AUSTRIA / HEAD OFFICE
EDWARD STRASSER (CEO)
BELGIUM / The Netherlands / Luxembourg
STEPHEN BOUCHER
Stephen Boucher is the founder and CEO of dreamocracy, a think and do tank dedicated to mobilising collective intelligence for the common good. He is the co-editor of The Routledge Handbook of Collective Intelligence for Democracy and Governance (forthcoming, 2022) and the author of the Petit manuel de créativité politique – Comment libérer l’audace collective (“Little manual of political creativity”). He was previously CEO of consoGlobe.com, France’s largest online media on sustainable lifestyles, and director for European policy at the European Climate Foundation (ECF). A Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Sciences Po Paris graduate, he co-directed the Jacques Delors Institute for four years before the ECF. He currently teaches on matters related to policy innovation, civic techs and political influence at Sciences Po in Paris, the Solvay Brussels School and the Université Catholique de Louvain.
BULGARIA
ALEXANDER DOURCHEV
Alexander Dourchev is the Founder and CEO of All Channels Communication Group – the major Bulgarian independent communication group with more than 90 consultants in Sofia and Vienna. Together with his dynamic team, he is one of the most-awarded Eastern European communication experts. All Channels has won three Forbes Awards for the Best Business Strategy for SME and Best Client Service Policy in Bulgaria, among others. Alexander is a professor at the American University in Bulgaria and Sofia University. He has a PhD in Communication and Media studies and three Masters degrees in Public Relations, Business Administration and Political Management. Alexander was the Chairman of the Bulgarian Association of PR Agencies from 2011-2014 and its deputy chairman between 2009 and 2011.
ESTONIA / LATVIA / LITHUANIA
DALIA BANKAUSKAITĖ
Dalia Bankauskaitė is an Adjunct Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) in Washington, D.C and Media Program Director at Vilnius Institute of Policy Analysis (VIPA). Her research focus is strategic communication, society’s resilience and trust building, society’s mobilization and motivation as state crafting. She has extensive professional experience in dealing with the public and private sectors in integrated communication and marketing, and project management in Lithuania, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia in the field of European integration. In addition, she has diplomatic experience with the Lithuanian Embassy in Moscow. Ms. Bankauskaitė holds a Master’s degree from the LSE, UK and EMBA from Baltic Management Institute (BMI) in Lithuania.
FRANCE
Dorina Ofrim
Dorina Ofrim has over 20 years of experience in building trust based relationship with clients, with a proven track record of leading programs in multi-functional, multi-cultural environments within business, governmental and non-profit organizations. This led her to bringing together industry leaders and top-notch researchers in maturing disruptive ideas to challenge the future and impact the public debate. She has a good knowledge & understanding of the world’s top-tier higher level education academic environment allowing to link business to innovation.
As a dynamic, forward-thinking and entrepreneurial person with strong leadership skills and experience, Dorina excels in highly challenging situations; she approaches them with both mental and emotional intelligence. She has a wide ranging experience in science, innovation, international relations as well as culture in global contexts. Moving constantly between broad analytical inputs and execution at the cutting edge of global research and innovation networks. She has demonstrated successful leadership in policy in very large, very complex international research projects.
GERMANY
Marie Wutzler
Marie Wutzler has been with the Innovation in Politics Institute since 2019, and is the head of our Berlin office. She has led several projects with political parties across Europe. In March 2023, she became the programme manager for PartyParty. Prior to joining the Institute, Marie co-founded ToolFest – a festival focusing on innovation methods. She holds a Master’s degree in National and International Administration and Policy from the University of Potsdam and studied at the School of Design Thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute.
GREECE
DIMITRIS ROULIAS
Dimitris is a Physicist with post-graduate studies in Astrophysics, in Athens University. But after jobs with a leading IT magazine throughout the 90’s, IBM Hellas’ Corporate Communication Department, from 1993 as Manager of Communication and Head of the Press Office for Greece, Dimitris became the Managing Director of OgilvyOne. In 2005, he left Ogilvy Group for Communication Effect, the Edelman affiliate in Greece and 3 years later joined OUT OF THE BOX PR agency, becoming a Managing Partner. OUT OF THE BOX covers the full spectrum of Public Relations services. Dimitris also serves, as Secretary General, on the board of EDEE (Hellenic Association of Advertising and Communication Agencies) and represents Greece at ICCO (International Communication Consultancies Organization).
IRELAND
JOAN O’FLYNN
Joan O’Flynn has over 20 years of extensive experience of working on social policy, equality and community development issues within the public and voluntary sectors. Joan also teaches social policy and policy communications and is a Board member of the Irish Penal Reform Trust.
ITALY
MARTIN SLATER
Martin Slater is the founder and CEO of Noesis Group, one of Italy’s leading communication companies. He has broad experience of working in both the private and public sectors. After obtaining a degree from the University of Essex he went on to complete a PHD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Specialising in the study of european politics, Martin then taught and carried out research for several years at the Universities of Harvard, Clark (both USA), Essex (UK) and Turin (Italy) before moving to the UK treasury where he advised ministers on agricultural and trade policies. In 1992, Slater set up a communications company in Milan. Previously, he had done extensive research on Italian politics and had also been a professor at Turin University. Martin had developed extensive networks within Italy. Running a business gave him a new perspective in understanding the importance of the political area to the economic, social and cultural development of the country. “politicians can make a real difference to people’s lives, both positively and negatively.”
POLAND
JULIA KOZAK
Julia Kozak is a member of the council of experts at think tank (an independent analysis centre serving as a platform for the exchange of experience and views on management, leadership and globalisation issues) and the Polish academy of PR experts. She has 20 years of extensive experience in the field of integrated communication. She established the Polish office of FleishmanHillard, an international public relations and integrated communication agency, and led the company for 13 years. Julia and her team started one of the first public affairs companies in Poland. She has managed projects and communications for leading Polish and international companies and institutions. Julia has worked with teams from over 20 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, planned communication activities for more than 200 companies and private and public organisations, winning a number of Polish and international industry awards. She was the Vice President of the Association of Public Relations Companies (PPRCA) for four years and a member of the American Chamber of Commerce for 11 years.
SLOVAKIA
Michaela Benedigová
Michaela Benedigová is the Managing Partner and Director at Seesame, the largest Slovakian PR agency. Being on of the founders of the Slovakian PR-Scene, Michaela has been able to share her know-how for Reputation Management and Communication as a lecturer at the Technical University of Bratislava since 2003. In addition, she has been working as an advisor to the Mayor of Bratislava since 2019. Her other areas of activity include the vice presidency and membership of the board of the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia. In the past, Michaela Benedigová was also engaged as a lecturer for Public Relations and Reputation Management at the Pan European University Bratislava and works for Magna, a humanitarian organization.
SPain
David Leal
SWEDEN
LISA PELLING
Lisa Pelling is the Chief Analyst at Stockholm-based independent think tank Arena Idé, which is financed primarily by the Swedish Trade Union Movement. Arena Idé is part of the Arena Group, together with the publishing House Atlas, Communications and Campaign Consultancy Arena Opinion and leading Cultural and Political Magazine Arena. Lisa was appointed Political Advisor to the Swedish Minister for Development and Migration in 2002 and to the Swedish Foreign Minister in 2005. Before joining Arena Idé in 2013 she was the Programme Manager for Migration at Global Challenge, a think tank. In the same year, she completed a PHD in Political Science at the University of Vienna. Lisa Pelling is a columnist for Daily Digital Newspaper Dagens Arena and often appears as an expert and commentator in other media, such as Swedish State Television SVT and Public Service Radio SR.
United kingdom
