Secretariat

Laurène Mathey is Director of Projects at EHMA. She oversees the portfolio of European projects and EHMA’s staff involvement in them, coordinating various communication, policy, and research missions on a broad range of topic topics from cancer prevention to digital skills development for healthcare professionals.

As a member of the Senior Management Team, she participates in EHMA’s organisational and management aspects, working collectively on the association association’s development. Laurène brings on board her expertise in managing European projects and networks, particularly with EU4Health, Horizon Europe and Erasmus + funds.

Her favourite topics are the healthcare workforce’s well-being and patient engagement. Laurène enjoys speaking German, performing arts, and indoor gardening to stay calm amidst deadlines and juggling projects.

Email: laurene.mathey (at) ehma.org

Zach is a former paramedic who has become a specialist in public health policy and research through his work with a variety of European and international organisations and as the author of several publications in public health and health policy.

As EHMA’s Principal Scientific and Policy Advisor, Zach manages a portfolio of projects with an emphasis on scientific research and building stronger connections between health professionals across Europe. He also provides the EHMA team with strategic and technical guidance on project implementation and public-facing initiatives. Zach is known for his ability to present a variety of health topics effectively to different audiences, adapting his messaging and effectively translating technical and political concepts in ways that are easily understood.

Zach holds a B.A. in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, and an M.Sc in European Health Economics and Management from Erasmus University Rotterdam and Management Center Innsbruck.

Zach believes strongly in the power of stacking ‘small wins’ in health policy, creating incremental environmental and behavioural changes that add up over time to improve population health outcomes.

Email: zachary.desson (at) ehma.org

As an Events Manager, Isabella oversees the EHMA events portfolio, ensuring exceptional quality in every aspect. She leads the EHMA Annual Conference, working closely with stakeholders and paying meticulous attention to detail to guarantee the success of each event. Additionally, she manages a range of educational initiatives, including seminars, online events, and workshops, all aimed at advancing health management across Europe.

Isabella is particularly known for her exceptional skills in event management, stakeholder engagement, community engagement, communications, and strategic planning. She excels in developing innovative activities, consistently bringing enthusiasm and creativity to the projects she leads. Additionally, Isabella is a native Italian and Spanish speaker, while also being fluent in French and English, which enhances the effectiveness of her work. As a member of the management team, she is committed to providing strong leadership and support.

Isabella holds a BA and MA in Diplomatic and International Affairs, with a focus on EU affairs, from the University of Bologna and Université Libre de Bruxelles. She also earned a Project Management Certification from Bologna Business School. Since 2020, she has completed several policy, leadership, and community mobilisation programmes.

Isabella is a dedicated human rights activist who leads a non-profit organisation and a feminist collective. Passionate about travel, she enjoys ice cream, exploring new cultures, savouring coffee, and tasting cuisines from around the globe.

Giuseppe leads EHMA’s communications efforts on EU projects, working closely with the Project and Policy teams to ensure the visibility of project activities and results, and to disseminate outcomes effectively.

With a background in marketing and communications, Giuseppe brings over five years of experience from various NGOs and research organisations, focusing on healthcare, human rights, and global development. He possesses extensive expertise in strategising and executing communication plans for advocacy and research purposes, as well as translating complex research studies into accessible and media-friendly content.

Giuseppe is passionate about music, enjoys reading about international politics, and likes to stay updated on new technology trends.

Email: giuseppe.martone (at) ehma.org

Lyudmil holds the position of Programme Manager at EHMA. He delivers on EHMA’s rich portfolio of policy, projects, and engagement activities that contributes to excellent health management in Europe. He has vast experience and skills in health advocacy, hands-on project management of EU-funded and IMI projects, and capacity building for patient organisations. His expertise also includes self-management in chronic conditions, digital health solutions, integrated care, patient engagement, personalised medicine, and diabetes prevention. At EHMA, his dossier of projects gravitates around the health and care workforce and their needs, skills, training, and development.

Lyudmil holds a Bachelor’s degree in European Studies from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” in Bulgaria (tracks: Economics & Management and EU Law) and a Master’s degree in European Studies (track: European Public Policy & EU Institutions) from the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Besides his native Bulgarian, Lyudmil speaks fluent English and has intermediate knowledge of French and a basic understanding of German.

Email: lyudmil.ninov (at) ehma.org

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Olga implements and executes EHMA communications and outreach strategies, within the core operations and EHMA Annual Conference.

Her expertise ensures that the organisation’s messaging is cohesive and impactful across all platforms, contributing to the overall success and visibility of EHMA’s initiatives. She has experience in various areas including hospitality, project management, marketing and communication for EU public health projects and initiatives.

EHMA’s success is what motivates Olga, and her aim is to fit all the pieces of the jigsaw together into a complete picture when it comes to EHMA communications activities. Aligning the organisation‘s vision and values with her own is one way she achieves it.

In her free time, she enjoys painting, listening to podcasts, playing social games, and celebrating life with family and friends. ‘Making a difference’ through her work was also a part of her passion when she joined EHMA. Olga speaks English, French, Russian and conversational Dutch.

Email: olga.polyaeva (at) ehma.org

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Eleonora leads EHMA’s policy team, ensuring that our research findings are transformed into actionable and impactful policy recommendations that reflect the views and interests of EHMA Members. Her role extends across EHMA’s diverse portfolio, where she provides essential policy inputs on thematic policy networks and working groups, research projects, public consultations, conferences, campaigns and external meetings.

Eleonora has a background in International and European Economic Studies and brings a decade of experience in policy and communications. Since relocating to Brussels in 2018, she has worked with various organisations representing the voice of patients, health professionals and researchers in policy-making at the EU and global levels. She values open communication, collaboration and trust, which she sees as key to achieving success in all activities.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, travelling and spending time with family and friends. Eleonora is a native Greek-Armenian, fluent in English, French and Italian, and has a basic understanding of Russian.

Email: eleonora.varntoumian (at) ehma.org

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As Project Officer, Alexandra coordinates EHMA’s day-to-day role in several EU funded projects focused on breast cancer prevention and recovery and the development of training for the healthcare workforce.  She previously managed projects aimed at enhancing the inclusion of citizens and vulnerable groups in disaster management strategies and planning as well as projects which developed new technologies for alerting the population in the event of a disaster.

Alexandra is a native English speaker and is conversational in French.

Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Social Work from Grand Canyon University. She was awarded her MA in International Development from the University of Kent- Brussels School of International Studies and her MS in Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies from KU Leuven.

She enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and camping as well as spending time with her rescue cat.

Email: alexandra.olson (at) ehma.org

As a Policy Officer, Dolores manages deliverables for several of EHMA’s projects, ensuring that they are of an exceptional quality. She also coordinates regularly with EHMA’s partners and members, organising workshops and roundtables to achieve better health policy regarding breast cancer, rare cancers, and vaccinations. Dolores has had experience in women’s health topics at the United Nations, rare diseases advocacy at the World Health Organization, and health economics analysis.

Dolores is a native English and Serbo-Croatian speaker, while also being fluent in French and conversational in Spanish.

Dolores holds a dual BA degree from the University of British Columbia and Sciences Po. She was awarded her MSc in International Public Policy from University College London in 2020.

Dolores is an avid jogger and loves cooking foods from all over the world.

Email: dolores.cviticanin (at) ehma.org

Jacob is a Health Economist, currently holding the position of Policy Officer at EHMA, where he works on advancing sustainable healthcare in European politics.

Jacob has provided consultancy services to governmental bodies, NGOs, healthcare institutions and pharmaceutical companies. His past work includes projects with the World Bank and UNFPA in the Balkans. Representing EHMA in EU and privately-funded projects, Jacob formulates and executes economic and policy strategies, conducts primary and secondary research, and provides insights to key stakeholders across the WHO-affiliated region. He oversees Health Financing and Emergency Response and coordinates the Special Interest Group in Southeast Europe. He fluently speaks Greek, English, and Italian.

Jacob holds a Master’s in Healthcare Management from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and a Bachelor’s in Economics from Democritus University of Thrace.

Passionate about financial markets, politics, and humanitarianism, Jacob believes in the power of multicultural teams and evidence-based decision-making to achieve remarkable outcomes.

Email: jacob.levi (at) ehma.org

LinkedIn

As a Junior Policy Officer at EHMA, Rebecca manages European Commission-funded projects focused on cancer prevention and treatment. Her role encompasses project management, policy planning, research, and stakeholder engagement, driving impactful cancer prevention and care initiatives. Motivated by the chance to advance health policy and improve public health outcomes across Europe, she brings expertise in scientific analysis and regulatory landscapes.

With experience as a Scientific Advisor and Researcher and academic qualifications as a Nutritional Scientist and Public Health Nutrition Specialist, she excels in navigating complex scientific landscapes. Her efforts in stakeholder engagement have strengthened collaborations and advanced policy implementation. She is committed to transforming research into actionable policy changes.

Fluent in English, German, Romanian, and Hungarian, she effectively engages with diverse stakeholders. Rebecca holds a Master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Vienna, with her thesis published in the renowned journal “Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition“ by Taylor & Francis.

Email: rebecca.papp (at) ehma.org

Elisa Carollo is the Communication Officer for EU ProjectsEHMA. She collaborates closely with the Policy Team to enhance advocacy and dissemination efforts. She manages multiple social media accounts, contributes to the creation and execution of several communication campaigns, and oversees the websites and newsletters for various EU Projects.

Elisa is passionate about European policies, and throughout her career, she has participated in various EU initiatives, initially as a volunteer and later as a communication officer for different projects. With a passion for creativity and a keen eye for social media, she has successfully navigated various sectors, including both corporate and non-profit domains. In her free time, she enjoys leisurely strolls in the parks, dining with friends, playing classical piano, and volunteering.

Elisa has a bachelor’s degree in communication science and a double master’s degree in Cooperation and Development studies from the University of Palermo and Université de Tunis El Manar in International Relations.

Email: elisa.carollo (at) ehma.org

LinkedIn

Thibaud is a Communication Officer on EU Projects at EHMA, where he collaborates with the Policy Team to ensure effective advocacy and dissemination efforts. He manages multiple social media accounts, contributes to the development of communication campaigns, and oversees EU Projects websites and newsletters.

Thibaud has a strong background in communications, particularly in the digital education and banking/insurance sectors. Throughout his career, Thibaud has held positions in communications and online reputation agencies in Paris and Brussels, working for various clients in the digital, insurance, banking and energy sectors

Thibaud holds a master’s degree in Public and Institutional Communication from Sciences Po Strasbourg. He is fluent in French and English and can speak Spanish.

Email: thibaud.debondy (at) ehma.org

Sofia Komissarova is a Communications Officer at EHMA, where she collaborates with the Policy and Project Teams to ensure effective advocacy and dissemination efforts. She manages social media engagement, contributes to the development of communication campaigns, and oversees EHMA and the Conference websites and a newsletter.

Sofia has a robust background in communication within the health and education sectors. Throughout her career, Sofia has held roles in UN institutions, such as UNAIDS and UNESCO, engaging in efforts to combat HIV epidemics across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and advocating for sexuality education, gender-based violence prevention, and access to health services. She tailored global communication strategies to local needs and created regional communication campaigns. She also organised high-profile events across the EECA region.

Sofia holds a Master’s degree in Communication with Honours from the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow. She is fluent in Polish, Russian and English, and has a strong command of French and Spanish.

Email: sofia.komissarova (at) ehma.org

LinkedIn

Cesar is a highly skilled graphic designer with extensive experience in crafting impactful graphic messages, managing diverse communication platforms, and building strong relationships with both internal stakeholders and external partners.

Cesar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from the Autonomous University of México. With a background in multinational health corporations, Cesar has honed his ability to navigate the evolving communication landscape effectively. At EHMA, he is focused on enhancing brand visibility, boosting stakeholder engagement, and expanding media coverage through his innovative and strategic approach.

Email: cesar.honorato (at) ehma.org