Secretariat
Our team brings together a variety of professional and cultural perspectives to creatively contribute to a liberal Europe that we all want to live in.
Our team brings together a variety of professional and cultural perspectives to creatively contribute to a liberal Europe that we all want to live in.
Executive Director
Alva (or Ailbhe) hails from Ireland. She is a passionate leader with over twelve years of experience in policy at the EU, UN and national levels. Prior to joining ELF, Alva was the Secretary General of Social Platform, the largest civil society network working on social and equality issues in Europe. Alva also worked at Save the Children, Mental Health Europe, the Irish Mission to the UN in Geneva, as a consultant with the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health and with refugees and asylum seekers in Cairo during the Arab spring.
Deputy Executive Director
Dr Antonios Nestoras is the Deputy Executive Director of the European Liberal Forum (ELF). His career spans more than 12 years in the academic, think-tank and European public administration fields, and his work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, think-tank reports and EU media. He holds a double PhD in Social and Political Science from VUB and the University of Antwerp.
Head of Projects
Goran is responsible for coordinating a portfolio of more than 60 member-led and Secretariat-led projects. His professional focus is on management and organisational development. He comes from the International Educational Center, a political foundation from Croatia, where he worked on developing and implementing democracy support projects across Europe together with other partners in the liberal family. A husband and father, in his free time he enjoys watching sci-fi movies and driving.
Project Officer
Holding an MA Degree in History, he has worked as an Administrative Assistant for LYMEC and is a Municipal Councilor in Schilde’s-Gravenwezelin, Belgium. He is an Expert in Project Management, and is interested in liberal ideology and LGBTQI+ rights.
Project Officer
Before joining the Project Unit of ELF, Even worked for a liberal political party in France and later joined a non-profit organisation in Brussels working on corruption issues at the European level. Interested in fundamental rights and the rule of law, he holds a Master’s degree in European studies.
Project Officer
Holds an MA in International Affairs from the University of Bologna. Worked as Grants and Project Assistant for Lebanese and Italian NGOs. Strong interest in human and women’s rights and environmental topics.
Junior Digital Transformation Officer
Holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Wroclaw. Interested in women’s rights and LGBTQI+-related topics. Previously worked as an intern for a Polish NGO, as well as volunteered for an Erasmus Student Network as a Project Manager.
Senior Policy & Research Officer
Francesco Cappelletti works as Policy and Research Officer at the European Liberal Forum. Francesco is currently a PhD candidate in Cybersecurity Law at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He holds a MA in International Relations from the University of Florence and MA in World Politics from MGIMO (Moscow). He is a member of the ‘Center for Cybersecurity’ in Florence and the ‘Cyber and Data Security Lab’ at VUB, where he also was an assistant lecturer in the course of Cyberwarfare, Disinformation and Post-Truth. His research focuses on cybersecurity, digitisation, Russian-Western relations and the relation between sustainability and technologies.
Policy & Research Officer
Maria holds a PhD in interdisciplinary European Periodical Studies, MA degrees in EU Studies and Political Science, and BA degree in Philosophy from the universities in Belgium, Germany, and Ukraine. She specialises in European cultural, social, and neighbourhood-related affairs and has professional experience in journalism and editorship.
Head of Communication
Political communication expert with a broad experience in public relations, digital communication, and campaign management. He has worked as a communication consultant in the finance and real estate industry and as the communication director of the Hungarian liberal party, Momentum Movement.
Communication Officer
Holds an MA in Communication from iaelyon School of Management and an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from the College of Europe. She focuses on the EU and Neighbourhood, security & conflicts, media and disinformation.
Junior Communication Officer
Holds a MA in International Relations and Politics from the University of Dundee. Her interests include human rights and sustainability issues. Previously volunteered for an NGO working to defend principles of academic freedoms for scholars. She now focuses on promoting liberal ideology through communication and media channels at ELF.
Head of Finance
With broad experience in finance, budgeting, and analysis, she has worked as the head of controlling & finance for B&S Europe, and as Finance manager for Breast International Group. Her ambition is to excel in her domain.
Accountant
An expert in accounting and administration, she worked for 25 years in the automobile sector, as well as in several other fields. She loves dark chocolate, coffee, and Italian food, and is fond of the science fiction genre.
Professor, University of Florence
Luigi Martino teaches Cyber Security and ICT Policies at the Faculty of Political Science in Florence and is head of the Center for Cyber Security and International Relations Studies (CCSIRS). His PhD thesis focused on the implementation of cybersecurity models.
Visiting Professor and Researcher, University of Helsinki
Takis Pappas (Ph.D., Yale) is a political researcher and analyst currently working at the University of Helsinki and known for his original work on populism, the future of liberalism, and party systems. Besides numerous publications, he has authored five books.
Professor Emeritus of Economics, Paris Graduate School of Engineering
Gérard Pogorel is Professor emeritus of Economics at the Institut Polytechnique de Paris-Telecom, CNRS Interdisciplinary Institute for Innovation. An independent international expert in telecommunications, media, and the digital economy, he has worked with the European Commission, national authorities, scientific committees.
Author and journalist
Mathilde Berger-Perrin is a former activist and president of Les Affranchies – Women for Liberty. A graduate of philosophy & cognitive sciences, she is now an essayist and columnist in the French media specialising in gender issues and free speech advocacy. She’s publishing two books in 2023, an essay on Individualist feminism and a monograph on Ayn Rand.
Director of Studies at GenerationLibre
A graduate of Sciences Po Grenoble and with a doctorate in political science, Kevin Brookes has taught in several higher education institutions and has been a researcher in several think-tanks in France and Canada.
Assistant Professor, University of Zagreb
Kristijan Kotarski has been Assistant Professor at the Zagreb Faculty of Political Science since 2015. His research is focused on the international political economy subjects. He co-edited two prominent books, wrote more than 20 scientific papers and 30 professional articles.
Assistant Professor, University of Lodz
Tomasz Kamiński is a political scientist, professor at the Faculty of International and Political Studies at the University of Lodz. He has a significant experience in the business sector. He is focusing on the topics of paradiplomacy and city diplomacy.
Analyst, Think-tanker and Author
Ricardo Silvestre is the Senior Researcher and International Officer of the Portuguese think-tank Social Liberal Movement. He hosts the Liberal Europe Podcast and is the author of think pieces and scientific articles. Ricardo holds a PhD in Philosophy of Science and a Master’s degree in International Relations.
Researcher and lecturer, Leiden University
Arlinda Rrustemi is a researcher and lecturer on peace and conflict studies. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Leiden University in the Netherlands, an LL.M. degree in Public International Law from Utrecht University, and a B.A. (cum laude) from the University College Roosevelt. She is involved in several research projects uncovering peace infrastructures and countering radicalization. She was a visiting scholar at several universities.
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