Senior Public Affairs & Strategic Communications Manager

• Jun 2022 - Present

Public Affairs & Strategic Communications Manager

• Oct 2020 - Jun 2022

Helping clients drive change, unlock their potential and achieve their strategic business objectives.

Senior Policy Advisor

• Oct 2019 - Mar 2020

Advising a leading Renew Europe MEP on EU legislative, political, policy and regulatory developments, in particular within the fields of justice, home affairs, civil liberties and foreign relations. Responsibilities and duties also included speechwriting and the provision of strategic advice. Advising a leading Renew Europe MEP on EU legislative, political, policy and regulatory developments, in particular within the fields of justice, home affairs, civil liberties and foreign relations. Responsibilities and duties also included speechwriting and the provision of strategic advice.

EU Regulatory, Trade, and Government Affairs Lawyer

• Sep 2015 - Sep 2019

Lawyer within one of the world's leading global business law firms, working within the firm’s top-tier EU Regulatory, Global Trade and Government Relations team. Focusing on developing and co-directing government affairs strategies, narratives and campaigns on complex policy and regulatory matters, often incorporating advocacy, political engagement, grassroots outreach and government relations efforts and organizing issue-oriented coalitions. Experience includes advising both corporate and government clients on EU public policy strategy and EU regulatory law. Core duties also encompassed designing and implementing corporate, public and cultural diplomacy strategies and campaigns, including advise on media relations, stakeholder engagement and strategic communications.Key achievements and personal highlights include:- High-level international peace negotiations (Geneva peace talks on Syria): providing agenda-setting, media relations and strategic communications advice during high-level international peace talks. Including the development and implementation of an EU-wide stakeholder engagement strategy and campaign.- Diplomatic secondment: as an advisor to a state’s mission to the European Union. Providing the Ambassador and diplomats with strategic advise on EU (foreign) policy and regulatory developments. Duties included assisting the Ambassador with stakeholder engagement at the senior level of the three main EU institutions (Council, Commission and Parliament) and the development of a public & cultural diplomacy programme.- Pro bono work: including delivering international Human Rights law and legal soft skills training to lawyers working with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Georgia and advising various international NGO’s on EU funding opportunities and the operational and legal implications of Brexit.

EU Policy & Regulatory Analyst

• Feb 2015 - Aug 2015

This internship within the EU Regulatory, Trade & Government Affairs practice at DLA Piper Brussels provided a firsthand experience in the world of corporate legal affairs and considerable knowledge and insights into politics, policy- and decision-making processes and the functioning of national and European institutional frameworks.Duties included assisting the lead partner and other senior members of the team with: - Policy & regulatory intelligence gathering and early warning reporting.- On demand policy & regulatory research, analysis and advice. Legislative (and policy) agenda-setting, including strategy development and campaign management.- Strategic advice on how to navigate legislative decision making processes at the EU or national level.- Strategic stakeholder mapping and analysis, including stakeholder engagement and advocacy.- Drafting of position papers, talking points, communication plans and other required materials for client use or to interact with the policy makers and legislators.

Member of the Board of Directors

• 2005 - Oct 2013

Founder & President

• Oct 2006 - Jul 2013

Founder of the Youth and Student branch of the United Nations Association of Flanders (VVN) in 2006. Responsible for all youth and student-related projects and activities of the association and the development of a full-fledged organization with its own charter, objectives, structures and operations. This resulted in the establishment of a youth and student organization with local chapters at leading Flemish universities, active to this date until. Appointed as a member of the committee of the Flemish Youth Council responsible for the selection of the Flemish UN Youth representative (2010-2013) and volunteered at the Antwerp-based Vredescentrum bringing UN-related training and workshops to students which resulted in a better understanding of the concepts of dialogue, cooperation, mutual understanding and diplomacy.

Trainee

• Jan 2009 - Jun 2009

Internship within the Office of the President of the Committee on Foreign Relations. Responsibilities and tasks included media monitoring, writing press statements and speeches, and attending and reporting on the proceedings within committee meetings. Internship within the Office of the President of the Committee on Foreign Relations. Responsibilities and tasks included media monitoring, writing press statements and speeches, and attending and reporting on the proceedings within committee meetings.