EVBB Annual Conference: Europe’s VET Strategy in Action

President | EVBB

Thiemo Fojkar is President of the European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) and Chairman of the German Federal Association of Vocational Training Providers (BBB). He is also Chairman of the Board of the Internationaler Bund (IB), one of Germany’s major providers of youth, social and educational services. His work spans vocational education, training and organisational leadership at national and European level.

Speaking at: Welcome to Paris: Europe’s Skills Moment — Making VET a First Choice; Conference Closing

Director, Jobs and Skills | DG EMPL, European Commission

Manuela Geleng is Director for Jobs and Skills at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, with responsibility for skills and vocational education and training policies, as well as entrepreneurship and access to microfinance. She has held several senior management positions within the European Commission, including Acting Director for Social Affairs, and previously worked as a management consultant and with the United Nations Development Programme.

Speaking at: Keynote — Europe’s VET Strategy: What Changes Now?

Head of Policy Advice Unit | European Training Foundation

George Zissimos is Head of the Policy Advice Unit at the European Training Foundation (ETF). His work focuses on education and training policy, reform and cooperation with countries neighbouring the EU, including vocational education and training, skills development, employment and lifelong learning.

Speaking at: European VET Delivery Compact: Skills, Jobs and Business; Implementation Lab 4 — Global Partnerships

General Secretary for Vocational Education, Training and Lifelong Learning | Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Greece

Olga Kafetzopoulou is Director of Planning & Development for Vocational Education, Training and Lifelong Learning at Greece’s Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports. She has more than three decades of experience in VET policy, programme development and administration. Since 2016, she has been responsible for the design and implementation of VET apprenticeship pathways, including a scheme recognised as a European Social Fund good practice. Her work also focuses on linking VET and lifelong learning with labour-market needs and European policy.

Speaking at: VET Strategies in Action: Global Ministerial Dialogue — Part I

Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission | Jordan

Feda Al-Tamimi is Assistant to the President of Jordan’s Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC). A professor of clinical linguistics and speech sciences, he has held senior academic and public-sector roles, including Dean of Quality Assurance at Jordan University of Science and Technology and founding Director of its International Students Directorate. He has also served within Jordan’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Speaking at: VET Strategies in Action: Global Ministerial Dialogue — Part I

Human Development Program Leader | World Bank

Nathalie Lahire is a Senior Economist in the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia Region, where she leads education and skills initiatives across the Western Balkans. She has previously coordinated the World Bank’s education and skills portfolio in Lebanon and Iraq and served as Human Development Program Leader across several Central African countries. Her work spans education, public finance, youth employment and workforce development, with a focus on strengthening skills systems and improving employment outcomes.

Speaking at: VET Strategies in Action: Global Ministerial Dialogue — Part II; Implementation Lab 5 — Financing Implementation

Head, Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Fair Production Unit | UNIDO

Juan Pablo Davila is Head of the Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Fair Production Unit at UNIDO. He has more than 18 years of experience designing and implementing international technical assistance programmes and partnerships, with expertise spanning skills development, innovation, competitiveness and climate technologies. Before joining UNIDO, he worked in the automotive industry and held senior roles in Mexico’s public sector, including in industrial development and foreign investment.

Speaking at: Lab 2, Building VET and business partnerships that last

Executive Director | GENE — Global Education Network Europe

Liam Wegimont is Executive Director of GENE — Global Education Network Europe. He has worked in global education for several decades across roles including teaching, youth work, research, school leadership, teacher education and international public service. He is also a co-founder of ANGEL and was part of the drafting committee for the Dublin Declaration on Global Education to 2050, which sets out a shared vision for global education in Europe.

Speaking at: VET Strategies in Action: Global Ministerial Dialogue — Part II

Senior Economist | OECD

Michele Tuccio is a Senior Economist in the OECD’s Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, where he leads work on adult learning and coordinates research on responses to changing skills needs. His recent work focuses on skills-first labour markets, micro-credentials and individual learning accounts, alongside skills intelligence, recognition of prior learning and quality assurance in non-formal training. He has also advised OECD countries on the design and implementation of adult learning reforms.

Speaking at: VET Strategies in Action: Global Ministerial Dialogue — Part II; Implementation Lab 1 — Guaranteeing Skills in a Global Race for Talent

Director | Lifelong Learning Platform

Brikena Xhomaqi has been Director of the Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) for more than a decade, leading a European civil society network representing organisations across the lifelong learning spectrum. She has extensive experience in European education policy, civil society advocacy and student representation, including previous leadership roles at the European Students’ Union and Erasmus Student Network. From 2020 to 2025, she also co-chaired the European Economic and Social Committee’s Liaison Group with Civil Society Organisations.

Speaking at: What Delivery Looks Like on the Ground

Project & Policy Coordinator | OBESSU

Daniele Sabato is Project & Policy Coordinator at OBESSU, the European platform representing school student unions. With a background in philosophy and sociology, he has developed expertise in digital ethics and rights alongside his work in European policy and projects. His responsibilities include policy work on VET, citizenship and digital education, transnational cooperation projects and coordination of the European Apprentices Network.

Speaking at: What Delivery Looks Like on the Ground

President | Erasmus Student Network

Simone Lepore is President of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), where he leads the organisation’s strategic direction, external relations, policy and advocacy on Erasmus+, student mobility, higher education and youth participation. He previously served as a Policy Intern at ESN’s headquarters and as Education Officer and Liaison Officer for Inclusive Mobility at ESN Italy. He holds a binational Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from LUISS University and Sciences Po Bordeaux, as well as a Master’s degree in International Development and Public Policy from NOVA School of Business and Economics.

Expert in qualifications and learning outcomes | CEDEFOP

Zelda Azzarà is an Expert in Qualifications and Learning Outcomes at Cedefop, working within the Department of VET and Qualifications. She has extensive experience in European education, vocational training, skills and qualifications policies. Previously, she worked as a Policy Officer at the European Commission’s DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, focusing on skills and qualifications. She has an academic background in Political Science and International Relations, complemented by further training in quantitative methods and European affairs. 

Speaking at Panel: Lab 3, Skills Portability and Fair Mobility

Director of Engineering, Training, and Quality  | AFPA Vice-président EVTA, The European Vocational Training Association 

Christophe Sadok is Vice-President of the European Vocational Training Association (EVTA) and Director of Engineering, Training and Quality at AFPA, France, a position he has held since 2013. He has extensive experience in vocational education and training, training engineering, quality, public policy and foresight. He previously held several management and project roles at AFPA and worked as a training consultant in France and Spain. 

Speaking at Panel: The European VET strategy delivered : Skills, Jobs and Business

Senior Advisor|Dansk Industri 

Anja Trier Wang is Leading Senior Adviser on Vocational Education and Training (VET) at DI – Confederation of Danish Industry. She has more than 20 years of experience working on education and training policies, with a particular focus on representing the perspectives and interests of employers. Her work covers both the Danish and European levels, where she contributes to discussions and policy development in the field of vocational education and training. 

Speaking at Panel: 

The European VET strategy delivered : Skills, Jobs and Business; Lab 2, Beyond the internship: building VET and business partnerships that last