Speakers 2020

Ana Adi is professor of Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Quadriga University of Applied Sciences Berlin. Ana looks back on a broad portfolio of experience at an international level: amongst other things, she has lived, worked and taught in the USA, Great Britain, Belgium, Bahrain, Thailand and Romania. In the course of her academic career, Ana received a B.A. Hons in Communication and Public Relations from the SNSPA in Romania plus two master’s degrees, one of them as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Missouri. She received her doctor’s degree in the field of Communication and Media Studies on the grounds of her research on the Olympic Games’ coverage and presentation in the media. Ana is a firm advocate of internationalising the field of education and – as a member of the Social Media Global Education Connection Project – actively campaigns for a competent utilisation of social media in research and teaching.

Noah Barkin is a Berlin-based journalist who specialises in Europe's relationship with China. His work has appeared on Reuters, where he worked as a bureau chief, regional news editor and roving Europe correspondent, as well as in The New York Times, The Atlantic and Foreign Policy, among other publications. Over the past year, he has been focused on the impact of the US-China competition on transatlantic relations, delving into the 5G debate and emerging technology questions, as a visiting fellow at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin and the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies in Washington. He is the author of a book on the euro. A native Californian, Noah has a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and French from UC Berkeley and a Master's in International Affairs from Columbia University.

Anna Beranek is a senior communications manager with extensive experience in thought leadership, reputation management and social media in global roles in various countries at international organizations, including Siemens, BMW and the German Foreign Office. Having lived in Asia, Europe and the U.S., she speaks five languages fluently. Throughout her career, Anna has honed her focus on positioning managing board members, CEOs and top executives as thought leaders in an authentic way, effectively advising them in fast-paced and political environments, including change and crisis communications.

As a professional communicator, Constantin Birnstiel started his career in the mid 90s at global engineering giant Siemens. After holding several managerial positions in communications and investor relations, his last position was Global Head of Media Relations. In 2011 Constantin left Siemens to support the spin-off of the lighting manufacturer OSRAM. In his role, he accompanied the successful transaction and market implementation of the new stand-alone company as the Global Head of Communications, Governmental Affairs and Investor Relations. In 2015 Constantin was asked by the German giant utility E.ON to accompany the separation of its conventional energy generation and trading business into a new company, Uniper, which – in his role as Global Head of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations – he helped to successfully publicly list it in 2016.
Mid of 2017, Constantin joined DAX-listed Merck KGaA, a leading science and technology company, as Global Head of Group Communications.

Rainer is a passionate communicator with more than 11 years experience in agencies and in-house with a strong focus on cybersecurity, honored to have been included in the Holmes Report's Innovator EMEA 25 list 2016. He believes: If we want people to listen to what companies have to say today, the stories we tell them have to differentiate a brand from others, be consistent and surprising. So he had a NFC chip implanted into my left hand on a stage at IFA in Berlin to visually support our PR efforts around research into implanted technology and stood in a Pop Up store for two days, trying to convince people to hand over private data in exchange for art. He believes PR has to dare more - we lost control over communications anyway, so more than ever we now have to be creative, unique and different.

Dr. Sandra Busch-Janser, head of the Political Communication Department and the Adenauer Campus at the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation (KAS), is an expert in public affairs and campaigning. Before joining the KAS she developed various information offers for the political communications community under the umbrella of polisphere e.V. (politnews, politjobs.de) and the political monitoring service which is now part of the Tagesspiegel portfolio.

Brian Carroll is head of media relations at the speciality chemicals and materials firm, Solvay. In this capacity, Brian leads Solvay’s external engagement strategy with media and serves as the company's spokesperson. He has broad international experience in communications and public affairs. He previously worked at life sciences company Bayer, where he was responsible for EMEA regional communications. Prior to this, Brian worked at communications consultancy APCO Worldwide, in Washington, D.C., Beijing and Brussels. Brian started his career in media sales in Paris for Les Échos Group. Originally from Washington, D.C., Brian holds a Master of Arts in Global Communications from the American University of Paris and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Elon University in the United States.

Cynthia Chan is Head of Corporate Communications, Greater China for Covestro, a world-leading supplier of high-tech polymer materials. With solid professional experience and proven business acumen, she aspires to drive communications to the next level and drive a unique culture for the company which became independently in Frankfurt in 2015. Chan has worked with APAC based multinationals across a variety of sectors, including finance, technology and retail during her tenure at award-winning global PR agencies prior to Covestro.

Sarah Cordivano is Zalando's Senior Diversity and Inclusion Officer. In this role, she is the primary driver and leader of internal diversity and inclusion topics for Zalando, a 5.3 billion euro fashion e-commerce company with over 15,000 employees. Her main responsibilities include: development and driving of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy for Zalando and management of employee related topics that arise outside of longterm strategy planning. Sarah is from Philadelphia and has a background in spatial data analysis, community management and project management, including working in data analytics at certified B Corporation Azavea. She is an active community organizer and advocate for diversity and inclusion.

Louis de Schorlemer is Managing Partner at Corporate Diplomat, a consultancy dedicated to communications in mergers and acquisitions, and has led on numerous transactions across Europe, North America and the Middle East. Throughout his career, Louis has held senior international communication roles with Sibelco, Cargill and Gallup. He also serves on the supervisory board of Villeroy & Boch AG, Germany and on the advisory board of Lift Me Off, UK, a startup enabling in-orbit satellite servicing. Until recently, he was on the board of directors of Gault & Millau, France.

Hendrik de Wit is Group Manager Communications at Refresco, the world’s largest independent bottler of beverages. With 20 years of marketing and communications experience within the financial and pharmaceuticals industry, Hendrik has managed several merger and acquisition trajectories and key projects such as public listing (IPO), corporate repositioning, rebrandings and launching new strategy, purpose and values.Prior to joining Refresco, Hendrik was Director of Corproate Communications at international trust and corporate management company Intertrust Group.

Christof Ehrhart is Global Head of Corporate Communications and Governmental Affairs and Executive Vice President of Robert Bosch GmbH, a leading global technology and service company with more than 400,000 employees and subsidiaries and regional companies in more than 60 countries. From 2009 until 2018, he was Head of Corporate Communications and Responsibility and Executive Vice President at Deutsche Post DHL Group, with about 500,000 employees in more than 200 countries and territories the world´s leading mail and logistics Group. In 2017 he received the German Image Award from F.A.Z.-Insitute/PRIME Research International for positioning Deutsche Post DHL Group as the German company with the best international media image and the Seismograph Award from PR Magazine as PR Manager of the Year in Germany. Prior to joining Deutsche Post DHL Group in 2009, he was in charge of corporate communications at European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), the mother company of Airbus. Christof looks back on more than 20 years of experience as professional in international communications and public affairs for major global players such as America Online, Bertelsmann, Schering and JT International.

Heino Falcke is professor of astroparticle physics and radio astronomy at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. He is chair of the science council of the Event Horizon Telescope, member of the royal Netherlands academy for arts and science, a knight in the order of the Dutch lion, and recipient of the Spinoza Prize, the highest science award of the Netherlands.

Jenni Field is a Board Director for Chartered Institute of Public Relations as well as the President for 2020. Working at Director level for a global pharmaceutical company Jenni has worked in the public sector, defence, advertising and retail and hospitality industries. Working with a remote workforce, running a global communications function for a FTSE250 business her experience in gaining buy-in at senior level, creating functions from scratch and creating campaigns that put the employee voice at the heart are all in her skillset. She is also founder and director of Redefining Communications.

Thomas Fife-Schaw is a Research Director at Ipsos Corporate Reputation. He has specialised in international B2B, corporate communications, brand and reputation research for over a decade. Thomas has worked with a diverse range of leading global companies such as RB (Reckitt Benckiser), GSK, Microsoft, BP and EY in addition to government departments, senior policy makers and NGOs.He regularly delivers insight to a range of client audiences from C-suite executives to communications and PR managers.

Rachel Fraser has been Head of Internal Communications for Manchester United since November 2019. In this new role, a first for the club, Rachel is responsible for all aspects of colleague communications. Prior to joining Manchester United, Rachel was Head of Employee Experience at MAG, the UK’s largest airport provider, with responsibility for staff communications and engagement at Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports. Rachel has also held a range of communication and business roles at the BBC and Capgemini Consulting. In 2019 Rachel was awarded a place on the Northern Power Women Future list which recognises change-makers of the future across the North of England and Silver Medal in the Gorilla Games, an internal communications competition challenging practitioners to think boldly and creatively about communications.

Veronica Fresneau is Head of Marcom at Vive, a Dutch fintech startup based in Amsterdam. She has ten years of international experience in advertising and PR agencies such as McCann World Group and Weber Shandwick. During the years, she has been responsible for a portfolio of B2C and B2B tech global brands leading strategy, branding and integrated comms among others. Veronica has been working with startups since 2009 on several EMEA markets and is also an entrepreneur having co-founded two startups.

Karina Furga-Dąbrowska is Partner and Europe Chief Mindfulness Officer at Dentons, the world’s largest law firm. She is a lawyer with more than 20 years of professional experience in legal and tax advisory for international corporations. Karina has initiated and co-designed an innovative NextMind training programme for lawyers and legal professionals based on mindfulness meditation. She is currently developing and implementing the NextMind project in Dentons’ offices in Europe and worldwide. She is also Founder and President of the Board at Foundation Knowledge for a Better Life. Before joining Dentons, Karina was a Manager at EY from 2002-2006, having previously been Senior Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1999-2002.

Jeppe Glahn joined Novzymes in May 2005 as director of internal communications, before becoming its director of corporate communications in 2008 and taking up his current role in September 2019. Before joining Novozymes, Jeppe worked at Brodrene Hartmann in a variety of roles in sustainable development and communications from 1998 to 2005.

Gitte Gravengaard’s research areas are communication, research communication, journalism, and internships. She has written several peer-reviewed monographs as well as a large number of peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and conference papers. Gravengaard is the director of The Advisor of the Future research project, and the project ‘CEO Communication and the future communication advisor’ is a part of this larger research project.

Karin Helmstaedt is a Canadian-born journalist, moderator, and TV host based in Berlin, Germany. She studied in Toronto, Montreal and Paris, and alongside her studies had an impressive career as a member of Canada’s National Swim Team, participating in World Championships, Commonwealth and Pan American Games. It was from the international sporting arena that she embarked on her journalistic career, covering major sporting events, reporting extensively on doping, and eventually moving into broadcasting. Since 1999 she’s been one of the most constant faces on Germany’s global TV broadcaster Deutsche Welle, where she currently anchors the Arts & Culture news program. Fluent in English, French and German, Karin is also a sought-after moderator and facilitator for conferences and events around Europe, with experience in a broad range of sectors and topics including communications, food and agriculture, rail transport, plastics and sustainability.

Janet is an internal communication leader with over 15 years of experience in finance, tech and retail. She worked for Apple for nine years, where she was a founding member of the Retail Internal Comms team and a member of the EMEIA Retail Marketing Leadership team. During Apple’s hyper-ascent to become the first trillion dollar company, she was a key player in the evolution of its internal comms. Imagining, crafting and implementing smart new ways of working “glocally”, she leads teams who created comms for a multitude of product launches, country and store openings and, developed new and innovative ways to amplify Marcom campaigns. She also pioneered leading global iPhone communications from outside the US, while the rest of the global iPhone team were based in Cupertino. Prior to Apple, Janet created the Internal Communication function at Crédit Agricole CIB in the UK, following the merger of Crédit Agricole and Crédit Lyonnais. Janet alsofounded JanCo an internal communication, EX and culture collective. She has worked in Paris, Tokyo and Cupertino and has been based in London for the last 15 years.

Corinne Holtshausen is a seasoned communications professional, experienced in leading and managing regional communications, creating communications strategies, plans and tools in a complex, matrixed B2B organisation, navigating cultural, political and language challenges. She has been with Cargill for 13 years, working in a variety of communication roles and currently leads the communication practice in the EMEA region. She is responsible for a team of experts that provides strategic counsel to the business in managing reputational issues, including geopolitical, crisis, industrial relations and policy communications. This includes a centre of communication expertise for mergers, joint ventures, divestitures and acquisitions.

Professor Thomas Hundt studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Munich and architecture at the University Stuttgart. Since 1998, he is managing partner of jangled nerves, an interdisciplinary agency specialised in live communication combining the physical and the digital world. Since 2004 he is also professor for media and space at the Faculty of Architecture and Design of the Stuttgart University of Applied Science.

Dr Yu Jie is Senior Research Fellow on China at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, focusing on the decision-making process of Chinese foreign policy as well as China’s economic diplomacy. She speaks and writes frequently at major media outlets such as BBC, Financial Times, and regularly briefs senior policy practitioners from the EU institutions,the G7 member governments and advised the Silk Road Fund in Beijing, as well as FTSE-100 major corporates. Yu Jie has testified at the UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and International Trade Committee; was head of China Foresight at LSE IDEAS and taught “Politics, Philosophy and Economics” at LSE. Prior to LSE, she was a management consultant, specializing in Chinese state-owned enterprises investments in Europe and Chinese market entry strategies for European conglomerates at the London Office of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. Dr Yu has been recognized as a 'Leading Woman' of the London School of Economics for her contribution in teaching and engaging the debates on China’s foreign affairs.

As Chief Storyteller at GE, Tomas Kellner oversees the content and social media strategy of GE Reports, GE’s digital media hub, and the GE Brief, GE’s global newsletter. His career in journalism includes eight years as a reporter and staff writer at Forbes magazine in New York, where he covered business, innovation, and technology. Tomas also spent six years at Kroll as a senior director managing business intelligence research and investigations. Tomas graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and also holds a degree in mechanical engineering and materials science from Czech Technical University. He is a Fulbright Scholar.

Corley Kenna is a seasoned public affairs and communications professional with almost 20 years of experience. Corley began her career in government and politics. She got her start working for several US Congressmen and is a tested campaign operative, having spent election cycles with the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and on Hillary for New York (2006) and Hillary for President (2008). She rounded out her time in government in the Obama administration, serving as a Senior Advisor in the U.S. State Department in the Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

As Managing Director and Chief of Staff to the CEO of Burson-Marsteller, Corley built and maintained global client and media relationships at one of the world’s leading communication agencies. As Vice President for Public Affairs and Corporate Communications at Ralph Lauren Corporation, she led media response and strategy for all corporate affairs and crisis situations. She founded and co-lead the supply chain Traceability Working Group, a company-wide initiative to improve sustainability with respect to raw materials.

At Patagonia, Corley oversees all product, brand and internal communications. She led the media strategy around the 100% for the Planet Black Friday initiative, which resulted in $10 million in donations to environmental nonprofits worldwide. She currently leads all communication strategy around the company’s initiatives—from public lands to progressive family policies.

Mike Klein is Principal of Changing The Terms, a Netherlands-based consultancy focused on improving the effectiveness and relevance of internal and social communication. Mike is the author of "From Lincoln to LinkedIn, the 50-Minute Guide to Social Communication" and is a prolific writer on communication-related topics. Mike is Past Chair of IABC EMENA and an MBA graduate of London Business School.

Markus Leutert joined the engineering and R&D services firm AKKA Technologies as Global Head of Communications in 2017 where he is also responsible for recruitment marketing and employer branding. He has held senior corporate and marketing communications roles, both agency-side and in-house, for a variety of sectors. He developed and delivered global internal and external brand and lead-generation campaigns for leading B2B, B2G and B2B2C brands globally. These include DHL, Starbucks, P&G, Syngenta, Serono, Thales and Walgreens Boots Alliance. He has a strong track record in developing high performance in-house teams, with a focus on change and digital transformation, developing business-driven brand narratives and delivering award-winning communications campaigns.

Kerstin Lohse-Friedrich is responsible for external and internal communications at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS). Prior to taking on this position, she worked at German television studio ARD-Hauptstadtstudio, reporting on economic, financial and foreign policy. From 2000 to 2005, she was the founding bureau chief of the ARD studio in Shanghai. She also worked on the editorial team of the radio program SWR2, where she was a senior editor and radio presenter. She studied Sinology and Political Science in Heidelberg, Beijing and Leiden (the Netherlands) and holds a master’s degree in Political Science and China Studies/Sinology from Heidelberg University and a MBA in Communication and Leadership from Quadriga University, Berlin.

Brian is the Chief Communications Officer of Mubadala Investment Company, responsible for stewardship of the Mubadala brand and management of the Group’s corporate communications requirements. Brian has worked in the communications industry for over 30 years, beginning his career in Washington, D.C., where he served as chief of staff, spokesman and campaign manager for two members of Congress. Before joining Mubadala in 2009, Brian worked at global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller for 10 years, where he provided strategic guidance to the firm’s public affairs, corporate and technology clients. He is a board member of the following organizations: the Arthur W. Page Society; Institute for Public Relations; Middle East Public Relations Association; Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation.

Thiane Loureiro is currently Global Social Media and Digital Director at Hercules Transforming Communications, part of Havas Group. She started her career in 1995 as a reporter for the Brazilian Abril Group and Thomson Reuters. In the field of public relations, Thiane worked at Hill & Knowlton Brazil and then at Edelman, wherein 2007 she started the digital practice, which later expanded to Argentina, Peru and Mexico. Thiane also acted as a Senior Corporate Communications and CSR Director for Latin America at CA Technologies, where she led employee engagement, external relations and digital. Prior to that, she was a Communications Director at Grünenthal Latin America and also worked as a Corporate Communications Senior Manager at Whirlpool Latin America and Mondelez.

An Expert Witness in Reputation and cited as ‘among the 100 most influential people in PR’, Sandra is Group CEO of Echo Research which provides brand and reputation research for clients globally including running Britain’s Most Admired Companies annual study. Sandra is also Director of Reputation Dividend, which values the reputation for listed companies. From an early career at PA Management Consultants, Sandra set up the first international franchise for media analysis in 1989 before launching Echo.
Ambassador to the International Integrated Reporting Council , Sandra is also a Companion of the Chartered Institute of Management, member of the McKinsey Women as Leaders’ Forum and Visiting Professor on Reputation at NYU. Founder of the International Association of Measurement & Evaluation Companies (amec), Sandra has been Trustee and Board Member of the Arthur W Page Society, the Institute of Public Relations, the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), and University of Oxford’s Public Affairs Advisory Group. Sandra is the recipient of the 2018 Page Distinguished Service Award."

Matteo Maggiore has been Director of Communication at the European Investment Bank since October 2014. Prior to his appointment, he was Deputy Director of Communication at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for two years. He spent a big part of his career at the BBC where he started as a European Affairs Officer in 1992 and rose to the position of Controller of International Policy and Strategy. He served as Deputy Director for Television at the European Broadcasting Union from 1998 to 2000. He studied international relations and history at the Sapienza University of Rome.

Zipporah Maubane is a marketing and communications executive at one of the leading ICT companies in South Africa. Headquartered in South Africa, Altron employs over 8500 employees in Asia, Europe, Australia and Rest of Africa. Zipporah’s journey at Altron began about three years ago as the company was undergoing a strategic change from being a manufacturing business to a technology company. Her mandate was to reposition the Altron brand and align it to the new company strategy. She continues to work on building trust in the company by communicating its purpose, unique value position to the market, so it can meet its reputational aspiration of being considered a trusted advisor in digital transformation by business and public sector customers. She is responsible for influencing and executing Altron’s strategy by ensuring integration and alignment of messages across internal communications, media relations and investor relations to deliver a consistent brand experience for employees, shareholders, customers and society. Zipporah has occupied senior positions in marketing and communications in a career spanning over 25 years, amassing a wealth of experience in companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, DPD, BP and Sasol. Her journey began as a radio news reporter at the South African Broadcasting Corporation and she moved into government communications at the birth of the new South Africa, which was followed by an eye-opening opportunity in logistics in the UK.

Dr. Thomas Middelhoff was from 1994 to 2002 a member of the board of Bertelsmann AG, whose chairman he was from 1998 -2202. He was responsible for the development of the Group's internet business, the acquisition of the leading English-language book publisher Random House and the establishment of RTL Group, which has contributed more than 50% to the result of Bertelsmann AG for 15 years. Alone with the sale of the stake in AOL and the network company Mediaways, he generated for the group a profit of over € 8 billion. In addition to his work at Bertelsmann, he was for many years a member of the boards of numerous major international corporations such as Vivendi, New York Times and AOL Inc.
In 2003 he joined the London-based private equity investment company Investcorp and returned to Germany in 2005, where he was initially appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KarstadtQuelle AG in an emergency situation and in May 2005 took over the position of Chairman of the Board of Management Arcandor AG was renamed to save. At the same time, Thomas Middelhoff also became Chairman of the Thomas Cook Group, which under his leadership developed into the world's second-largest tourism company and in which Arcandor held the majority of the shares. At the height of the financial crisis, Thomas was replaced in March 2009 as Chief Executive Officer. His successor, Gerhard Eick, applied for the bankruptcy of Arcandor AG in June.
In November 2014, Thomas was sentenced by the Essen Regional Court to three years' imprisonment for breach of trust amounting to €485,000 and tax evasion amounting to €22,500. He was arrested immediately after sentencing in the courtroom in front of his family due to the risk of absconding. In the JVA Essen a "15-minute suicide control" was carried out on him against his will for weeks. Middelhoff was diagnosed with an incurable and life-threatening autoimmune disease (Systemic Lupus SLE) due to the associated sleep deprivation. After rejecting his appeal, he served his sentence in the JVA Bielefeld and worked at his own request as a temporary worker with disabled people.

Daniel Mittler has been communicating about – as well as fighting against - the climate crisis for decades. He believes that the moral argument for climate action needs to be made and that the climate crisis can only be addressed together with the inequality crisis. From 2008 to 2010 he was Head of the Germany Program at the European Climate Foundation. From 2004 to 2008 he was also working at Greenpeace International leading work on climate politics, trade, corporate accountability and international financial institutions. Before joining Greenpeace, Daniel was Head of International Campaigns at BUND – Friends of the Earth Germany for four years.

In addition to his role at RelationsPeople, Anders is also the Head of Communications for VL – The Danish Management Society, Network-Director in EGN, Executive´s Global Network. Furthermore, Anders is the chairman of the Danish communications community K1. Rendtorff is an experienced trusted advisor in some of Denmark’s largest companies such as Ericsson, Telia, Coloplast, and Vestas. Anders is an external lecturer at Copenhagen Business School at the Institute for Management, Society, and Communication.

Stefan Nerpin is Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs at Volvo Bus Corporation, a world leading manufacturer of buses and coaches, operating with 8,000 people in +140 countries and with revenues of EUR 2.5 billion. In previous roles as Chief Communication Officer/Chief Marketing Officer for DNV GL Group, Vattenfall Group, SEB Group, and at TNT Global Express, Stefan together with his teams developed global brands and advanced profitable business growth in highly competitive markets. He has managed mergers and acquisitions with re-branding, business re-modeling and digital transformation, customer development, company/CEO positioning and organizational change. A common ambition has been to engage customers and key stakeholders in pioneering industry transformation, technology innovation, and safe and sustainable enterprise.

Jo oversees the corporate brand, digital, social and internal communications for Reckitt Benckiser plc globally. In this role, she and her team are responsible for building the brand of RB from the inside out, starting with the 45,000 employees of the company globally.

Prior to RB, Jo spent 7 years at GE Oil & Gas, in Italy and later in London, where she led customer communications globally. In 2016 – 2017, she led the 360-degree communications for the integration and launch of Baker Hughes, a GE company (now Baker Hughes).
Jo’s professional passion is marketing and communications and her career spans several sectors from investment banking, to foreign direct investment, to energy, pharmaceuticals and consumer health. She has worked both in-house and as a consultant, in government and for blue-chip businesses. A graduate in Film, Media and Cultural Studies, she started her career in her hometown Hong Kong, before moving to Italy and then onto London. She has an MBA and is fluent in Italian.

Prior to joining Ipsos MORI, Matt Painter was global Head of Research at Echo Research Ltd (subsequently Ebiquity plc), an independent research agency specializing in reputation and communications effectiveness. For more than 10 years, Matt has worked closely with his clients and project teams to design and deliver insightful, tailored research and to interpret and implement the findings. Often these studies have had to unravel the attitudes and opinions of very diverse audiences – from consumers to opinion elites – across a range of global markets. Matt’s work has also increasingly focused on the impact of different media, including social media, on corporate reputation and trust. He has spoken widely on reputation and communications and has won a number of industry awards on behalf of his clients.

Byung-Hun Park started his career at Burson-Marsteller in 2006. In 2007, he moved to the Hering Schuppener communications consultancy. In 2012, he joined Softweare AG as Senior Vice President Global Corporate Communications & Marketing DACH before joining Viessman, an international manufacturer of heating, industrial, and refrigeration systems, as Vice President Corporate Communications in July 2019.

Carlo Parrado-Curros joined Shell in 2013 as Crisis Management Lead before taking on his current role in 2016, where he is responsible for developing and maintaining Shell’s crisis preparedness and response capability globally. He is also an experienced advisor, coach, trainer in building response capabilities with aim to improve organization’ preparedness. Before joining Shell, Carlo was Deputy Head of National Counter Terrorism and Activism Unit at Law enforcement in the Netherlands ((Politie Nederland) and has been a Lieutenant/Captain in the Royal Netherlands Airforce and Captain in The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee.

Hannah is the head of the corporate communications practice at executive search company Odgers Berndtson. Hannah spent four years working in Odgers Berndtson’s not for profit practice managing CEO and board recruitment before moving to lead its communications work as a functional specialist. Before joining Odgers, Hannah worked for a boutique marketing and communications recruitment firm. Hannah is a trustee of the International Refugee Trust.

Koen Peeters is a Senior Consultant with CS&A International based in Belgium working with clients internationally. Koen joined CS&A in 2010, and has been working with clients to develop and implement risk management systems, develop crisis processes, establish stakeholder mapping and scenario planning capabilities, as well as overall business continuity and contingency planning. He is particularly involved in all crisis exercises including designing scenarios and developing and controlling simulation drills. He helps design and deliver CS&A’s risk, crisis and business continuity training programmes, conducts audits in risk and crisis management and implements CS&A’s own crisis readiness diagnostic CrisisScan© for a wide range of clients across industry sectors. Prior to joining CS&A, Koen had wide-ranging experience in the distribution sector, assessing risks and optimising the supply chain and had an extensive traineeship at Atlas Copco in Shanghai.

Olga is an international award-winning communications and marketing professional. She is ex Member of the Board of VTB Capital and Senior Vice-President of VTB Group responsible for the global communications and marketing strategy, as well as the management of a communications platform for the VTB Group’ Corporate investment business, including regional development across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America.Before joining VTB Capital in April 2008, Olga led the communications and marketing function at Deutsche Bank for Russia and the CIS for eight years, where she also acted as member of the executive committee.

Thomas Ravn-Pedersen is the CEO and editor in chief of World’s Best News, an independent news organisation for constructive journalism and campaigns that reports on progress and sustainable solutions to challenges in global development. World’s Best News also publishes verdensmål.org, which is sponsored by the Danish government as a pilot for how a national digital platform on the Global Goals can be rolled out globally. Thomas is a member of The 2030 Panel, an advisory board to the all-party coalition The 2030 Network in the Danish parliament, a board member of Game, a NGO working with street sports and street culture, and member of the advisory board at Orestad Innovation City Copenhagen.

Prior to joining Maersk in August 2017, Mette Refshauge served as Head of Corporate Communications in Danfoss, Scandinavian Airlines and TDC, a Danish telecom provider. Corporate Communications drives stakeholder understanding of Maersk’s strategy to become the global integrator of container logistics and builds brand reputation. This is done through impactful leadership and employee engagement, positioning Maersk in the media through earned coverage and serving as custodian of the corporate brand, ensuring the visual identity is adhered to and the tone of voice positions the corporate brand effectively. Mette is responsible for corporate communications globally in Maersk which encompasses the Internal Communications, Media Relations and Branding departments. The corporate communication function consists of department leadership and associated teams based in Copenhagen, supported by a network of regionally based communication advisors and managers.

Carmen Romero was appointed NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy in October 2016. She joined NATO in May 2004 as Deputy Spokesperson and Head of Press and Media, a position she held for 12 years. She has also been Acting NATO Spokesperson, including during the Russia-Georgia war in August 2008.
Prior to this, Carmen had a long career as the Foreign Affairs Correspondent for EFE News Agency based at the United Nations in Geneva, Moscow and Paris, covering events such as the revolution in Romania, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the war in Chechnya, the crisis in Kosovo, and the NATO campaign in the former Yugoslavia. From 2001 to 2004 she was the Defence and Foreign Affairs Correspondent for EFE News Agency to the European Union and NATO. During that period she was also special envoy to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Marian Salzman, Senior Vice President, Global Communications at Philip Morris International (PMI), has been named one of the world’s top five trendspotters and is among the most-awarded public relations executives. In recent years, she has been listed in PRWeek’s Global Power Book and as a PR News Top Woman in PR. She is also the recipient of the She Runs It 2017 Changing the Game Award, has been inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Femme and Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, and was on the Holmes Report Top Innovators List and on Business Insider’s 25 Most Powerful PR People.

Marian moved to Switzerland in 2018 to head global communications at PMI as it accelerates its mission to build a smoke-free future. As part of her proactive, multilayered communications program, Marian is forging active and productive alliances with NGOs, advocacy groups, regulators, and other parties involved in shaping the environment in which a smoke-free future can be realized.

Caroline Sapriel is the founder and Managing Director of CS&A a specialist risk and crisis and business continuity management consulting firm with offices in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, The Netherlands, Singapore, and the United States. Ms Sapriel has over 20 years’ experience in risk and crisis management, corporate and public affairs. She is regularly invited to speak at international conferences and seminars on risk and crisis management. She is a guest lecturer at the graduate school of public administration of Leiden University. She has been a member of IABC since 1987, and is a faculty member of the Management Center Europe in Brussels. Prior to establishing her own consulting firm, Ms Sapriel held various senior management
positions with international PR firms including the Rowland Company and Hill & Knowlton. She has also worked for the Press Office of the Government of Israel.

At the Dutch leading energy supplier Essent (part of Innogy, one of Europe’s largest renewable energy players), Kirstin Simons is Director Corporate Affairs. She is responsible for all aspects of communication and public affairs in the Netherlands and Belgium. Before joining Essent, Kirstin worked as Communications Director at AkzoNobel where she was leading the communication function in Europe and prior to that the global communication function for AkzoNobel’s Performance Coatings division. Kirstin was also a Member of the Supervisory Board of AkzoNobel in Germany. Kirstin started her career as a journalist and PR specialist working for German public television and a PR agency in Berlin, including an assignment at satellite operator SES Astra in Luxembourg, where she led the group’s international PR.

Kristen Soltis Anderson is a pollster, speaker, commentator, and author of The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials Are Leading America (And How Republicans Can Keep Up).Kristen is co-founder of Echelon Insights, an opinion research and analytics firm that serves brands, trade associations, nonprofits, and political clients. Through her work at Echelon, she regularly advises corporate and government leaders on polling and messaging strategy.Kristen is a contributor to Fox News Channel and hosts “What Are The Odds?”, a weekly polling analysis show on Fox Nation. Kristen is the host of SiriusXM’s “The Trendline with Kristen Soltis Anderson,” airing weekly on their POTUS politics channel. She also co-hosts the bipartisan weekly podcast, “The Pollsters,” featuring Democratic pollster Margie Omero. She is a regular columnist for The Washington Examiner and has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times and more.

Jia Song is Principal of West meets East Business Consulting, a consultancy firm providing western companies with market entry services to China. Jia is also the founder and president of the German-Chinese High-Tech Alliance e.V., a non-profit organization with the objectives to improve the exchange, mutual understanding and cooperation between scientists, entrepreneurs, startups and corporates, mainly in the fields of machine learning, green tech, life sciences, smart manufacturing, fintech and e-mobility. Prior to this, she worked as a consultant in transaction advisory at EY. Jia also gained professional experiences in trade and investment between China and Germany.

Jo Sullivan is founder of Conscience Consulting, which advises leaders on sustainability strategy and communication. She has also been Senior Advisor Sustainability for Weber Shandwick and Senior Advisor Strategic Communication at the European Commission. Previously, Jo was Head of Campaigns and Communications for Friends of the Earth Europe, where she was responsible for policy representation, advocacy and communication on environmental sustainability and social justice issues. She has also been Head Of Communications at BEUC - The European Consumer Organisation and Corproate Affairs manager at Philip Morris International.

In addition to being an expert in strategic political communication, Daniel Supervielle is a university professor, journalist, writer, painter and coach of an amateur soccer team. Working as a strategic adviser to Uruguayan presidential candidate Luis Lacalle Pou in 2014 and 2019, he played a key role in designing the successful communication strategy that led to Lacalle being elected president for the term 2020 – 2025. Daniel has worked for numerous Uruguayan and international media from the age of 17 years, among them the national newspapers El Observador and Búsqueda, as well as El Nuevo Herald (Miami). He has been a professor for journalism and communication at the Universidad de Montevideo since 2004.

Joy Tan, a highly respected global communications executive at one of the world's most valuable brands, is responsible for setting the public relations, corporate social responsibility, brand reputation and government relations agenda for Huawei Technologies USA. Widely recognized for her efforts that helped Huawei become one of the most powerful global players in technology, overtaking Sweden's Ericsson and Apple in the U.S. as the world's second largest telecoms-equipment and mobile device maker. With effective management and an excellent performance across all financial indicators, Huawei's business has remained robust in 2019.

In 2017, Tan received the SABRE Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement at the Holmes Report's annual Asia-Pacific awards ceremony and she has remained on the Holmes Report Influence 100 list consecutively for the past five years. Before joining Huawei, Tan worked at Verizon, where she was responsible for consumer strategy and digital marketing, and at TXU Energy, where she led customer acquisition efforts in the newly deregulated energy markets.

Caroline Thomas-Korger is Head of Employee Experience and Communications at Omio, formerly GoEuro. Previously, she was responsible for Communications and Learning, Global Finance and infrastructure at SAP in Germany and Global Head of Change Management and Communications at Sivantos Group in Singapore. Other positions include Communications Director and Public Affairs, South Asia and Pacific region at World Vision and Global Director of HR/Internal Communications at Schneider Electric, both in Singapore.

As Director of Communications, Simon Ueberheide is responsible for campaigns for numerous startup and corporate clients at the Berlin-based digital agency RCKT. His team also covers RCKT’s Corporate Communications department. Prior to joining RCKT, he was Senior Communications Manager at Rocket Internet, where he provided communications support for a number of start-ups in Germany and the UK. Simon Ueberheide graduated with a Master of Arts in Communications and Media Studies and attended universities in Hanover and Milan. Before entering the digital economy, he worked as a research assistant at the Institute for Journalism and Communication Research in Hanover where he focused on the role of digital media in society.

In his role as Vice President, Head of Group Communication at international engineering, environmental science and economics group COWI, Manuel Vigilius is advisor to the Group CEO and executive management. He has had similar roles in international companies such as Maersk, ISS and TDC. Manuel graduated from the Danish School of Journalism, has worked as a reporter and editor and has taught journalism and communication at different institutions including the University of Southern Denmark.

Peko Wan is the Chief Ecosystem Officer for Pundi X, a leading blockchain-based smart device and solution company. Peko is responsible for growing and strengthening the decentralized ecosystem. She facilitates strategic partnerships as well as drives initiatives to deploy Pundi X solutions globally. She has over 15 year experience in the IT industry. Prior to Pundi X, Peko was the Head of Communications, Asia for Opera Software and she led the global PR activities for Opera Max, a leading data management and saving app for Android users.

Ernst Weijers is Senior Consultant at Innovation Booster, a boutique innovation strategy, change management and execution consultancy firm operating internationally from Amsterdam and New York. He has five years of international experience working in the fields of strategy and corporate innovation. Ernst led various product and service innovation development and change management efforts together with clients from F500 companies in the FMCG, Retail, Energy & Gas, Banking, Chemical, Staffing and Insurance industries.

Stephen Welch FRSA is Chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Europe, Middle East and North Africa Region. In this role, he is responsible for delivering value to the IABC’s members in the region, as well as support their work to make the most from the global network of IABC. He is also Director of Archetypical Ltd, a consulting firm that specialises in cutting-edge training programmes for functional experts in complex organizations, and a Council Member of the PRCA and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Jennie Younger has been Executive Director of Development at King’s College London since October 2017. In this role, Jennie leads a team of fundraising, alumni engagement, communications and operations professionals to deliver an integrated development and fundraising programme across King’s College London, King’s Health Partners and Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Hospital. Prior to joining King’s, Jennie has held senior executive positions in world-leading, global organisations. She has over 30 years of experience in strategic Corporate Affairs and Communications, with a background in Investor Relations, Government Affairs, Media Relations, Employee Engagement, Marketing and Corporate Responsibility. She has particular experience in Financial/Professional Services and the Healthcare sectors.
Prior to joining King’s, she was Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Affairs at AstraZeneca. Before that, Jennie was Senior Managing Director at Management Consultants, FTI Consulting, and Global Head of Communications and Client Marketing for Corporate and Investment Banking at Deutsche Bank. Prior to this, Jennie was Global Head of Corporate Communications, Corporate Responsibility and Community Partnerships and a member of the Executive Team at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). In 2004 Jennie won the European Women of Achievement Award for Business for her achievements at GSK and for women in business.
Jennie is also Non-Executive Chairman of the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), a leading independent technology innovation centre and founding member of the UK Government’s High-Value Manufacturing Catapult.

Rupert Younger is the founder and director of Oxford University’s Centre for Corporate Reputation and co-founder and global managing partner of The Finsbury Group. He is the co-author of The Reputation Game and The Activist Manifesto. His work and views are regularly featured in news outlets including the BBC, CNN, the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Times of London. In addition, Rupert chaired The University of Oxford’s Socially Responsible Investment Committee of Council and is a Trustee of the international mine clearance and humanitarian charity The HALO Trust. Appointed by HM Queen Elizabeth II as her High Sheriff of Hampshire for 2013-14, Rupert is also a member of the Royal Company of Archers, the Queen’s Bodyguard in Scotland.

Monique Zytnik is a senior communications and marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in internal and external relations, including global media relations, brand management and digital communications. She has worked nationally and internationally, in government, corporate, not-for-profit, member-based and start-up sectors, for organisations as diverse as Special Broadcasting Services Australia, ANZ Bank, adjust.com and the Australian Taxation Office.