Panel 1: Better use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) to boost tourism, a growth engine for EU regions.

Transcription

1 List of speakers Morning session: Improving framework conditions to attract investment and maximise the use of EU funds to boost the competitive development of the tourism sector Welcoming remarks by Sławomir Tokarski, Director of Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing, Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROWTH), European Commission Sławomir Tokarski is Director of Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing in the Directorate-General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs at the European Commission since Previously he was Head of Unit for Innovation Policy and Investment to Growth in the same DG, Head of Defence, Aeronautics & Maritime Industries in DG Enterprise and Industry and Head of Unit in DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries where he dealt with economic policy and co-ordination of EU funding. Sławomir was a member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Hübner, responsible for Regional Policy. He holds a diploma from the European University Institute, Florence. Opening addresses by: Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission Elżbieta Bieńkowska is European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs since She was previously Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Infrastructure and Development and Minister of Regional Development in Poland. She has also worked as Director in the Regional Development Office at the Marshal's Office of the Silesia Region. She holds a Post-graduate diploma from the Polish National School of Public Administration and a Master's degree in Oriental Philology from the Jagiellonian University. Michael Cramer, Member of the European Parliament, Chairman of the Committee on Transport and Tourism Michael Cramer has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 2004, working mainly on EU transport policy. After ten years as transport policy spokesperson for the Green group, he was elected chairman of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) in July He is also a member of the European Parliament s delegation to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and chairs the parliamentary platform Rail Forum Europe. Between 1989 and 2004 Michael was a member of the Berlin regional parliament and served as spokesman for transport of the Green group.

2 Panel 1: Better use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) to boost tourism, a growth engine for EU regions. Moderator: Colin Wolfe, Head of Unit Competence Centre Smart and Sustainable Growth, Directorate-General for Regional Policy (DG REGIO), European Commission Colin Wolfe is Head of the Competence Centre Smart & Sustainable Growth, within the Directorate- General for Regional and Urban Policy at the European Commission. He is responsible for providing assistance and expertise with respect to the smart and sustainable growth pillars of the Europe 2020 Strategy. In 2003, Colin took up a post at the Directorate-General for Regional Policy to become Head of Unit for the delegations overseeing the accession of the Czech Republic & Slovakia, and then he was Head of Unit for the Competence Centre Macro-regions and European Territorial Co-operation. Key note speakers: Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, European Commission Marianne Thyssen is European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills, Labour Mobility since From , she was a Member of the European Parliament and part of the EPP Group of the European Parliament, eventually becoming 1st Vice-President of the EEP. She was also party leader of the Flemish Christian-Democratics (CD&V) from Commissioner Thyssen worked in Oud Heverlee, Belgium as 1st Alderman and Municipal councillor in the 1990s and 2000s. She has also worked for Unizo (the Belgian representative SME organisation) and as a legal advisor. She holds a Master's degree in Law from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Dario Franceschini, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Italy (TBC) Dario Franceschini has been Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism in Italy since He was formerly a minister for relations with the parliament and for coordination of government activities. Among other positions, Dario was also Secretary of the Democratic Party, Member of the Chamber of Deputies, Undersecretary to the Prime Minister s Office for Institutional Reform, Member of the European Union s parliamentary commission, and part of the Italian delegation to the Council of Europe and the Western European Union. Dario is a law graduate from the University of Ferrara in Italy. Edward Zammit Lewis, Minister of Tourism, Malta Hon. Dr. Edward Zammit Lewis is Minister for Tourism in Malta. He took up the post in 2014 following a Cabinet reshuffle and is also responsible for the Aviation Industry and Air Malta. Edward is a member of two permanent Parliamentary Committees: the Privileges Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. He was elected to Parliament in 2013, where he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth. Previously, he served as a lawyer in the superior Courts of Malta. Edward has a BA in European Studies and International Relations and obtained a Doctorate of Laws from the University of Malta. Nikolina Angelkova, Minister of Tourism, Bulgaria Nikolina Angelkova was appointed as Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria in November Nikolina was previously a member of the management board of the Road Infrastructure Agency in Bulgaria, and has served as Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works. She was also appointed as Adviser to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria for European Regional Cooperation and recently served as an Interim Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications. Nikolina is a graduate of Harvard Business School in Boston and holds a Master s Degree in Law from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia. Darko Horvat, Minister of Entrepreneurship and Crafts, Croatia Darko Horvat is the Minister for Entrepreneurship and Crafts in Croatia. He was a member of the Party Presidency and served as President of the Međimurje County Organization of the Croatian Democratic Union Party. He was also Chairman of the Committee for Energy, Mining and Environment Protection. Previously, he worked as an independent engineer of processing informatics technology and remote power station control systems, and as director of the distribution system for HEP Company. He studied power electronics engineering (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Informatics in Maribor, Slovenia). Currently he is completing his Master s degree at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing. 2

3 Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Region of Emilia Romagna, Italy Stefano Bonaccini is the President of the region Emilia-Romagna of Italy, and since December 2015, also President of the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces. Previously, he was Councillor for the City of Modena and responsible for public works, heritage and the historical centre. He also previously served as councillor for youth, culture, sport and leisure in the City of Campogalliano. He has held numerous positions in the Italian Democratic Party and was a member of the National Secretariat of the Democratic Party led by Matteo Renzi, with responsibility for local authorities. Stefano holds a scientific high school degree from Modena, Italy. István Ujhelyi, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, responsible for the Task Force on Tourism Dr. István Ujhelyi is a Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism and responsible for the Task Force on Tourism. Previously, he was Vice-Chair and Member of the National Presidium of the Hungarian Socialist Party. After the 2010 national election he was elected to the National Assembly of Hungary and nominated as one of the deputy speakers of the National Assembly of Hungary. He graduated with a law degree from the József Attila University, Hungary. Panel 2: Boosting investment and improving business environment for the competitive development of the tourism sector Moderator: Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of the European Travel Commission (ETC) and representative of the Manifesto Tourism for Growth & Jobs Eduardo Santander has been Executive Director of ETC since April He has extensive experience in destination marketing gained through his career in diverse companies from the tourism industry in Innsbruck (Austria) and the United States. Under the leadership of Eduardo, ETC continues supporting member NTOs in their portfolio of marketing and research activities in major long-haul markets with the aim of strengthening and increasing competitiveness of Destination Europe. Educated in Spain and Austria, he holds a PhD in Sports Science and an MBA degree. Panel Introduction by key note speaker: Isabella De Monte, Member of the European Parliament, Committee on Transport and Tourism Isabella De Monte, a lawyer by training, was elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in As a member of the European Parliament s Transport and Tourism Committee, she was appointed rapporteur for the dossier New challenges and concepts for the promotion of tourism in Europe, which was adopted in plenary on 29 October She is also Deputy Head of the Democratic Party s Italian delegation at the European Parliament. She was previously elected Senator of the XVII Legislature in Friuli Venezia Giulia in February She also held the position of Member of the First Constitutional Affairs Committee and Secretary of Elections and Parliamentary Immunity Committee. Panellists: Giorgio Chiarion Casoni, Head of Unit Financing of climate change, infrastructure policies and Euratom, Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission Giorgio Chiarion Casoni is currently Head of the Financing Infrastructure and Climate Change Unit in the European Commission s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs. He is responsible for core parts of the Investment Plan for Europe (European Fund for Strategic Investments, the European Investment Advisory Hub and the European Investment Portal) and other European innovative instruments designed to support investment in infrastructure. Giorgio has developed his professional career at the European Commission. He previously managed financial programmes in support of SMEs before becoming responsible for coordination of the activities of the European Commission with the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Investment Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other IFIs. 3

4 Hans-Harald Jahn, Head of Division Natural Resources and Agro-Industry - Projects Directorate, European Investment Bank Dr Harald Jahn is Head of the Agribusiness and Rural Development Division at the European Investment Bank. He has more than 30 years of experience in research, policy, public and private projects in industries, services and tourism all around the world. Before joining the EIB in 1989, Harald worked for other financial institutions (e.g. World Bank). After heading the EIB s division for economic/market questions and the manufacturing and commercial services (including tourism) division, he is now responsible for agro-food-forestry, biomass-based industries and rural development. He has a PhD in Economics and is a licensed engineer in agriculture. Susanne Kraus-Winkler, President of Executive Committee of HOTREC, the umbrella association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés in Europe Susanne Kraus-Winkler, President of HOTREC since January 2015, has been a Member of HOTREC Executive Committee since 2004 and Vice-President since She is a longstanding industry representative as well as entrepreneur in the hospitality industry with 35 years of practical experience in the hotel and restaurant business. She also has many years of practical experience in tourism consulting and lecturing at several universities. Susanne holds several positions in the management board of tourism representations in Austria and at EU level. She has been awarded several prizes for her work. Philippe Eydaleine, Head of Public Affairs - Europe, Etihad Airways Philippe Eydaleine joined Etihad Airways, national airline of the United Arab Emirates, in May He was previously Policy Adviser on EU Affairs for the French Civil Aviation Authority. He has also worked in senior positions at Air France, at the Air Transportation Institute, at Air Inter and Servair. He also served as Civil Aviation Adviser at the French State Secretariat for Transport. In 2015 Etihad supported over European jobs and contributed EUR 3.3 billion to the EU s GDP and EUR 1.7 billion in connectivity improvements. David O Brien, Chief Commercial Officer, Ryanair David O Brien has been Chief Commercial Officer of Ryanair since January 2014, having previously served as Ryanair s Director of Flight & Ground Operations from December A graduate of the Irish Military College, David followed a military career with positions in the airport sector and agribusiness in the Middle East, Russia and Asia. Riddell Graham, Director of Partnerships, VisitScotland Riddell Graham, Director of Partnerships at VisitScotland. Riddell manages partnership and visitor services, including a wide range of external partners and stakeholders at national, regional and local level. The Visitor Services function provides information and inspiration to visitors and is delivered on a face-to-face basis from 70 locations throughout Scotland to over 3.5 million customers annually. His team is responsible for the direct delivery of VisitScotland s Quality Assurance schemes and the provision of advice and support to businesses. 4

5 Afternoon session: Supporting upgrading of skills and training mobility in the EU tourism sector Panel 3: Importance of upgrading the skills in the tourism sector and its role in combatting youth unemployment Moderator: Detlef Eckert, Director at the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), Directorate: Skills, European Commission Dr Detlef Eckert is Director for Skills at the European Commission s Directorate-General for Employment where he is responsible for developing and implementing skills related policies, to remove obstacles for job creation, and to contribute to the European Semester driven reform agenda in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Sweden and Denmark. Prior to joining DG Employment, he served as Director and Senior Adviser in DG CONNECT, the European Commission s Directorate- General for Communications Networks, Content & Technology. Previously Detlef was also a Director at Microsoft and has worked at a ministry in the German government. Born in Germany, he obtained a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Siegen. Panellists: Ana-Claudia Tapardel, Member of the European Parliament, Committee on Transport and Tourism Ana-Claudia Tapardel is one of the youngest female Members of the European Parliament (S&D Group). She comes from Romania, and is very passionate about tourism. In 2015, Claudia was elected co-chair of the Intergroup for the Development of European Tourism and Cultural Heritage. With 140 members, the Intergroup is dedicated to bring tourism into the spotlight of European policies. In the European Parliament, she is a member of three important Committees: Transport and Tourism, Constitutional Affairs and Budgets. Claudia has a rich education in Economics (PhD), public administration and international business. Stefan Kapferer, Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Stefan Kapferer, Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, works primarily in the areas of Science and Innovation, Employment and Social Affairs, SMEs and Tourism, among others. A German national, Stefan was State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and he served as State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. Stefan was also previously State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economics, Labour and Transport of Lower Saxony. He holds a degree in administrative science from Konstanz University. Peter Janech, Policy Adviser on International and EU Affairs in the Regional Programme for Europe, United Nations' World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Peter Janech is a Policy Adviser on International and EU Affairs in the Regional Programme for Europe at the UNWTO in Madrid since Previously, he was an Attaché in the Cabinet of the Hungarian Member of the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg and spent six years ( ) in Brussels working for the European Parliament and for the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA). During that time, Peter worked as a Policy Adviser for an MEP on external relations and security issues of the European Union. As a Trade and Parliamentary Affairs representative at ETRMA he helped represent the tyre and rubber industry towards the EU institutions. Christian de Barrin, CEO of HOTREC, the umbrella association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés in Europe Christian de Barrin has been the Chief Executive Officer of HOTREC, the umbrella Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe, since 8 April Cristian has been based in Brussels since March 2001 and prior to joining HOTREC he held senior communication and association management positions for various major industry and trade associations. In addition, Christian s professional background includes working for an EU think-tank and giving training on communication and EU lobbying at the European Training Institute. He was also Board Member at the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) between 2008 and 2012 and a columnist at French radio France-Info. A French native, Christian has a Master s degree in Economics and graduated from the University of Assas in Paris. 5

6 Harald Wiedenhofer, General Secretary, European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism trade Unions (EFFAT) Harald Wiedenhofer is the General Secretary of EFFAT, the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions. The federation has 120 member organisations and defends the interests of more than 20 million employees in these sectors. EFFAT has founded European Works Councils in approximately 120 companies and has held social dialogues with their employers on the European level for many years. EFFAT is particularly committed to the sustainable development of its sectors. Harald has previously worked as a teacher in Hamburg, as a senior researcher at a scientific research institute in Bonn, as a human resource director, and as a member of various supervisory boards. He is one of three founders of the first free trade union in the food and hospitality sectors in the former German Democratic Republic (1990). Harald was born in Austria but grew up in Germany and holds a degree in psychology. Flavio Bucciarelli, Vice President Operations, Europe, Africa & Middle East, Starwood Hotels & Resorts In his current role as Vice President of Operations at Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Flavio Bucciarelli heads up numerous lines of business for the company, including design construction and engineering, new builds and transitions, operational innovation, rooms and guest experience intelligence, supply chain oversight, franchise services, and owner relations. Prior to this Flavio was an Area Manager for France and Monaco and General Manager of Le Méridien Etoile in Paris, before moving to Brussels in July 2014 to take up his current role. Flavio holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Henley Business School in the UK) and started his career with Starwood in Panel 4: EU funding opportunities relevant for human capital related investment and skills Moderator: Magda Antonioli Corigliano, Professor of Economics and Director of the Master Course on Tourism, Bocconi University, Italy Magda Antonioli Corigliano is Director of a Master s Degree Programme in Economics and Tourism at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, as well as Professor of Tourism Economics. She is also a member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and has served as a special advisor on tourism to the Vice- President of the European Commission between 2010 and Since 2015 Magda has been a permanent committee member for the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism and a commission member for ENIT, Italy s National Tourist Agency. From 2012 to 2014 she served as President of the Tourism Task Force for the European Alpine Convention. Magda is a visiting professor at various universities and author of many publications on tourism economics and policy. Panellists: Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, Member of the European Parliament, Committee on Transport and Tourism Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar has been a Member of the European Parliament since July Prior she was a Member of the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic, serving in the Committee on Economics and Public Works and in the Committee on European Affairs. From 2008 to 2011, she was a Communication and Marketing Consultant at Porto Bay Hotels & Resorts. Cláudia has a sociology degree with a major in social politics from Minho University and has a postgraduate degree in marketing and communication. Jacqueline Pacaud, Head of Sector Erasmus+: Schools, vocational education and training, skills and adult education, Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC), European Commission Jacqueline Pacaud works in the European Commission, Directorate-General for Education and Culture, as the head of sector responsible for the implementation of the Erasmus+ programme for the school education, vocational education and training, and adult learning fields. These three sectors represent all together around 32% of the budget of the Erasmus+ programme ( ). She works in close cooperation with her counterpart responsible for the higher education sector. Passionate about the areas of education and culture, she worked previously in the Culture Unit (part of DG EAC) for more than 10 years. 6

7 Christos Economou, Head of Unit Maritime policy Mediterranean and Black Sea, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), European Commission Mr Economou is a Head of Unit at the European Commission s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) with responsibility for maritime policy in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. His portfolio includes coastal and maritime tourism and maritime security. He joined the Commission in 2000 where he worked in various positions at the European Commission s Directorate- General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) dealing with maritime transport, land transport and innovation in railways. His last position at DG MOVE was as Interim Executive Director for the Shift2 Rail Joint Undertaking. Prior to 2000, he worked for the European Community Ship-owners Associations (ECSA) in Brussels. He holds a Degree in Business Administration from the University of Athens, as well as two Master s Degree, one in European Economics and another in Maritime and Aviation Law, both from the University of Brussels. Lluís Prats, Professor, University of Girona and Erasmus Mundus European Master in Tourism Management (EMTM) Dr. Lluis Prats is professor at the University of Girona and Erasmus Mundus European Master in Tourism Management. Amongst others, he is settled in the Business Organisation Management and Product Design Department and is co-director of the Organisational Networks, Innovation and Tourism research group. He has a Bachelor s degree in Tourism (University of Girona), Master s in Marketing and Commercialisation of tourism products (University of Toulouse III), a PhD in Economics (University of Toulouse I) and a PhD in Business Management (University Jaume I of Castelló de la Plana). James Rampton, Partner, Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services James Rampton is a Partner at the Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services (CSES). Over the last decade, James has led numerous studies for the European Commission in the fields of education, employment, culture and enterprise. He has also provided expert support to the Leonardo programme in the UK. Most recently, James led a study for DG GROWTH on Mapping and Performance Check of the Supply Side of Tourism Education and Training. The study examined how EU-28 education and training systems are serving current and future skills needs of tourism employers and identified good practice examples. Concluding remarks by Corina Crețu, Commissioner for Regional Policy, European Commission Corina Creţu has been European Commissioner for Regional Policy since She is Vice-President of the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSD) and former Vice-President and Member of the European Parliament. She previously worked as a Member of the Board for the Parliamentary Network of the World Bank. She has also served as Senator and Member of the Chamber of Deputies in the Romanian Parliament, as well as Presidential Adviser and Spokesperson for the Romanian President, and Head of the Public Communication Department. She is an Economist from the Faculty of Economic Planning and Cybernetics at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. Closing by Carlo Corazza, Head of Unit Tourism, Emerging and Creative Industries, Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROWTH), European Commission Carlo Corazza is Head of Unit for Tourism, Emerging and Creative Industries at the European Commission s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs since June Prior to this he was Head of Unit for International Affairs and Mission for Growth in the same DG and has worked as spokesperson for Vice-President Antonio Tajani. He also represented the European Commission in Italy as Head of the Press and later as Head of the Representation. He has also worked as Member of Cabinet under Mrs Bonino, responsible for trade policy, neighbouring policy, association agreements, internal market, consumer protection, and industrial policy. 7