State of Europe 2019: Vision Innovation for Europe

A renowned leader in development and gender equality, Anne-Birgitte has worked for over 25 years in international development, human rights, change management and diplomacy, and has been listed as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Gender Equality by Apolitical. She was United Nations Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director for Management at the United Nations Population Fund. Anne-Birgitte is also Chairman of the Board of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and a member of the United Nations Every Woman Every Child High Level Steering Group.

A Dutch machine learning scientist turned entrepreneur, Loubna Bouarfa currently holds the position of Chairwoman of the Innovation Board at Envision Pharma Group (ESG). In this role, she focuses on emphasising the broader mission of embedding and excelling AI across EPG. Bouarfa is also the Founder and former CEO of OKRA Technologies, a leading artificial intelligence analytics company in the life sciences sector. With OKRA.ai transitioning to a horizontal function within EPG, her expertise will now focus on shaping EPG’s AI strategy and championing EPG’s position as a thought leader in this space. Bouarfa was awarded the CEO of the Year Award at the Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards. As a former member of the European Union High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence, she supported the implementation of the Union’s strategy on AI within the digital single market.

Jacques is a senior partner at McKinsey and a director of the McKinsey Global Institute, the firm’s business and economics research arm, and one of its three global co-leaders. Since joining the firm, he has worked with media, telecom, online services, healthcare, fin-tech, travel and logistics companies on a variety of issues. He is also the co-author of numerous reports on the Internet of Things, big data and social technologies, including “Digital Europe: Realizing the continent’s potential”. He is a fellow of the Aspen Institute, ECORE, and KUL University.

Francesca Cavallo is a bestselling author of children’s books, entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Undercats Media. She is the co-creator of ‘Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls’, a collection of 100 tales of extraordinary women that has become a publishing sensation. Cavallo’s career began in theatre, where she worked as both a manager for a theatre company and as a playwright. In 2012, she moved to California to co-found a children’s media start-up called Timbuktu Labs, Inc. Since then, she has authored nine picture books that have been translated into more than 47 languages. Her most recent international bestseller is the children’s book ‘Doctor Li and the Crown-wearing Virus’.

John Collison is president and co-founder of Stripe, the software company that is expanding internet commerce by making it easy to process transactions from anywhere. John and his brother Patrick started Stripe in 2010 while John was studying physics at Harvard. Their goal was to make accepting payments online simpler and more inclusive, after learning firsthand how difficult it was. Today, the 1700-person and growing Stripe team powers online businesses around the world. Prior to Stripe, John co-founded Auctomatic, which was acquired by Live Current Media in March 2008. Originally from Limerick, Ireland, John lives in San Francisco, California, where Stripe is based.

Etienne (Stevy) Davignon is one of the few statesmen in Europe who has been actively involved in EU affairs from the beginning, from his early role as Chief of Staff to Paul-Henri Spaak to today. He has held high-level positions in both the public and private sectors, including as Vice-President of the European Commission, President of the Société Générale de Belgique, first President of the International Energy Agency and through various board mandates.

Sebastien de Halleux is a Founder and General Partner at Graph Ventures, an early stage angel fund with a portfolio of over 180 start-ups, including Blue Apron, Ipsy, Envoy and Figure. Prior to this, Sebastien served as the COO of Saildrone, a company which revolutionaised data collection at sea through the use of wind and solar powered ocean drones. He is also the co-founder and former COO of Playfish, which was one of the largest and fastest growing social gaming companies with over 300mn players before it was acquired by video game giant Electronic Arts in 2009. Sebastien also helped launched Glu Mobile, an early pioneer in mobile games. He is the recipient of the 2012 EA Emerging Leaders Award, the 2011 Tech 100 Award, the 2010 TechFellow Award and the 2003 Booz Allen Professional Excellence Award, and has served on the boards of Saildrone, Samasource, Vittana, UWC-USA, the Solar Fuel Institute and Trusted Family.

Nicola is a German economist and an award-winning researcher. Prior to joining the faculty of Goethe University Frankfurt, Nicola was an assistant professor at Harvard University. Her research focuses on the analysis of household savings and labour supply behaviour, labour market integration, and the determinants of political preferences. The president of the German Economic Association, Nicola is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Federal Ministry of Finance, and winner of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation.

The former president of Lithuania and European commissioner, Dalia Grybauskaitė currently serves as the Co-Chair of the United Nations High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity (FACTI). Previously, she has chaired the Council of Women World Leaders and held several positions as a Lithuanian diplomat and politician, including as the country’s finance minister, as well as minister plenipotentiary at the Lithuanian embassy to the United States and at the Lithuanian Mission to the EU. Notably, Grybauskaitė played a key role in improving the relations between Lithuania and the EU as the deputy chief negotiator of Lithuania’s Association Agreement with the EU.

Connie Hedegaard holds several leading positions in support of a low-carbon and green economy. She was appointed Lead of the Mission on ‘Adaptation to Climate Change including Societal Transformation’ for Horizon Europe and also chairs the Board of the KR Foundation, a Danish climate and sustainability foundation. Hedegaard was also the European commissioner for climate action, in which role she led the negotiations for the adoption of the 2030 Climate and Energy Framework and the 2050 Roadmap for moving towards a low-carbon economy, whilst also representing the EU in international climate negotiations.

Karoli is an Estonian entrepreneur and creator of Jobbatical, a digital visa and relocation platform using AI and automation to digitise archaic immigration systems. On a mission to make immigration more resourceful, Jobbatical is changing individuals’ lives and building high-performing teams by relocating exceptional people to impactful tech jobs around the world. Since founding her first company at the age of 16, officially making her the youngest inventor in Estonia, Karoli has been on a fast-track to setting up innovative initiatives. She is regularly counted amongst today’s most influential women, having received numerous awards and recognition from prestigious organisations, including EU-Startups and the European Council. She was also nominated as speaker of the 2017 Fortune Magazine Most Powerful Women International Summit. Thanks to her influence, she also led the launch of seven television channels in Northern Europe, including National Geographic Channels and MTV.

Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the world’s first elected black female president and Africa’s first elected female head of state. Ellen began her political career in William Tolbert’s government as Deputy Minister of Finance in 1971. After Samuel Doe seized power in a coup d’état, Ellen fled to the United States. Returning to Liberia, she won the 2005 presidential election and remained in office until 2018. In 2016, she was elected as the Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), making her the first woman to hold the position since it was created. In 2011, Ellen was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman, “for their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work”.

Marta is a London-based fintech entrepreneur who co-founded the real time pay start-up FreeUp. She is also an entrepreneur-in-residence at the global GovTech firm PUBLIC.io. Having experienced first-hand the challenges that arise when attempts are made to send money home, she helped co-found the global money transfer platform Azimo, raising over $70mn in funding and gained over 1mn customers. Marta is a frequent public speaker and advocate for responsible leadership and inclusion.

Anna is Mayor of Stockholm and Chair of the City Executive Board. She has a background in economics and communications, and previously served as a member of the Swedish Riksdag. Upon entering the Stockholm City Council, she was appointed Vice-Mayor for Social Affairs and Chair of Stockholm’s Police Authority. She served as Opposition Vice-Mayor representing the Moderate Party. In addition to her role as Mayor, Anna is President of the European city network EUROCITIES and sits on the steering committee of the global climate network C40.

Pascal Lamy is a French politician and the Vice President of the Paris Peace Forum, a new innovative global governance initiative. He served as the director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for two consecutive terms, prior to which he was the European commissioner for trade and head of cabinet for former Commission president, Jacques Delores. Currently an associate professor at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, Lamy also frequently lectures at the Institut Jacques Delors and speaks on issues related to globalisation, global governance, international trade, international economics and regional integration. He has written several publications on the European Union and the ‘harmonising’ of globalisation and is a Trustee of Friends of Europe.

Prior to assuming his current role at Edwards Lifesciences, the global leader in patient-focused medical innovations for structural heart disease, Jean-Luc Lemercier served as the vice-president of transcatheter heart valves of the EMEA region. Under his leadership, the company successfully launched the SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve technology and built its leadership position in Europe. Lemercier also serves as Chair of the Cardiovascular Sector Group of MedTech Europe, the association representing the medical technology industry in Europe.

André Loesekrug-Pietri is an entrepreneur and has held leadership positions in private equity, government and industry. He is currently the Chairman of JEDI, which aims to accelerate Europe’s leadership by financing and nurturing the development of breakthrough technologies. He previously served as a special advisor to the French Minister of Defence, where he was responsible for European defence policy, as well as technology and innovation, prior to which he has 15 years of experience in private equity and venture capital. Loesekrug-Pietri is a lecturer at Sciences Po and a regular columnist at several international media outlets. Having studied aerospace engineering, he is also a private pilot and Colonel with the French Air Force People’s Reserve.

Iina is 17 years old. She is the Student Union Chair at Ii Upper Secondary School. Her hobbies include skiing, orienteering, and playing the piano. She promotes sustainable development through active action in the school community. In her free time she organises climate awareness events.

Magid Magid is a Somali-British race and climate justice activist, organiser and author, who moved to the United Kingdom as a refugee at the age of five. He is the Founder and Director of Union of Justice, an independent European people of colour-led organisation dedicated to racial and climate justice. He is also the Co-Chair of the refugee charity, City of Sanctuary Sheffield. Magid served as a Green Party member of the European Parliament, representing Yorkshire and the Humber for nearly two years until the UK’s exit from the EU. He is the former lord mayor of Sheffield, the youngest person ever and the first Green Party councillor to hold the office. Squatting on a staircase in Sheffield town hall and sporting a pair of Dr Martens, Magid’s inaugural portrait became an internet sensation. Magid was named one of TIME’s 100 rising stars shaping the future of the world.

Khaled is a renowned Libyan-American poet, writer and translator. His poetry explores the intersection of culture, narrative, and memory. In the poet’s stunning new collection Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) he reflects on his return to the Mediterranean by tackling the migrant crisis. A Chancellor of the Academy of American poets, Khaled has been awarded several prestigious awards such as the PEN Award for Literary Translation, a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship, and a MacArthur fellowship. The editor of Michigan Quarterly Review, he is currently professor of creative writing at the University of Michigan.

Mateusz is a Polish politician, historian and economist, who has served as Prime Minister since 2017. He was previously a member of Beata Szydło’s cabinet, taking on responsibilities as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Economic Development and Minister of Finance. He also has extensive experience in the private sector, including as Chairman of Bank Zachodni WBK.
Among his key priorities as Prime Minister is to a champion entrepreneurship and investment, notably through the development of a nationwide ‘Polish Investment Zone’. Mateusz has been recognised for his work through numerous awards, including the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for his efforts in promoting Polish culture.

Alfredo is a Spanish architect, who has designed and managed more than six million square metres across five continents. Under Alfredo’s leadership, his architectural, urban and interior design firm has designed projects in a wide range of scales, from large urban developments and affordable housing townships to small temporal structures. Before founding ABIBOO, Alfredo held senior roles at Toyo Ito and SOM. Internationally-renowned, Alfredo was recognised among the most important and emerging young architects and designers by the European Centre and the Chicago Athenaeum Architecture Awards, and his work has been featured in various media outlets, including The New York Times, Wallpaper and Domus, among others.

Mate is the Founder & CEO of Rimac Automobili. Mate started out at the age of 19 in a borrowed garage, tinkering, dreaming and already thinking several years ahead of the traditional car industry. In 2009 Rimac Automobili was born, and in 2011 the Rimac Concept One became the world’s first true electric supercar. Today, Rimac Automobili is recognised as a trusted partner by many global original equipment manufacturers, bringing ‘hypercar’ technology to many applications.

Andreas is an award-winning German statistician and researcher in the field of education. In his role at the OECD, he is responsible for promoting the organisation’s work on education and skills. This includes studies such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) or the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). Before joining the OECD, Andreas was Director for Analysis at the International Association for Educational Achievement (IEA).

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.

Paul Taylor is a Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe and the author of the think tank’s European Defence Cooperation report series. He previously spent four decades working for Reuters as a foreign correspondent in Paris, Tehran, Bonn and Brussels, as bureau chief in Israel/Palestine, Berlin and Brussels, as chief correspondent in France, as diplomatic editor in London, and finally as European affairs editor. Taylor’s assignments have included covering the Iranian revolution, the Cold War Euromissile crisis, the 1991 Gulf War, German reunification, the Maastricht summit, France in the 1990s, EU enlargement, the Eurozone crisis and the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt.

Alexis is a Greek politician. He is the current Leader of the Opposition in the Greece. He served as prime minister of Greece from January 2015 to May 2019. His political career stretches back two decades, first as secretary of the youth wing of the Coalition of the Left – Movements and Ecology, then as a member of the Municipality of Athens council. Alexis was first elected as an MP in 2009, when he became president of the SYRIZA Parliamentary Group. From 2012 to 2014, he served as Leader of the Opposition in Greece and was also the vice-chairman of the European Left Party, from 2010 to 2014. In the 2014 European election he was candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission.

Joonas is 15 years old. His hobbies include Finnish baseball and fishing. He cycles as much as he can and always uses public transport. Joonas is interested in how we can source our food locally; he grows vegetables in his garden and forages for berries in the forest.

Jere is 12 years old. He is interested in Japanese culture and his hobbies include acting, crosscountry skiing and playing the guitar. Jere is passionate about responsible shopping and committed to recycling. He cycles to school and tries to use as little electricity as possible.

Leena Vuotovesi is CEO of the development company Micropolis, located close to the Arctic Circle. Micropolis is at the forefront of climate-friendly local policies, helping municipalities pilot solutions for green growth. In 2017, Leena’s company was recognised for its strong regional climate action through the European Commission’s RegioStar Award. That same year, the Nordic Council of Ministries identified Ii – a Finnish town that Micropolis is closely working with – as one of the best bio-economy cases in the region. Leena is also permanent advisor to the board of the Storm Warning.

Alexis is a Greek politician. He is the current Leader of the Opposition in the Greece. He served as prime minister of Greece from January 2015 to May 2019. His political career stretches back two decades, first as secretary of the youth wing of the Coalition of the Left – Movements and Ecology, then as a member of the Municipality of Athens council. Alexis was first elected as an MP in 2009, when he became president of the SYRIZA Parliamentary Group. From 2012 to 2014, he served as Leader of the Opposition in Greece and was also the vice-chairman of the European Left Party, from 2010 to 2014. In the 2014 European election he was candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission.