Meet the TRAINERS
Quentin Ariès
News Researcher @ereb
Quentin Ariès
News Researcher @erebQuentin Ariès has been a journalist in Brussels since 2014. After learning his craft at Politico Europe, where he followed Brexit and lobbying and where he contributed to the ‘Brussels Playbook’, he now works as a freelance journalist. Current publications include The Washington Post and Contexte. He is also Chair of Cafébabel, the participatory European magazine. He graduated from Sciences Po Grenoble (Grenoble Institute of Political Studies) and University of Kent.
Frederic Donck
European lawyer (UCL & Ghent),
Frederic Donck
European lawyer (UCL & Ghent),Frédéric Donck is a European lawyer (UCL & Ghent), keynote speaker, trained in brief therapy (MRI of Palo Alto) as well as in strategic intervention in business. He has over 30 years of experience as a negotiator in the Internet & tech industry in Europe and worldwide. He has negotiated major international agreements in the ICT sector with policy makers, business leaders and international organizations in Europe, the United States, Latin America, Africa and Asia. He has also worked within the Cabinet of the President of a UN Agency in Geneva and has supported Cabinets of EU commissioners in Brussels. Eager to share the benefits of these experiences, he provides counseling and mentoring services to C-level executives and decision-makers, in Belgium and at international level, as well as stakeholders engagement training to Senior Executives, managers, students, entrepreneurs and diplomats.
Elena Linczenyiova
Strategic Thinker / Communications Leader
Elena Linczenyiova
Strategic Thinker / Communications Leader’m a senior EU policy expert with 25+ years of professional experience in strategic communications and European public affairs. Throughout my professional career, I have been writing on European affairs, analysing EU policies, crafting narratives and strategies for pan-European campaigns and supporting EU institutions and governments in their efforts to engage effectively with citizens and stakeholders. I'm passionate about data-driven insights, accurate content and great storytelling. After many years spent in the heart of the EU in Brussels, I perceive the mindset of EU policymakers and I have holistic and nuanced understanding of EU policies and institutional landscape. Despite the broad scope of my policy expertise, I'm particularly passionate about climate and cleantech innovation and I have profound interest in sustainability transition and net-zero pathways. I’m have a proven experience in thought leadership and content marketing, having served as Deputy Director of ICF Climate Center, a corporate thought leadership platform providing in-depth expertise and high-quality content on variety of climate-related issues.
Antoine Rivet
Managing Director @ GOPA Com
Antoine Rivet
Managing Director @ GOPA ComAntoine Rivet is GOPA Com.’s Managing Director and a communication enthusiast. After working in the development and cooperation world, he embarked on a career change to specialise in public sector communication, and quickly grew from consultant to Managing Director of the cosmopolitan Brussels-based agency today. Antoine and the people at GOPA Com. are passionate about the European project and focus their work with European institutions to develop solutions to build bridges between citizens.
Christopher Malapitan
Creative Facilitator & Trainer
Christopher Malapitan
Creative Facilitator & TrainerChristopher Malapitan is an independent creative facilitator and trainer based in Brussels. With many years of experience working in creative industries, he supports communities and teams to explore and unlock what drives them. From big-picture thinking to storytelling, from body movement to collaborative arts-based approaches, he applies a unique blend of innovative processes and practises to his facilitation work. www.chrismalapitan.com
Gökçeçiçek Kalaycı
Founder and Managing Director of Seven of Nine
Gökçeçiçek Kalaycı
Founder and Managing Director of Seven of Nine
Gökçeçiçek Kalaycı is the Founder and Managing Director of Seven of Nine. With a robust background in building organisational structures and establishing processes that drive business growth, she has played a pivotal role in helping organisations win new business and contracts through proposal procedures. Before founding Seven of Nine, Gökçeçiçek served as Managing Director at Tipik Communications and as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Sword Group, where she was also a member of the Extended Management Committee from 2022 to 2025. She initially joined Sword Group as Business Development Director in 2018, contributing significantly to the company’s success in acquiring public sector contracts. Gökçeçiçek's extensive career includes a decade-long tenure as Senior Director and Proposal Director at ICF International, where she held an executive management role overseeing proposal and related operations in Europe and Asia. Prior to this, Gökçeçiçek worked for over 10 years in her home country, Turkey, holding various management and expert positions at highly respected communication agencies and consultancies, following years of working for various Turkish and international media organisations. Gökçeçiçek holds several certifications directly relevant to business development and proposal management. These include the APMG International APMP® Bid and Proposal Management Practitioner certification, reflecting her proficiency in industry best practices. She has also studied Strategic Innovation Management at Copenhagen Business School, underscoring her commitment to staying at the forefront of strategic business thinking. Additionally, she holds certifications in Project Management Foundations: Procurement and PRINCE2, further highlighting her expertise in project management methodologies. Gökçeçiçek’s expertise also extends to academia. She currently teaches How to Write Winning Proposals at the Executive Master's Programme in European Public Affairs and Communication at IHECS Academy, where she previously taught EU Strategic Communications Design Methodology for several years.
Eric Maurice
Fondation Robert Schuman, Head of the Brussels office
Eric Maurice
Fondation Robert Schuman, Head of the Brussels officeric Maurice joined the Fondation Robert Schuman, a French think tank in 2018, as head of the Brussels office. Before that he was a journalist for almost 20 years. He spent a long time at Courrier international, a weekly newsmagazine, where he held different positions, including editor in chief of Presseurop, a European project for a multilingual news website on European affairs. He arrived in Brussels in 2015 to join EUobserver, where he also was editor in chief, until he decided to take a professional turn and look at the EU from another perspective. He holds a master of Contemporary History of International Relations from the Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne University and graduated from the Paris Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme. He is also an alumni from the Executive Course in European Studies of France's Ecole Nationale d’Administration.
Divin Robert Mahame
EU Communications professional
Divin Robert Mahame
EU Communications professionalDivin Mahame is a seasoned EU communications professional, currently serving as Community Manager at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). With a dedicated focus on amplifying the Committee members' online presence, Divin provides customised social media support, conducts tailored one-on-one training sessions and ensures access to multilingual content for effective communication. Beyond his role at the EESC, Divin actively shapes the discourse on EU communications and policymaking, sharing his expertise through education.
Paul Shotton
Co-Founder Advocacy Strategy, Owner at Shotton Consulting & Principal Lecturer THUAS
Paul Shotton
Co-Founder Advocacy Strategy, Owner at Shotton Consulting & Principal Lecturer THUAS
‘My passion is gathering and structuring advocacy best practice to promote professionalisation of advocacy practice. I strive to innovate in order to bridge advocacy research and practice. I am passionate about furthering our understanding of the policy-making process, acquiring advocacy tools and skills as well as defining advocacy strategies. For over twenty years I have worked in Brussels, London and The Hague for media, trade associations, companies, non-governmental organisations and in academia. Each provided new challenges, knowledge and skills. Exploring advocacy with students and professionals drove my work structuring the advocacy process as well as gathering advocacy knowledge, best practices and tools. I believe we can improve public affairs standards and advance our profession. ‘
Felix Francotte
Multimedia and Transmedia Storytelling Expert
Felix Francotte
Multimedia and Transmedia Storytelling ExpertFélix Francotte holds a master's degree in Communication and Journalism from IHECS / UCL. Following his studies, he specialized in new forms of multimedia and transmedia storytelling linked to social networks, as well as the creation of communities, in partnership with Google, Le Soir and Paris Match Belgium. At the same time, he is experimenting with new narrative forms such as “journalistic vlog”, a sort of report filmed in first person using a smartphone or light equipment, which will be broadcast as part of the PopM (La Deux) and L programs. RTBF internet Show (Tipik). Columnist for Tipik's morning radio, Félix is also the founder of the micro communication agency ARTÈRE, specializing in supporting projects with social vocations and on a human scale.
Mark Rogerson
Communications professional and former television journalist
Mark Rogerson
Communications professional and former television journalistMark Rogerson is a communications professional and former television journalist with in-depth understanding of both the public and private sectors. He has developed and coordinated a range of public relations, communications and crisis management programmes for clients throughout the EU including the European Commission, the European Court of Auditors, the European Parliament, GW Pharmaceuticals plc and The London International Financial Futures Exchange. Before he began his career in public relations, Mark's background was as a broadcast journalist with the BBC. He was a producer and presenter on Radio 4's The Financial World Tonight, after which he worked as Economics Correspondent for BBC Television News. He was also a reporter on The Money Programme, BBC 2's award-winning weekly business magazine. From 2015 to 2019 he was Spokesperson for the European Court of Auditors.
Ljiljana Simic
EU institutional anthropologist, interculturalist
Ljiljana Simic
EU institutional anthropologist, interculturalistPhd researcher in the field of international scientific multidisciplinary studies on intercultural EU image and its branding. Organisational Development consultant and trainer for EU institutions, EU Agencies, EU Delegations. Cross cultural and diversity advisers for private, public sector and NGO sector. As a trainers and consultants she has experience from many countries in team development strategies, intercultural communication, change management etc. Long - term experience with EU institutions positioned to advise, anticipate and evaluate working in multicultural teams and diversity issues. Co-author, editor in several academic books on Cross cultural Management, Cultural diversity and Cultural policies.
Nuno Bacharel
Senior Communications Manager @RE-Source Platform
Nuno Bacharel
Senior Communications Manager @RE-Source PlatformNuno Bacharel is a seasoned communications professional with over 10 years of international experience. He excels in developing and executing high-impact communications projects across various disciplines, including strategic communications, public relations, marketing, and media relations. Nuno has a proven track record of managing and optimising multi-channel digital campaigns. Prior to leading communications for the RE-Source Platform (a renewable energy platform funded by WindEurope and SolarPower Europe), Nuno honed his skills in communications roles at CEFIC (the European Chemical Industry Council) and BSEF, (the International Bromine Council). He also gained valuable experience working with various consultancies. Throughout his career, Nuno has consistently elevated communications strategies and delivered impactful campaigns that enhanced the reputations of his clients. Nuno is passionate about translating complex ideas into clear and compelling communication solutions. A digital native speaker and versatile content creator, he possesses a keen eye for crafting strong and effective visuals to enhance storytelling. He is also an enthusiastic and performance driven professional with strong problem-solving skills
Laure Wagener
Policy Advisor at Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the Council of The EU
Laure Wagener
Policy Advisor at Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the Council of The EULaure is a Brussels-based diplomat negotiating EU legislation in the areas of the Single Market, EU industrial policy and space policy on behalf of Luxembourg. As a representative of Luxembourg in the Council of the EU for more than a decade, she has long-term experience in negotiating seminal EU legislation such as the roaming regulations, the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA), cybersecurity legislation and privacy laws. She was also head of the Council negotiating team that led to the conclusion in trilogues of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) under Luxembourg Presidency in 2015. Laure furthermore has experience in the private sector when she joined the EU public affairs team in Brussels of Vodafone Group to work on data, artificial intelligence and privacy policy.