European and global perspectives on policy, investment and innovation

Pep is a high-level event host, keynote speaker, communication trainer, stand-up comedian and collaborative partner. Pep hosts high-profile events like The Nordic Business Forum where he made Barack Obama laugh and receives higher audience ratings than most speakers. His interviews with thought leaders like Simon Sinek, Brené Brown and Malcolm Gladwell get rave reviews. As co-founder and director of content for Boom Chicago for Business, Pep puts Boom's philosophy, “Humor Makes Business Better,” into effect hosting business events, where he uses comedy to make hard-to-communicate messages land and stick. His interactive keynotes, including, “Up Your Leadership Game with Humor” is in high demand. Pep was nominated for an Emmy for his writing on America’s long-running television show, Saturday Night Live.

Read full bio

Jocelyn Blériot has been with the foundation since its creation in 2010, after 15 years spent in the media and publishing industry. He leads the organisation’s institutional engagement and the work with national governments across the foundation's offices in Europe, Latin America, China and North America. He manages the relationship with supra-national bodies such as the European Commission, United Nations, G7/20 Resource Alliance, OECD and the World Economic Forum. Jocelyn has been a member of the circular economy advisory board of the China Council for International Cooperation on Development (CCICED) and currently is a part of the international advisory network of the forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs (TESS).

Read full bio

Zakia Khattabi became a politician in 2009. Her parliamentary work has mainly been devoted to the justice, home affairs and equal opportunities committees. In 2015, Khattabi was elected co-president of her party, a role she held for five years before being appointed to her current ministerial post in 2020. Khattabi believes that the triple crisis we are facing (climate, loss of biodiversity and pollution) is not just an environmental issue: it is the social issue of this century because it hits the most vulnerable amongst us hardest, even though they are the least responsible for this crisis. In her view, the transition is therefore an imperative of social justice. Moreover, it also constitutes an economic, financial and public safety issue. As Belgian federal minister, she regularly took on the role of EU negotiator on crucial issues at international conferences on climate and biodiversity.

Read full bio

Zakia Khattabi became a politician in 2009. Her parliamentary work has mainly been devoted to the justice, home affairs and equal opportunities committees. In 2015, Khattabi was elected co-president of her party, a role she held for five years before being appointed to her current ministerial post in 2020. Khattabi believes that the triple crisis we are facing (climate, loss of biodiversity and pollution) is not just an environmental issue: it is the social issue of this century because it hits the most vulnerable amongst us hardest, even though they are the least responsible for this crisis. In her view, the transition is therefore an imperative of social justice. Moreover, it also constitutes an economic, financial and public safety issue. As Belgian federal minister, she regularly took on the role of EU negotiator on crucial issues at international conferences on climate and biodiversity.

Read full bio

Martin Seychell is a graduate in chemistry and pharmaceutical technology. He occupied the post of head of directorate for foodstuffs and chemicals at the Malta Standards Authority between 2001 and 2006, and that of director of environment protection at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority between 2006 and 2011. He was appointed deputy director general for health and consumers at the European Commission in March 2011. Between 2014 and 2020 he was deputy director-general for health in the Health and Food Safety Directorate-General (SANTE), responsible for directorates dealing with public health and health systems and products. These covered a number of policy areas including health security, health systems, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, tobacco control and digital health. He also represented the Commission on the management board of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) between 2011 and 2020. He was appointed deputy director general responsible for human development, migration, governance and peace, and resources in DG INTPA in June 2020.

Read full bio

Hans Bruyninckx is professor of environmental governance at the University of Antwerp and fellow at the Institute for Environment and Sustainability of the National University of Singapore. Between 2013 and 2023 he was the executive director of the European Environment Agency. Bruyninckx is an expert in European and international environmental policy, the effects of globalisation on the governance of environmental issues and sustainable development.

Read full bio

Veerle Slenders was appointed to her current position in June 2023. She brings over 30 years’ international experience in various operating and commercial roles and spent 28 years at Praxair/Linde, a leading global industrial gases and engineering company. She served as their president of the west European region, led the global advanced materials technologies business, and led the global safety, health, environment and quality function. Veerle’s career includes periods working and living in the US, Germany, France and Belgium. She holds a master's in chemical engineering from the University of Hasselt, Belgium, as well as a postgraduate in business administration from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.

Read full bio

Jocelyn Blériot has been with the foundation since its creation in 2010, after 15 years spent in the media and publishing industry. He leads the organisation’s institutional engagement and the work with national governments across the foundation's offices in Europe, Latin America, China and North America. He manages the relationship with supra-national bodies such as the European Commission, United Nations, G7/20 Resource Alliance, OECD and the World Economic Forum. Jocelyn has been a member of the circular economy advisory board of the China Council for International Cooperation on Development (CCICED) and currently is a part of the international advisory network of the forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs (TESS).

Read full bio

Pep is a high-level event host, keynote speaker, communication trainer, stand-up comedian and collaborative partner. Pep hosts high-profile events like The Nordic Business Forum where he made Barack Obama laugh and receives higher audience ratings than most speakers. His interviews with thought leaders like Simon Sinek, Brené Brown and Malcolm Gladwell get rave reviews. As co-founder and director of content for Boom Chicago for Business, Pep puts Boom's philosophy, “Humor Makes Business Better,” into effect hosting business events, where he uses comedy to make hard-to-communicate messages land and stick. His interactive keynotes, including, “Up Your Leadership Game with Humor” is in high demand. Pep was nominated for an Emmy for his writing on America’s long-running television show, Saturday Night Live.

Read full bio