/juststreets/) project under the Mission Cities - Horizon Europe programme. 

Gregorio Sgrigna, Researcher, National Research Council - CNR

Gregorio Sgrigna: Research technologist at CNR-IRET. He has been actively involved in national and international projects on Nature-based Solutions and ecosystem services, including Horizon, COST-Action, and PRIN. His work focuses on NbS, especially urban forests for air quality. He studies particulate matter (PM) on leaves using electron microscopy. As a member of the NbS Italy Hub coordination group, he supports national networking and integration of NbS. He also contributes to FAIR-enabling practices for environmental data within environmental research infrastructures.

”https://www.scientix.eu/resources/knowledge/stem-job-profiles/profile?id=1917967”

Grammatiki (Emmy) Papazoglou, Head of the Division of Strategic Planning, Resilience, Innovation, and Documentation, City of Athens

Dr. Emmy Papazoglou is the Head of the Division of Strategic Planning, Resilience,
Innovation, and Documentation for the City of Athens. She works as charge for the
green transition of the City and has led several European-funded projects.
She is responsible for developing and implementing actions related to innovation,
resilience, and sustainability. She was also a key team member in preparing the
Climate Action Plan for the City of Athens.Her background is in International
Relations Affairs, holds a PhD in Local Development, University of Panteion. She
worked for four years in the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE),
managing EU Programs and taking part in training in issues for civil protection and
management of natural and urban disasters. Shewas lecturing the course "Local
Regional Development" of the Department of Local and Regional Development of
Panteion University and the course of the postgraduate Department of Tourism
Administration of the University of West Attica.She has published two books and
several articles.

Goksen Sahin, Policy and Advocacy Lead, ICLEI Europe

Goksen is ICLEI Europe's policy and advocacy lead, working in Brussels, Belgium.
She has extensive experience working in the environmental sector, having previously held roles as: Environmental Projects Coordinator at Agence Française de Développement; Project Manager at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe; Programme Manager at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). 

György Laki, Mayor, Local Government Kajárpéc

 György Laki has been the mayor of the municipality of Kajárpéc for 19 years. During his university years, he studied biology and chemistry. He is one of the founders of the Hungarian Climate Alliance and has been the vice president of the organization since its establishment 15 years ago. Last year, he was also elected to the board of the European Climate Alliance. He has been a member of the Győr and Region Waste Management Council for 5 years, which is responsible for the transport and processing of the everyday waste of nearly 240,000 people in the region's 112 settlements. As mayor, his municipality Kajárpéc was awarded the European Climate Star in 2021. The municipality earned this award primarily for its work in greenfield management and shaping experience-based attitudes.

Harriett Tiemens, Director of the Green Metropolitan Region of Arnhem-Nijmegen

Currently at the head of the Dutch city region and ICLEI member Groene Metropoolregio Arnhem-Nijmegen, Harriët Tiemens puts her extensive experience in the fields of climate adaptation, circularity and biodiversity to use, to develop the region as a prime national and international example in sustainable and green urban development.
In the past years Harriët Tiemens has built an excellent European track record. For example, by heading the campaign for the City of Nijmegen to become European Green Capital 2018 but also by being a recognized contributor to European and international conferences like COP, EURESFO, POLIS, Velo-city, the Austrian World Summit, GlobeEU, Ecoprocura and meetings with the European Parliament and European Commission, both through her current position with the ICLEI RexCom and other national and international networks.
Tiemens studied Environmental Science at Saxion University of Applied Sciences and Public Administration at Leiden University. She was Deputy Mayor for the City of Nijmegen from 2014 to 2021. During that time, she chaired the physical pillar of the G40 network of Dutch cities and was chair of the VNG (Association of Dutch Municipalities) committee for housing, mobility and spatial development.

Heli POnto, Senior Project Manager, Forum Virium Helsinki (Finland)

Heli Ponto, a senior project manager, specializes in a project that addresses climate adaptation, digital twins, and social justice. With a PhD in urban geography focused on urban and mobility experiences, she is passionate about urban development, sustainability, smart cities, and smart mobility.

Holger Robrecht, Deputy Regional Director - Sustainable Resources, Climate & Resilience, ICLEI Europe

Holger joined ICLEI in 1997. He holds a Diploma in spatial planning and is member of ICLEI’s Board of Directors, and leads ICLEI´s Sustainable Resources, Climate & Resilience team. Holger holds more than 25 years of experience in local environmental and sustainability management and planning, project development and co-ordination, team supervision as well as guidance and training. He developed, supervised and coordinated international and European projects including on urban resilience, climate adaptation, nature-based solutions and green infrastructures through various research projects and engaged with studies such as the European Environment Agency’s report on ‘Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe 2016’ and the ‘EKLIPSE Impact Evaluation Framework’.

IñigoUrrutikoetxea Alvarez, Climate Action Technician, Ihobe

Agricultural engineer with a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering and a Master's degree in Urban Ecology and Green Infrastructure. Iñigo started his professional experience in the forestry sustainability area of Neiker (https://neiker.eus/en/). There he worked in the European  REINFFORCE project, studying the data of one of the 32 arboretums established throughout the Atlantic Arc and analysing the adaptability of different forest species to the climatic and edaphic characteristics of each site. After that, he worked for the climate change area of IDOM, Consulting, Engineering, Architecture. Finally, since 2022, Iñigo is part of the climate action team of Ihobe, the Public Society of Environmental Management of the Basque Government. There, he works in the framework of LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050 (https://www.urbanklima2050.eu/en/), a European project that aims to promote the energy and climate transition to achieve the resilience of the Basque territory.

Ine Vandecasteele, Expert - Urban Climate Adaptation, European EnviroNment Agency

Ine leads the work on urban adaptation to climate change at the European Environment Agency, including the recent publication ‘Urban Adaptation in Europe: What works?’. She has a background in both environmental and political sciences, and has 15 years of experience in providing scientific evidence for policymaking in the fields of water management, energy, climate impacts and urban sustainability.

IRene Bonvissuto, DG CLIMA, European Commission

An environmental engineer as background, Irene leads the European Commission Team that implements the EU Adaptation to Climate Change Mission, bringing together resources from the Climate Action and the Research and Innovation departments. Before, she worked in the energ field, both on the policy side and on the programmes and projects implementation side, to increase renewable energies uptake in Europe and their effective integration of the renewable sources in the European electricity system.

Iryna Vlasiuk, Project Manager, City of Lviv

Iryna is a project manager at City Institute, a municipal institution responsible for advancing the strategic development of Lviv. She manages projects focused on the Green Transition, the Sustainable Development Goals, and strengthening urban resilience. Currently, she contributes to the Lviv Resilience Hub, supporting Ukrainian communities in strengthening their resilience amid wartime challenges. Iryna has a background in social sciences with a research focus on institutional resilience.

Josine van den Bogaard, City of Rotterdam

Josine van den Bogaard (MSc) is senior policy advisor at the Municipal Public Health Service (GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond). She has expertise in the effects of the environment on health and health-related behaviors. At the moment, she is active in various ways in the prevention and mitigation of the negative impacts of extreme heat on the health of communities and municipalities. Van den Bogaard served on some national committees, such as the committee of the NWA Climate Adaptation and Health program, the national Bathing Water committee, the Health Council of the Netherlands, and she chaired the collaboration of GGD medical environmentalists in the Netherlands. She initiated the GGD working group on Climate and Health. She advises on and wrote various policy documents and articles on improving the environment to promote health. She is closely involved with the implementation of the new Dutch "Environmental Act" at the municipal level. 

Joanna HeyDA, Head of Climate Policy Unit, City of Warsaw, Poland

Joanna MakockA, EU Project Manager, F6S innovation

Joanna Makocka is a Project Manager at F6S, where she leads international projects focused on the blue economy, climate change, and AI. She has extensive expertise in funding mechanisms for diverse stakeholders, legal aspects of funding and contracting, as well as exploitation activities. With a decade of experience in international project management, she has successfully led initiatives under Horizon Europe, bridging the gap between science, business, and innovation. Joanna holds a Master's degree in Law, an LL.M in European Legal Studies, and a postgraduate degree in psychology. 

Leon Kapetas, Resilient City Network

MAria Teresa Sellart Garcia, Research Engineer, CIMNE

Maria Teresa is a researcher at BEE Group, an innovation unit of CIMNE. She holds a dual bachelor's degree in Industrial Electronics and Automation Engineering from the University of Lleida (Spain) and Energy Technology from Novia University of Applied Sciences (Finland).

Following this, Maite completed an extracurricular internship at the Italian start-up EcoBubble, where she enhanced her expertise in pollution-eating design and AI-based maintenance for green areas. 

She completed a master's degree in Industrial Organization at University of San Jorge and is currently pursuing a Master's in Data Science at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

In her role at BEE Group, Maite has gained extensive experience in executing and managing EU Commission-funded projects related to climate adaptation in urban environments. She has contributed to projects such as Climate Ready BCN and CLIMRES, utilizing her technical expertise to support energy transition strategies and urban resilience initiatives.

Marieke Schouten,  Alderman of the Municipality of Nieuwegein, The Netherlands, and vice-chair of the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform instead of Bakoyannis

Jaime Nivala, Director of Research, INRAE

Ms. Jaime Nivala, PhD, HDR is a senior scientist at INRAE (French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment), in Lyon, France in the research unit REVERSAAL. She holds a BS in Civil Engineering (University of Minnesota, USA), an MS in Environmental Engineering (University of Iowa, USA), and PhD in Biosciences (Aarhus University, Denmark). Her main research interests include nature-based solutions for water quality improvement, urban water management, and innovative approaches to water reuse. She was coordinator of the EU project MULTISOURCE (www.multisource.eu) (2021 – 2025), and co-chair of the IWA Specialist Group on Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control from 2020 – 2024.

Ján Dzurdženík, Project Manager, Agency for the Support of Regional Development

Graduated in Environmental Science at the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, he gained experience in environmental assessment within the Slovak Environmental Agency team. Since 2008 he has been working on the topic of adaptation to climate change within the Agency for the Suport of Regional Development Košice.

He participated in the preparation of the adaptation strategy for the consequences of climate change in the Košice region, and in its refinement at the local level. He has been involved in awareness-raising activities on the impacts of climate change, as well as practical investment adaptation projects.

John Murray, MIP4Adapt Manager, Ricardo

John has over 19 years' experience of managing projects and programmes for the European Commission, national governments and organisations. He currently manages the delivery of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change Portal (MIP4Adapt). The EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change empowers European regions and local authorities to achieve climate resilience by helping them to better understand climate risks, develop pathways for preparation, and implement innovative solutions by 2030. John also manages the European Commission’s RE-CONNECT project which is dedicated to assisting the 196 Parties committed to the 2015 Paris Agreement in meeting their climate change obligations. RE-CONNECT aims to bolster the capacity of these developing countries to undertake robust greenhouse gas emissions modelling and monitoring activities.

Julen Astudillo, Researcher, Tecnalia

Julen Astudillo is an architect and senior researcher at Tecnalia, specializing in building facades and envelopes. He has participated in numerous European research projects, coordinating the HEPHAESTUS project (cable robot systems for automated construction). He has been involved in BASAJAUN (sustainable wood construction for rural-urban links), OSIRYS (forest-based composites for facades), HIFIVENT (durable ventilated facades), and MeeFS (energy-efficient retrofit systems). Julen also contributed to FACOMP (polymeric nanocomposites for curtain walls). He is currently coordinating the AEGIR project, which aims to demonstrate scalable, non-intrusive renovation solutions for achieving nearly zero-energy buildings across various European climates. Additionally, he leads the AMALTEA project, focusing on advanced façade technologies for sustainable construction. He has published scientific papers on materials, facades, and energy performance, regularly speaks at international congresses. 

Julie Berckmans, Expert - Climate Risks and Adaptation, European Environment Agency

Julie Berckmans is a climate scientist that works on assessing climate risks for Europe and coordinated the development of the first European Climate Risk Assessment. Julie has a background in weather and climate science and has 10+ years of experience in the fields of climate modelling, climate services and climate adaptation with a particular interest in urban areas, human health and transport infrastructure. 

Karl Astbury, Lead, Programs, Climate & Health, Resilient Cities Network

Karl Astbury leads the implementation of two flagship global initiatives at the Resilient Cities Network: the Urban Community Resilience Program - Resilience for Communities, funded by the Z Zurich Foundation, and Urban Pulse: Climate, Health, and Equity in Action. 

Karen Naciph Mora, Expert, Biodiversity and Nature based Solutions, ICLEI Europe

Karen Naciph Mora is an Expert in the Nature Based Solutions and Biodiversity team at ICLEI European Secretariat, where she focuses on topics related to pollution, environmental quality, and water management. Karen has a background in environmental engineering and a MSc. Degree in Water Resources and Environmental Management. She is supporting the implementation of several EU level initiatives and projects like Urban ReLeaf, EcoDaLLi, NBRACER, Soils for Europe (SOLO), NICE, among others.

Konstantinos Dellis, POst-Doctoral Researcher, Athens university of Economics

Dr Kostas Dellis is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Sustainable Development Unit of the Athena Research Center. He holds a PhD from the University of Piraeus Department of Economics on Endogenous Growth and Knowledge Diffusion, a Msc. in Econometrics and a Msc. in Development Economics from the University of Manchester and a Bsc. in Economics from the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB)

Kostas Bakoyannis, City Councillor, Chair of ENVE Committee (CoR), City of Athens

Krisen Guida, Head of Strategy, Prevention, and Community Resilience, Greater London Authority

Kristen is Head of Strategy, Prevention, and Community Resilience, and has been leading on City Resilience at the Greater London Authority since March 2022. Before that, she worked for more than 15 years coordinating climate change adaptation partnerships, as Manager of the London Climate Change Partnership, Director of Climate South East, and Chair of Climate UK. Her major interest is in bringing together people and ideas from across sectors to respond to social and environmental resilience challenges. In particular, she is interested in the social justice issues raised by climate change and other crises, and the need to incorporate equity in resilience policy and planning. 

LInA LIAKOU, Global Director, Resilient Cities Network

LInda Romanovska, Head of Sustainability Consulting, Materra

Linda is a highly regarded senior expert on climate change, sustainability and sustainable finance. Co-author of EU's climate change policies and several sustainable finance and corporate sustainability reporting frameworks and standards internationally, including EU Taxonomy and CSRD. A senior advisor with close to 20 years of experience, current Head of Sustainability Consulting at Materra, and doctoral researcher at the University of New South Wales. For almost two decades, Linda has succeeded in high-impact work on a wide range of sustainability topics through policy-making, research and consulting the public and the private sector, financial institutions and many local governments.  Her honorary appointments include several advisory boards supporting research and practical tool development, as well as a role in the investment committee of a sustainable investment fund by AxleTree Capital. 

Loïc Charpentier, Head of Advocacy Programme, Water Europe

Loïc Charpentier is the head of the advocacy programme of Water Europe, representing the full value-chain of water in Europe (including local and regional authorities, utilities, solutions providers, universities and large industrial users). He also contributes to the policy communication of EU research & innovation projects on behalf of Water Europe. In 2023, he was the expert of Mr. Viola, Rapporteur for the CoR opinion on the water resilience strategy. Moreover, Loïc is also involved in different European research clusters and the chairman of the Policy working group of the ZeroPollution4Water cluster. He manages the MEP Water Group’s secretariat. With a background in law and a master in European studies, Loïc worked previously at the European Association of Research and Technology organisations as policy assistant. 

LUIS Hebrero, European Investment Bank 

LUCA ARBAU, Senior Expert, RESILIENCE AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION, ICLEI EUROPE

Luca Arbau is an architect and a sustainable urban development practitioner. He is ICLEI Europe's representative in Brussels from the resilience and climate adaptation team. He is involved in the implementation of the EU Mission on Adaptation and the Covenant of Mayors - Europe's pillar on adaptation. He is a key organiser of the annual European Urban Resilience Forum. He holds a master's degree in international cooperation and emergency architecture from the International University of Catalonia (Spain) and a master's degree in architecture from the University of Ferrara (Italy).

LUCy Gregerson, EEA

LUkas Sunderman, Senior Products Manager, Public Sector Solutions, Swiss Re (leading global reinsurer)

Lukas is a Senior Products Manager for the Public Sector Solutions team at Swiss Re, where he leads initiatives across the EMEA region. With a strong focus on structuring tailored risk transfer solutions for governments and public entities, his work centers on addressing natural catastrophes, extreme weather perils and enhancing urban resilience. A specialist in parametric insurance, he is currently spearheading Swiss Re’s development of innovative parametric flood products, leveraging cutting-edge satellite data and models to support cities in building climate resilience. With a background in geology and over a decade of industry experience, he brings deep technical expertise and strategic insight to the evolving challenges of public sector risk management and sustainable urban development.

Marie Monjauze, Director of Development, Ecole du Breuil, City of Paris School of Horticulture and Landscaping

From urban innovation to green education, she leads transformative projects shaping a more resilient and sustainable Paris in collaboration with public and private stakeholders in the region. As Director of Development at the Ecole Du Breuil (https://www.ecoledubreuil.fr/) which is Paris School of Nature in the City, she supports the transformation of training programs for plant engineering careers to renovate and build the city of tomorrow.

Maarten Nypels, Senior Advisor, City of Rotterdam

Malgorzata Bartyna-Zielinska, Head of the Climate and Environment Unit, Wroclaw Municipality

Malgorzata Bartyna-Zielinska completed her doctorate at the Faculty of Architecture, Wroclaw University of Technology. Her research focused on the role of NBS in spatial planning documents. Professionally associated with the Wroclaw Municipality, for eleven years an urban planner in the Wroclaw Development Office, since June 2017 in the Sustainable Development Department as a project manager and head of a climate and environment unit.   

Magnus Qvant, co-founder of Nordic Urban Resilience Institute

Magnus Qvant has more than ten years of working experience at the executive level in the field of urban resilience and is co-founder of the Nordic Urban Resilience Institute. He has also more than 20 years of experience in training and practice in civil security and emergency management, both nationally and internationally. Since 2022 Magnus Qvant has been contracted by UN as a resilience expert, supporting Ukraine cities in their effort of recovery planning, based on resilience and sustainability principles.

Maksym Terletsky, Director City Institute, City of Lviv

Marcel Meijer, Mayor, Samsø Kommune

Marcel Meijer has been the mayor of Samsø since 2014. During this period Samsø has developed its ferry-infrastructure to an extend, that resulted in an increase in tourism by annually 10%. Furthermore Samsø has become a community, from which it is possible to commute to the area fo Aarhus in eastern Jutland with hundreds of thousands job-opportunities.

Marcelo Gerlach, Expert Biodiversity & NbS, ICLEI Europe

Marcelo is a dedicated professional working toward a just, social-ecological society through sustainability and innovative practices. He combines research on social-ecological interactions with practical applications of nature-based solutions, drawing on his agricultural background. Marcelo has been involved in agroforestry research and has gained hands-on experience on farms in Latin America and Europe, while also collaborating with indigenous communities on land regeneration initiatives. With extensive experience working with organizations such as ICLEI Europe in various European cities and regions, and academic insights from institutions such as the University of Kassel, he remains committed to promoting resilient, sustainable systems that integrate environmental science with community-focused strategies. Based in Freiburg, Marcelo continues to shape forward-looking solutions for a more sustainable future.

Marcelo Lampkowski, Expert, Data Governance, ICLEI Europe

Marcelo is a data governance expert at ICLEI Europe, where he contributes to the Green Digital Transformation team by overseeing projects focused on data-driven solutions for advancing decarbonization in the building sector. Marcelo's academic accomplishments include a PhD in Energy Systems with a focus on agricultural applications, a master's degree in Information Technology, and a bachelor's degree in Computer Science.

MariA Stamati, Associate - Business Developer Manager, MVRDV

Maria Stamati is an Associate - Business Development Manager at MVRDV with responsibility for Urban Planning, and is also a skilled architect and urban planner, having worked on and lead urban, research, and strategic projects. With more than a decade of experience, Maria has been involved in variety of urban and research projects, including the Manifesta 13 expo for Marseille, Oceanside, a coastal resilience and sand retention project in Southern California, and Luxemburg in Transition, a winning proposal for a competition to create the vision of the country’s transition to zero-carbon society. She has also extensively worked in urban development projects such as the winning proposal of M-Park in Munich, Almere Floriade Expo and led the redevelopment proposal for Thessaloniki Urban Port, a project that focuses on creating a mixed-use hub that revitalizes the waterfront of the port and the city.

Marie Rouaux, Adaptation Project Manager, City of Paris

Marie is a project manager for adaptation to climate change at the city of Paris, in the Climate Change and Ecological Transition Department. Her main task is to develop and evaluate innovative projects to adapt Paris infrastructures to extreme heat. She is focusing on the shading plan of Paris, on the network of drinking fountains and foggers and on simple solutions for public building such as cool roofing, reinforcement of the use of shutters and the installation of ceiling fans.

Previously, Marie worked for consultancy firms specialising in public action on climate change. She has helped a number of French local authorities to draw up and evaluate their climate policies. Marie holds a master's degree in Urban Policy from Sciences Po and the London School of Economics, as well as a dual bachelor's degree in Social Sciences and Natural Sciences from Sciences Po and the Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, France. 

Marie-Caroline Vallon, Project manager, Régional Council Provence Alpes Côte d'azur

"Marie Caroline Vallon, graduate of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques and holder of a Master's degree in Planification. She, has been working for more than 20 years with local authorities on all aspects of sustainable development and developing a comprehensive, decompartmentalised and uncomplicated approach to urban issues and practices. 

Working for the Southern Region's Department of Energy and Territorial Transition, she provides expertise to take climate change issues into account in urban projects. She was project manager for the Nature For City LIFE project and developed training initiatives for city stakeholders, and mobilization tools to adapting cities to climate change.

Actually, she represents the Southern Region as a partner in CARDIMED project (funded by Horizon Europe), for the French team running a demonstration site on university campuses where SFN are being tested with teams from Aix Marseille University, SEMIDE and the Empan consultancy."

Marie Josefine Hintz, PhD Candidate, Technical University Berlin

After four years of working with ICLEI, Josefine began a PhD, focusing on the governance of AI for climate change mitigation in European cities. She works with Prof. Dr. Felix Creutzig and Prof. Dr. Lynn Kaack, based at  the Technical University of Berlin, Hertie School and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, supported by a scholarship from the Heinrich Böll Foundation. With her work, Josefine aims to generate actionable insights for local governments and policy-makers on the responsible integration of AI to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to her research, Josefine teaches at Sciences Po and volunteers with the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) for civil protection and disaster response.

Markku Markkula, President, Helsinki-Uusimaa Region

Dr Markku Markkula is the President of the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region Finland. He is Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), having been the CoR President in 2015-2017. His professional experience focuses on knowledge creation, societal innovations, change management, lifelong learning and the use of technology for societal progress. His experience includes the Advisor to the Aalto University Presidents. He was a Member of the Parliament of Finland 1995-2003.

Mr. Markkula has many influential roles in the EU policy, including the CoR Rapporteur on opinions on themes such as innovation, digitalization, research, industry and start-ups policy, SDGs and climate. Recently, he has been the CoR Rapporteur on the EU Missions, the New European Innovation Agenda, and the Future of EU Climate Policy: Aligning Mitigation Targets and Adaptation Challenges. He is the chair of the CoR Green Deal Going Local working group for 2025-2027.

MARTHE Van Gils, City of Rotterdam

Miguel Díaz-Cacho Dafonte, Biomedical Engineer, Galician Health Service

Miguel Díaz-Cacho is a biomedical engineer expert in data analysis. In the past years has been focused on the field of hospital engineering. During his work at SERGAS, he has coordinated the EU LIFE RESYSTAL project, calculated the carbon footprint and participated in many climate mitigation initiatives for the healthcare sector. 

MIKAEL Ardell, CEO, UIB Nordic 

Mila van Druten, Climate Risk Consultant, Haskoning

As a climate risk consultant at Haskoning, Mila is putting her ambitions to reduce the effects of climate change on the most vulnerable communities into practice by combining social sciences and technical engineering. This resulted in the creation of the Spatial Inequality Tool (SPIN), which helps to identify how climate disasters impact people’s livelihoods. It supports the process of identifying measures to protect the most vulnerable communities in the event of flooding and other climate disasters through the lens of accessibility. [https://www.haskoning.com/en/newsroom/blogs/2025/spin-a-new-tool-to-understand-spatial-inequality]

Mirjam Wolfrum, Head of Multilevel Governance, CDP

An expert in government and public sector climate and nature topics, including sustainability reporting, multilevel governance, EU and international policy, and sustainable finance. As CDP’s Head of Multilevel Governance, works to improve implementation and finance capacity of subnational governments through data, requester levers and partnerships. Led CDP’s policy engagement and fundraising in Europe as part of the regional management team and supported EFRAG on the EU company sustainability reporting standards. An information professional by training, has worked as a freelance information researcher, at the Goethe Institute’s information department and at a business consultancy. Holds a master’s degree in information management and a postgraduate degree in journalism.

Nadine Burbar, Programs Manager, Climate Resilience, Resilient Cities Network

Nadine brings a wealth of experience as an urban resilience practitioner, having served as a Deputy Chief Resilience Officer with a proven track record in local governance. Currently working at the Resilient Cities Network, she specializes in managing partnerships and curating engagement events at both local and global levels to advance the urban resilience agenda. Nadine holds a Master's degree in Urban Management and Development from Erasmus University Rotterdam, and in Competitiveness and Innovation from Deusto University in Spain. She combines academic knowledge with practical expertise to contribute meaningfully to the field. In addition, Nadine has conducted research and developed expertise in digital inclusion and digital resilience, further enhancing her expertise to address modern urban challenges and make cities a better place for all.

Neda Kostandinovic, Head of International Projects, Office of the Chief Architect, Barcelona City Council

 Neda Kostandinovic is an architect who graduated from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade and holds a Master's degree from ETSAB-UPC Barcelona School of Architecture. Since 2010 she has been part of the urban strategy team and in charge of international tasks in Barcelona Regional, Urban Development Agency, and since 2016 she has been coordinating international projects and participation in city networks in the Office of the Chief Architect, Area of Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing, City of Barcelona.

Nadège Seguel, Project Officer, FEDARENE

Nadège Seguel is a Project Officer at the FEDARENE, developing climate adaptation activities. Currently working on EU flagship projects and initiatives such as REGILIENCE, the Mission Implementation Platform and PLAN4COLD. She has an academic background in European Policy and Environmental management. 

Nilofer Tajuddin, Programs Manager, Climate Resilience, The Netherlands

Nilofer is an urban designer and planner whose technical experience in interdisciplinary programmes on climate resilience, energy transition and nature-inclusive cities is strengthened by participatory planning approaches. She has over 8 years of experience supporting cities in developing plans and instruments that accelerate local climate action. At Resilient Cities Network, she collaborates with city teams and stakeholders through EU funded programmes like UP2030, Commit2Green and NetZeroCities, and leads project deisgn and implementation, capacity building and delivery of technical support.

Nupur Prothi, Senior Climate Expert, ICLEI Europe

A Senior Climate Expert with ICLEI Europe, Nupur has engaged with place based climate action over 2 decades. As a practitioner of physical planning, landscape architecture (NbS) and urban conservation, she has overlapping expertise relevant to the EU Missions especially Mitigation and Adaptation. As an active member of the NetZeroCities Consortium, she co leads the strategic work on Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, Reporting and Verification through the Data Impact and Monitoring Sub Committee. Collaborating with Vinnova, SLU University and Swedbio in Sweden, she is focussed on cross disciplinary collaboration on innovation and climate impact. As Life Member of ISOCARP she has contributed to urban task forces globally. Currently she is serving her second term on the ICOMOS Board.

Otto Trienekens, Architect, Veldacademie

Otto Trienekens is an architect and entrepreneur driven by a deep ambition to create healthier cities. He is co-founder of Veldacademie and has been active in the field of inner-city renewal since graduating from the Faculty of Architecture at Delft University of Technology. In his work, he collaborates with residents, local stakeholders, and professionals to address socio-spatial and sustainability challenges. A central focus of his projects is the decentralisation and redesign of urban service systems (care, education, welfare, and sports). As co-founder and board member of the Handelscompagnie Sluisjesdijk Foundation, he is involved in participatory redevelopment and placemaking of industrial heritage sites. Through his design firm Vertex Architecture and Urbanism, he focuses on innovative housing and public building projects, especially in the health and care sector. Otto also teaches at TU Delft and regularly lectures at national and international universities.

Patricia del Mar Caro Ruiz, Project Manager, University Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

She holds a degree in Marine Sciences and an advanced degree in Environmental Engineering, with over 20 years of experience in the environmental field. Throughout her career, she has worked in environmental management for major infrastructure projects (airports, ports, dams), and has participated in numerous environmental innovation initiatives within European programs such as LIFE, H2020, and INTERREG.

In recent years, she has specialized in climate change impact assessment and the development of mitigation and adaptation measures. She is currently part of the Coordination Team of the LIFE COSTAdapta project, serving as technical coordinator. In this role, she leads the design and validation of a new coastal adaptation solution to address sea level rise and erosion in island territories. This approach aims to offer an innovative and integrative alternative within broader coastal protection and resilience strategies.

Paola Lepori, Senior Expert in Biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions, ICLEI Europe

Paola Lepori is a Senior Expert in Biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions at ICLEI Europe, based in Brussels. She works at the intersection of policy, science, and practice, bridging policy-making with impactful local action, and promoting the vital role of local and regional governments in advancing sustainable development, for both people and nature. Paola is currently involved in several EU-funded NbS projects, including NetworkNature. 

Her core professional objective is to build alliances that drive transformative change towards an inclusive, nature-positive future. 

Prior to joining ICLEI, Paola worked for nearly 8 years at the European Commission in communication and policy roles. Most recently, she worked at the science-policy interface, promoting the mainstreaming of biodiversity considerations and NbS across policy domains. Before joining the Commission, Paola worked as a writer and editor for international relations newspapers in Italy.

Patrizia Bianconi, Senior Expert in Ecological Transition and Climate Change, President's Cabinet, Emilia-Romagna region

Delegate for the Emilia-Romagna region for ecological transition and integrated climate change policies, she is a senior expert with extensive experience in managing projects and programs focused on sustainable development and climate change at international, national, and regional levels. With over 30 years of professional experience, she has actively promoted local economies and facilitated territorial cooperation while implementing and coordinating research activities related to climate change. She has supported numerous public institutions beyond the Emilia-Romagna region, including the Italian Ministry of Environment, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, the National Research Centre, and various private companies. Additionally, she collaborates as a lecturer in several specialized courses and master’s programs organized by universities and environmental agencies.

Pauline Guérécheau, Project Manager, Climate Adaptation (ADEME)

With an academic background in International Relations, specializing in international climate negotiations, Pauline has walked the line between global ambition and local action. At UN Environment, she supported cities in their journey toward decarbonization and climate resilience, notably through the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC). Now based in Guadeloupe with ADEME, Pauline leads adaptation efforts under the H2020 TransformAr project, weaving together innovation and tradition to shape responses rooted in the island’s unique rhythms - like the Local Adaptation Fund, designed to help farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change and strengthen the resilience of local agriculture.

Pernille Martiny Modvig, Team Lead, Climate-KIC

It is Pernilles vocational as well as personal mission to work towards a zero-carbon economy by promoting sustainable food systems, sustainable consumption patterns, circular economy and resource optimization.

Pernilles career has focussed on climate innovation, social responsibility, social innovation, fundraising, business development and organizational development centring around climate adaptation, circular construction and sustainable food systems and -consumption patterns, alternative proteins and sustainable cropping systems.

Prisca Haemmers, DG RTD

Rainer Handlfinger, Mayor, Market town of Ober-Grafendorf

Education

1982 – 1986 Elementary School, 3200 Ober-Grafendorf

1986 – 1990 Secondary School, 3200 Ober-Grafendorf

1990 – 1995 BORG St. Pölten, Science Branch

1996 – 2000 University of Applied Sciences for Telecommunications and Media, St. Pölten

Degree: Graduate Engineer (FH)

Professional Career

03/2000 – 06/2007 Municipal Councilor, Market Town of Ober-Grafendorf

06/2007 – 04/2010 Executive Municipal Councilor for Finance and Environment, Market Town of Ober-Grafendorf

Since 04/2010 Mayor, Market Town of Ober-Grafendorf

Additional Functions & Volunteering

04/2012 – 2018 Board Member, Vienna/Lower Austria Renewable Energy Working Group, Vienna

Since 05/2013 Executive Board Member, Climate Alliance/Climate Alliance Europe, Frankfurt am Main

Since 04/2014 Board Member, Regional Management Lower Austria – Lower Austria Central, St. Pölten

Since July 2017 Chairman of the Board, Climate Alliance Austria, Vienna"

Rebecca Moody, Erasmus University

Renata Haseth, Vice President, BwB

Prior to BwB, Renata worked at private equity social impact in Amsterdam, and held several positions in corporate and investment banking in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Singapore. She has worked in debt capital markets, project financing, and securitisation. Additionally, Renata has experience in strategic funding for a large corporate. Currently, she is working in the NetZeroCities team as the Adaptation and NBS sector head, helping cities to raise funding for climate adaptation and mitigation projects around Europe. Additionally, she is involved in Blue Economy projects and researching the financing of adaptation projects outside of NZC. 

Sarah Tosca LevyA, Project Assistant - UP2030, City of Milan

Sarah Tosca Levy is an urbanist and political scientist. She has collaborated with local governments in France and Italy, and European stakeholders on sustainable and inclusive urbanism.She is currently working within the Urban Resilience Department of the City of Milan (Italy) on a variety of projects linked to mitigation and adaptation of cities to climate change. 

Sarah Wright, Jr. Research/Advisor - Climate Adaptation, Deltares

Sarah Wright is a researcher/advisor in the field of climate change adaptation and water management at Deltares, where she focuses on connecting science to policy and decision-making in the field of climate adaptation. Her work largely involves developing, applying and analysing climate services such as (semi)quantitative decision support tools and adaptive planning workshops in projects such as REACHOUT and ClimateEurope2. She also recently co-led the development of a 'generic adaptation modelling framework' for Destination Earth, supporting modellers in building modelling systems to inform adaptation decision-making. 

Skilled in facilitation and stakeholder engagement, Sarah enjoys working creatively to combine different perspectives and knowledge, helping to deal with future uncertainty and handle the inherent complexity and interconnectedness of climate adaptation in practice.

SEbastien Kaye, IEED

Selene Angelone, Senior Expert, Resilience and Climate Adaptation

Selene, an architect and urban planner, brings 14 years of experience spanning the private sector and international cooperation. Holding an MSc in Architecture, she began her career as a designer in Italy, also gaining insights into post-disaster recovery. Transitioning to Panama in 2014, she expanded her expertise in overseeing architectural and construction projects holistically.

Driven by a passion for the social aspect of architecture, Selene pursued a postgraduate degree in 'Emergency & Resilience', shaping her focus on urban resilience and climate adaptation in the sub-Saharan African context during her five-year tenure at UN-Habitat. In November 2023, she embarked on a new journey, joining ICLEI Europe as a Senior Expert in Resilience and Climate Adaptation, solidifying her commitment to sustainable development.

SHreya Utkarsh, Senior Expert in nbs and Biodiversity, ICLEI europe

Shreya Utkarsh is a Senior Expert at ICLEI Europe in the field of Biodiversity and Nature based solutions. With expertise in governance, co-creation and stakeholder engagement practices, she has worked with several EU projects and lead work on NbS with connections to health, education as well as resilience.

Silke Nauta, Researcher/Advisor

Silke Nauta is an advisor and researcher specialising in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate resilience and integrated water management. Currently working at Deltares, she contributes to the EU project NBRACER (https://nbracer.eu/), focusing on enhancing regional climate resilience along the Atlantic coast, particularly in the Dutch province of Fryslân.

Silke brings experience from her previous roles at Wetlands International Europe and WWF Netherlands, where she promoted NbS to mitigate flood and drought risks and supported freshwater restoration initiatives across Europe. Her academic background includes an MSc in International Land and Water Management from Wageningen University, with a specialisation in adaptive water management and a thesis on coastal lagoon vulnerability.

Silke is passionate about restoring the sponge-like function of soils, improving water retention, and integrating natural solutions into policy and practice.

Sophie Arens, City of Dortmund

Sophie Arens has spent many years researching in climate protection and climate adaptation. Initially at the Wuppertal Institute for climate, Energy and Environment and later at TU Dortmund  in the topic of urban resilience. Since 2018 she has been working for the coordination office for climate protection and climate adaptation in the City of Dortmund and implements the Adaptation strategy and the Heat Action plan for the City. 

Silvia Haslinger Olsson, co-founder of Nordic Urban Resilience Institute

Silvia Haslinger Olsson has 10 years of experience in the field of urban resilience and is co-founder of Nordic Urban Resilience Institute. Since 2013 she has been focused on collaborative projects in urban resilience, addressing societal challenges together with politicians, the private and public sector and academia. Previously she has been working with cluster strategy and innovation at the Regional Development Agency is Southern Sweden. Since 2022 Silvia has been contracted by UN as a resilience expert, supporting Ukraine cities in their effort of recovery planning, based on resilience and sustainability principles.

STefan Kuhn, Deputy Director, ICLEI Europe

Stefan Kuhn is an Urban Geographer and Systemic Coach. He is Senior Manager for Governance and Human Resources at ICLEI Europe. For more than 20 years, Stefan has been working as trainer, consultant and expert in sustainability governance and management processes, co-leading ICLEI Europe as Deputy Director over the last 10 years. 

Sulafa Abushal, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, VCFSE Programme Manager

Sulafa Abushal is the VCFSE Programme Manager for the Greater Manchester Resilience Forum, leading engagement with the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector on emergency preparedness. With a background in community development, she ensures local voices shape Greater Manchester’s resilience planning. 

SIMON RACÉ, Junior Expert - NbS & Biodiversity team, ICLEI Europe

With a background in environmental policy, Simon currently serves as Junior Expert within the Biodiversity & Nature-based Solutions (NbS) team at ICLEI Europe. Last year, he participated in the organisation of a session related to NbS and health. His contribution to EURESFO 2025 will focus on water resilience and policy, connecting local and regional cases from various European projects.

Sylvie Duthoit, Research Associate, Head of Project and Services, TerraNIS

Sylvie Duthoit is an expert in remote sensing with over 20 years of experience in research, development, and operational services. Holding a Ph.D. in Remote Sensing from Toulouse III University (France), she has contributed to major European projects and published extensively in scientific journals. Sylvie combines strong project management skills with expertise in landscape analysis, Earth observation, and environmental monitoring. She currently leads the Projects and Services team at TerraNIS and as part of the European Valorada project, her team is developing - in close collaboration with other partners - some data manipulation tools for each of the 5 demonstrators covering a variety of different sectors, climate risks and key community systems.

Tanya Baycheva-Merger, Expert Green and Digital Transformation, ICLEI Europe

Dr. Tanya Baycheva-Merger joined ICLEI Europe in January 2025 as an expert in the Green and Digital Transformation team. She leads the AI & Sustainability initiatives and projects.

Prior to joining ICLEI, Tanya was a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the University of Freiburg, where she focused on the intersection of digitalization and environmental management- particularly on the adoption and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in forest and groundwater management. She holds a PhD in Environmental and Forest Policy, an MSc in Environmental Science, and a BSc in Environmental and Resource Management.

Tetiana Bardina, Deputy Mayor, Poltava City Council

Tetiana Bardina is the Deputy Mayor of Poltava (Poltava City Council), a city of 300,000 residents in central Ukraine. She is responsible for territorial development, rural districts (starostynski okruhy), and veteran affairs. A PhD in Economics and Associate Professor, she is the author of over 30 academic publications and taught for more than 10 years at Poltava State Agrarian University (PSAU). She has initiated numerous community development projects, including the creation of the Poltava Veteran Center. Dr. Bardina actively cooperates with international partners such as USAID, UNDP, and Power Up Ukraine,  with a strong focus on post-war recovery, local resilience, and inclusive policy development.

Thomas Koetz, Senior Advisor Resilient Regions, Climate-KIC

Thomas Koetz is Senior Advisor for Climate Resilient Regions at Climate KIC responsible for orchestrating the application of a systems innovation approach for transformations towards climate resilience at regional scale, including the coordination of the Pathways2Resilience project supporting 150 regions to become climate resilient.

Thomas has worked for over a decade as Programme and Policy Officer in environmental public policy for the European Commission and the United Nations, having been centrally involved in establishing the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which he served as Head of Work Programme.

He has worked on issues such as climate change, biodiversity, sustainable development, rural development, and multilevel governance, and has a PhD and background in science-policy interfaces, and Master degrees in ecological economics, and in landscape ecology and environmental management.

Tommaso Bassetti, ICATALIST

Vanessa Reinhart, Research Associate, Ruhr University Bochum (RUB)

Dr. Vanessa Reinhart is a multidisciplinary geographer with expertise in big data analysis, regional climate modeling, and qualitative stakeholder engagement. She completed her PhD at the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) in Hamburg in 2022, focusing on improving land use representation in regional climate models working towards improved climate projections. Since then, her work has evolved to emphasize stakeholder collaboration, science communication, and the development of climate services. At Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), she coordinates the Data2Resilience project and works closely with urban stakeholders to support climate adaptation efforts. Her key interests include urban climate adaptation, aligning scientific service development with stakeholder needs, and communicating climate science across the public and private sector.

Wiebke Pankauke, European Commission - DG RTD

Wouter Beijersbergen van Henegouwen, CRO, The City of Hague

Vasileios Latinos, Head of Resilience and Climate Adaptation, ICLEI Europe

Vasileios Latinos, is Head of Resilience and Climate Adaptation at ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, European Secretariat. Vasileios is a climate resilience expert and project coordinator, with 14 years experience, working with local and regional governments throughout Europe. He is responsible for the management and coordination of projects and services in the topical areas of climate change adaptation, urban resilience and disaster risk reduction and leading the programmatic development of ICLEI in this field.

Vanessa Reinhart, Research Associate, Ruhr University Bochum (RUB)

Dr. Vanessa Reinhart is a multidisciplinary geographer with expertise in big data analysis, regional climate modeling, and qualitative stakeholder engagement. She completed her PhD at the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) in Hamburg in 2022, focusing on improving land use representation in regional climate models working towards improved climate projections. Since then, her work has evolved to emphasize stakeholder collaboration, science communication, and the development of climate services. At Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), she coordinates the Data2Resilience project and works closely with urban stakeholders to support climate adaptation efforts. Her key interests include urban climate adaptation, aligning scientific service development with stakeholder needs, and communicating climate science across the public and private sector.

Vincent Omarjee, Head of Innovation, Energy and Climate Regional Agency of la Réunion

Vincent supports Énergies Réunion in its mission to fight climate change for the benefit of the people of La Réunion. As part of the regional agency for energy and climate, he works closely with local authorities to help them develop and implement their energy strategies through concrete actions. With the team there, he aims to achieve renewable energy self-sufficiency for the island, 

Xavi Tiana, Coordinator of the General Manager Office, Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, EMA Network

Since November 2023, working as Coordinator of the General Manager Office in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. From January 2014 till October 2023, Head of International Relations of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. From November 2015 until July 2019, Secretary General of MedCities, a network of more than 80 cities and metropolitan areas in the Mediterranean region. From 1998 to 2008 and 2011 to 2013, worked at the Provincial Government of Barcelona as Head of the European Cooperation Office. From 2008 to 2011, Director of the Office of the President at the Public Audit Office of Catalonia. Postgraduate Diploma in Local Government (University of Barcelona), a Master's in European Studies and a Bachelor's in Political Science and International Relations (Autonomous University of Barcelona). Experience working for various international and national organizations as trainer and expert (European Commission, OECD, European Institute of Public Administration, Turkish Government, etc.).

Yigyeong Oh, Associate Programme Management Officer, UNDRR

Yigyeong Oh is the regional focal point for the Making Cities Resilient 2030 Initiative at UNDRR ROECA, based in Brussels, Belgium. Since joining UNDRR in 2023, she has monitored UNDRR’s engagement with UN Country Teams in the region, coordinated collaboration within the Issue-based Coalition on Environment and Climate Change, and supported office communication efforts. She also contributes to the production of reports and knowledge products related to disaster risk reduction and urban resilience.

Zdravko Maksimovic, Chief of Section, Department for Civil Protection Affairs, City Administration of City of Kraljevo 

Graduated from the Faculty of Mining and Geology in Belgrade, and is currently studying for a doctorate at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad. In 2013, he took over the Department for Civil Protection , where he still works today. He has a license in the field of disaster risk reduction and post-disaster reconstruction (license for preparation of Disaster Risk Assessment and Protection and Damage Plans, license for PDNA, license for lecturers within the National Academy for Public Administration, etc.). He is a participant and creator of several projects: ADAPT, EVERGREEN, SEEURBAN, EU ZA TEBE, etc. (http://civilnazastitakraljevo.rs/PDF/ADAPT_Legacy.pdf, riskzm.rs, civilnazastitakraljevo.rs/svecano-otvaranje-osmatracnice-vizitorskog-centra-u-sklopu-evergreen-projekta/, seeurban.net, www.euzatebe.rs/rs/projekti/eu-za-srbiju-otpornu-na-katastrofe). Author of numerous manuals and materials in the field of civil protection and climate change.