In Conversation With Valdis Dombrovskis

Valdis Dombrovskis has been European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, as well as Implementation and Simplification, since December 2024. Previously, he served as Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for An Economy that Works for People and Trade. From 2014 to 2019, he was Vice-President overseeing the Euro, Social Dialogue and Financial Stability. Prior to this, Valdis was Latvia’s longest-serving Prime Minister (2009–2014). Earlier in his career, Valdis served as Finance Minister, and as a member of both the Latvian and European Parliaments, and worked as Chief Economist at the Bank of Latvia.

Dharmendra Kanani is Director of Policy & Programmes and Chief Spokesperson at Friends of Europe. Prior to joining Friends of Europe, Dharmendra 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.

With over 25 years of experience in corporate social responsibility, public affairs and communications, Wouter Vermeulen has extensive knowledge of working directly with government, private sector and not-for profit organisations. Within the Coca-Cola Company, he currently holds the role of Senior Director of Sustainability, responsible for driving the corporate sustainability agenda in Europe. Wouter started his career as spokesperson to the Belgian Minister for SME’s and Agriculture, André Bourgeois, and State Secretary for Development Cooperation, Réginald Moreels.