My Job
As Associate Director, I lead several trade association clients in the food sector specializing in regulatory affairs and in strategic advice. As a Deputy Director of the Food and Nutrition Cluster, I provide support with the management of clients in order to achieve their vision and mission and of the team offering mentoring, training, and feedback in my specialised fields.
Through a deep understanding of the food sector’s challenges, I help our clients stay ahead of regulatory changes, optimise their strategies, and ensure they continue to effectively represent their sector and drive impact at European level.
My Experience
With a background in biology/genetics, I became passionate about evidence-based policy making (or the lack thereof). I have gained my experience working on science-policy interface in agri-food and biotech in think tanks and in institutions but mostly in regulated products industries.
My Specialisms
My Proudest Achievements
I like solving problems that don’t have obvious answers. I have helped to turn unstructured or challenging situations into something workable, built trust in teams and with clients, and found pragmatic, efficient ways to support and deliver their strategies. It is rarely flashy, but it makes a real difference.
But what stays with me most are the people I’ve had the chance to work with and support along the way. Seeing team members grow, take ownership, and eventually lead on their own associations— even better than I could – is my most rewarding achievement.
My Education
- PhD in Biology (Genetics) – University of Munich (LMU)
- Post-graduate Master in Policy Advice – Belgian-Italian Chamber of Commerce and IEE of the Université Catholique de Louvain
My Languages
Slovak, English, Italian.
My Interests outside work
Hiking/camping, travelling, cooking, books and board games.
My Favourite Brussels anecdote
Being told at the first day of my internship: “Perfection is the enemy of possible.”