Entrepreneurship and skills for a fair, green and digital recovery

Alain Godard was appointed to his current role following his excellent track record as the former director general and chief risk officer at the European Investment Bank (EIB). In his former position, he contributed to the design and implementation of the Investment Plan for Europe (IPE) and the European Fund for Strategic Investments, as well as the development of the EIB’s loan programme in the context of the EU’s financial assistance to euro area countries. He also played a key role in establishing the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and the European Stability Mechanism. Godard is also the Founder and Co-Chair of Global Emerging Markets (GEMs), an international consortium of international financial institutions, multilateral development banks and national promotional banks, promoting investments in emerging countries.

Nicolas Schmit is a Luxembourgish politician and diplomat, who has been instrumental in fostering a fair recovery through his current position at the Commission. An economist by training, he is a former member of the European Parliament and previously served as the Luxembourgish minister of labour. He has also held various positions within the Luxembourgish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as head of the Department of International Economic Relations and Cooperation. Schmit’s final diplomatic posting was as Luxembourg’s permanent representative to the EU.

Prior to joining Friends of Europe, Dharmendra Kanani was director of policy at the European Foundation Centre (EFC). He was the England director at the Big Lottery Fund, the largest independent funder in the UK and fourth largest in the world. Dharmendra has held senior positions in the public and voluntary sectors and advisor to numerous ministerial policy initiatives across the UK.

Specialised in EU regulatory and public affairs, Karen Massin currently leads Google’s EU government affairs and public policy operations in Brussels. She previously served as the CEO of public affairs consultancy BCW in Brussels, in which role she coordinated government affairs and communication consultancy with a focus on EU and international policy, as well as provided policy council and intelligence on EU public affairs issues.