Team

The Friends of Europe team manages the day-to-day running of events and other projects.

Giles Merritt

Secretary General
 
A former Brussels Correspondent of the Financial Times, Giles is a journalist, author and broadcaster who has specialised in the study and analysis of European public policy issues since 1978. Since 1984, Merritt has been a columnist for the International Herald Tribune, and his articles range widely across EU political and economic issues. Merritt began his newspaper career in 1968, when he joined the Financial Times. From 1972 he was successively FT staff correspondent in Paris, Dublin/Belfast and Brussels, until leaving the newspaper in 1983. In 1982 he published "World Out of Work", an award-winning assessment of the unemployment crisis in industrialised countries, and in 1991 "Eastern Europe & the USSR: The Challenge of Freedom", published in four languages. Merritt also founded Forum Europe, established in 1989 as one of the leading EU issues specialists by creating a neutral platform for debate.

Geert Cami

Co-Founder and Director
 
Geert Cami co-founded Friends of Europe in 1999. He is currently developing the network of partners and supporters of Friends of Europe both in the European Union and beyond. Geert is also working for Forum Europe, where he heads a team of experienced European Affairs and press specialists since May 1996. From 1993-96, Geert worked for in the Information and Communications Unit of the then newly set-up European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), where he was responsible for the setting up of media events (exhibitions, seminars, press conferences, concerts, television debates, Humanitarian Days in Member States, etc). In the early nineties, Geert Cami also produced music programmes at the BRTN (Belgian Public Radio) as well as special television reports for international organisations as NATO and CSCE.

Nathalie Furrer

Director
 
Nathalie Furrer is the Director of Friends of Europe, one of Brussels’ leading think tanks which aims to bring EU policies closer to citizens. In this role she manages the experienced team and develops the overall programme of the think tank, liaises with members, partners and the press. She also coordinates all debates and publications, as well as other initiatives co-organised by Friends of Europe on subjects ranking from energy, EU-China relations and the financial market to Latin America and EU health strategy. Prior to joining Friends of Europe she was working in an institute for public policy research organising international conferences throughout Europe. Nathalie graduated in Political Science from the University of Geneva and has a Masters in Communication from the Sorbonne in Paris. In addition to her native French, she is fluent in English and Italian and has a good knowledge of German.

Shada Islam

Head of Policy
 
Shada Islam is responsible for policy oversight of Friends of Europe’s initiatives, activities and publications. She has special responsibility for the Asia Programme and for the Development Policy Forum. Shada is the former Europe correspondent for the Far Eastern Economic Review and has previously worked on Asian issues at the European Policy Centre. She is closely involved with initiatives to promote Asia-Europe exchanges including within the context of ASEM (Asia Europe Meetings). As a journalist, Shada also worked extensively on development questions including relations between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states as well as on world trade, including the Doha Round. Shada continues to write on EU foreign and security policy, EU-Asia relations and trade and development issues for leading Asian, European and international publications.

Email Shada at: shada.islam (at) friendsofeurope.org

Nigel Olisa

Membership and Database Manager
 
Nigel Olisa, Membership and Database Manager, holds an MSc in Business Information Systems from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and a degree in International Relations with a minor in Management Studies from the University of Maryland. Nigel has been working with Friends of Europe since 2003 and is responsible for the day-to-day marketing and management of the membership programme and maintenance of Friends of Europe’s extensive database.
 
Email Nigel at: nigel.olisa (at) friendsofeurope.org

Jacqueline Hogue

Project Manager
  Email Jacqueline at: jacqueline.hogue (at) friendsofeurope.org

Maximilian Rech

Project Manager
 

Maximilian Rech is responsible for Friends of Europe’s activities within the ‘Global Europe’ policy area. He focuses on the EU’s relations with emerging markets such as China and Latin America. His tasks include the executive management of the Understanding China programme, which is co-funded by the European Union. Previously he worked as a journalist with the European department of the international broadcaster Deutsche Welle and as Program Fellow with Carnegie Europe, the European antennae of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Maximilian received his M.A. of European Studies with a specialisation in external relations of the European Union from Maastricht University and his B.A. of European Studies from Maastricht University and Institut d’Études Politiques de Grenoble.

Email Maximilian at: maximilian.rech (at) friendsofeurope.org

Lindsay Digneffe

Project Manager

  Email Lindsay at: lindsay.digneffe (at) friendsofeurope.org

Patricia Díaz

Project Manager

 

Email Patricia at: patricia.diaz (at) friendsofeurope.org

Federica Torcoli

Office Manager
  Email Federica at: federica.torcoli (at) friendsofeurope.org

Ben Yielding

Strategy Development Manager
  Email Ben at: ben.yielding (at) friendsofeurope.org

Daniela Michielotto

Management Assistant

  Email Daniela at: daniela.michielotto (at) friendsofeurope.org

Patrick Janssens

Financial Director

  Email Patrick at: patrick.janssens (at) friendsofeurope.org

Sophie Laurent

Accountant

 

Email Sophie at: sophie.laurent (at) friendsofeurope.org

Nathalie Hanley

Project Assistant
Email Nathalie at: projectassistant4 (at) friendsofeurope.org

Viktorija Laurinaitytė

Project Assistant 
 

Email Viktorija at: projectassistant1 (at) friendsofeurope.org

John O'Leary

Project Assistant
Email John at: projectassistant2 (at) friendsofeurope.org

Gilhean Slater

Administrative Assistant
Email Gilhean at: projectassistant6 (at) friendsofeurope.org

Danuta Slusarska

Project Assistant

Email Danuta at: projectassistant3 (at) friendsofeurope.org

Daniel Tóth

Web & Communications Assistant
Email Daniel at: projectassistant5 (at) friendsofeurope.org

News

21/05/2012
Former extreme nationalist becomes Serbian president
Serb nationalist Tomislav Nikolic upset the odds on Sunday to defeat incumbent President Boris Tadic in the Serbian presidential run-off, despite prior predictions of a comfortable Tadic victory. Nikolic, a 60-year-old populist originally rose to prominence as a radical nationalist and one-time ally of the late Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic.
09/05/2012
Rise and fall: When the fate of political leaders is tied to that of financial markets
When investment bank Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy in September 2008, the global economic decline that had begun in late 2007 took an abrupt downward turn. The ensuing economic crisis has not only impacted on business, but also on the political arena. Leaders across Europe struggle to maintain credibility as their electorate protest against austerity measures and public spending cuts.
07/05/2012
Votes speak louder than words: France and Greece say no to austerity
Socialist candidate François Hollande is to be France’s first left-wing president in 17 years, after securing nearly 52% of the vote in the second round of elections on May 6. Hollande has notably vowed to renegotiate the current European budget discipline pact, moving the focus away from austerity and towards growth.
30/04/2012
Rising unemployment in Spain, credit rating downgrade confirms bleak outlook
The number of unemployed people in Spain has hit a record 5.64 million, according to the Spanish statistics agency. This puts the current unemployment rate at nearly 25% - a dramatic increase from the 7.9% rate registered in April 2007.
27/04/2012
Myanmar reforms accelerate progress in EU-ASEAN cooperation

Foreign ministers from the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Brunei Darussalam on 26-27 April to enhance commercial ties, strengthen political cooperation and share experiences in crafting regional integrations.

All news