Info Days On The 2025 Calls For AGRIP

European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food

Christophe Hansen is the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food since December 2024. Born in Luxembourg, in 1982, he was a Member of the European Parliament with extensive experience in international trade, environment, and social affairs. He served as a coordinator for the International Trade Committee and as a Quaestor of the Parliament. Mr Hansen has been a main legislative rapporteur for key regulations, including the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the Regulation on CAP Strategic Plans, and the Deforestation Regulation. Prior to his European roles, he was active in Luxembourg's national institutions. Professionally, he has worked as a political adviser and attaché in EU and Luxembourg contexts.

Acting Deputy Director General, European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG AGRI)

Spanish national with more than three decades of experience in EU affairs, Diego Canga Fano has always been closely involved with AGRI Promotion policy and high-level missions. A Director in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG AGRI) since 2014, after several years working in the European Parliament and experience in national politics, Diego returned to DG AGRI in October 2023 as Director F, in charge of Outreach, research and geographical indications. He is currently holding the position of Acting Deputy Director General.

Team Leader, Promotion policy for agricultural products, European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG AGRI)

With a background in communication and policy, over the past 15 years Nadia Loddo has worked in EU affairs for the Secretariat General of the Council and several European Commission departments. Her experience with the Enterprise Europe Network, helping small and medium-sized enterprises grow internationally, led her to develop a strong interest competitiveness and trade issues. Pursuing her love of food, Nadia joined the Directorate-General for Agriculture in March 2024 to work on high-level missions, fairs and campaigns in third countries. She now leads the team responsible for the promotion policy.

Head of Unit for External communication and Promotion policy, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural development (DG AGRI)

Cristina Rueda is responsible for the promotion policy for agricultural products, including the organisation of high-level missions for European agri-food businesses. She is also responsible for external communication on the Common Agricultural Policy, both since 2023. Cristina previously worked on trade and agricultural policies in the Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis (2020-2023) and in the Cabinet of Commissioner Hogan (2014-2020). She was a negotiator in several trade agreements and dealt with trade relations with Latin America and India among others. She has been involved in the development of EU organic farming and EU quality schemes, implementing and drafting legislation. Before joining the EU institutions, Cristina spent four years at the European COPA-COGECA. Cristina is an Agronomic Engineer from the Polytechnic University in Madrid and received her PhD in Sociology at the Paris-X University.

Head of Sector REA B4.002 AGRIP Grants

Dyanne Bennink works as Head of Sector of the Agri-promotion grants sector at the European Research Executive Agency (REA). She has a background in Agricultural engineering and started to work for the European Commission in 1998 where she has worked in several positions in the research and agriculture. She joined the AGRIP programme in the beginning of 2024.

Head of Department Green Europe, REA B

Paul Webb is Head of Department B at the Research Executive Agency, responsible for the implementation of the Agricultural Promotion Programme, Cluster 6 of the European Union’s Research programme Horizon Europe and the Research Fund for Coal and Steel. Previously, he was Head of Unit responsible for different functions in the Directorate General (DG) for Research and Innovation, the DG for Budget and the DG for Agriculture.

Deputy Head of Unit, Trade Strategy, European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade (DG TRADE)

Emmy Korodima is Deputy Head of Unit of the Trade Strategy Unit in the Directorate-General for Trade in the European Commission. She has previously worked in the Secretariat-General coordinating the annual work programme exercise as well as for more than 10 years in the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development on strategy and international affairs. She holds a B.S. from MIT (1992) and a J.D. from Harvard Law School (1995).

Director for International Affairs in the Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI)

Elisabetta Siracusa is Director for International Affairs in the Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI). In the course of her career, Ms Siracusa has developed expertise in agricultural and trade policy, and has served as Deputy Head of Cabinet for agriculture and trade, as well as Principal Adviser in DG FISMA and as Member of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board.

Head of Unit for the governance of agri-food markets, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural development (DG AGRI)

Agro-economist and political scientist by training, Fabien Santini worked in several Directorate-Generals of the European Commission (AGRI, INTPA, JRC) over the last 25 years. He is currently Head of Unit for the governance of agri-food markets in DG AGRI.

Antifraud correspondent, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural development (DG AGRI)

Italian by birth, Gianluca has lived abroad for the last 20 years and for the past 15 years in Brussels. Gianluca has been working as a lawyer for more than 30 years now, first in the private sector, then with the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) on food safety and in the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural development (DG AGRI). He currently is DG AGRI’s antifraud correspondent coordinating all issues related to fraud and irregularities, including conflicts of interest.

Alessio Bacchielli works as programme manager in the Agri-promotion grants sector at the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Before that and since 2007, he held various positions within IHI (Innovative Health Initiative) JU, REA and the EC directorate general for International Partnerships (INTPA). He has been working mainly in management of EU programmes and projects, mostly in the context of European research, with a focus in agriculture and earlier in the career, in development cooperation.

Alessio Bacchielli is a Mechanical Engineer (2005) from the ‘Roma Tre’ University in Rome, Italy

Professor Innovation in Agribusiness, Rural Development and Branding, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Italy

Full professor of Agribusiness, Rural Development and Branding at University of Pisa. Rector’s delegate for the promotion of entrepreneurial culture and social innovation. 

Coordinator and partner of several European funded projects, he has published more than 200 papers and chapters in national and international journals and books. His research activity focuses on marketing of local and quality products, on sustainable tourism and innovation processes in the agri-food sector and in rural areas

Michal Slawski is an experienced horticultural sector manager, and has been with Bord Bia since 2006. His career initially focused on production and technical roles, including working for a dehydration factory, giving advice on the growing of a wide range of vegetable crops, as well as a long stint at a seedling nursery. At Bord Bia, his experience has covered a number of sectors, including mushrooms, fruit, and amenity horticulture branding and Innovation, but it’s the mushroom sector which has been the primary focus during his time with the organisation. 

 He has wide experience with EU co-funded promotional campaigns with five since 2009, and domestic strawberry and amenity promotional campaigns. A recent focus has been the Lean horticultural programme, which helps producers increase their productivity and reduce costs. Outside of work he has a keen interest in gardening, and especially of native Irish plants. He has a BSc in Agricultural Economics from the University of Zimbabwe, and a Masters in Venture Management and Project Finance from NUIM.

Experienced Marketing, PR, and International Communication Professional 

 Anne Verdoes has over 30 years of experience in marketing, communication, and export management. Her expertise lies in developing and executing strategies that deliver results, with a strong focus on international markets. 

Since 2012, Anne has been an Account Manager at iBulb, where she is responsible for the promotion and PR strategy of global activities in the flower bulb industry. She develops annual plans and budgets, coordinates campaigns, and maintains relationships with journalists and media outlets. A key part of her role is providing up-to-date press information and visual materials to position the flower bulb sector prominently on the international stage. 

Previously, Anne served as General Manager of the International Flowerbulb Center from 2005 to 2012. In this position, she led the marketing and PR organization for the Dutch flower bulb industry. Her responsibilities included creating annual marketing plans, executing campaigns, managing budgets, and overseeing a team of 12 employees. 

Earlier in her career, Anne held various roles in export and product management. As Export Manager at Herôme Cosmetics (2001–2003) and Inspiration Holland BV (1998–2001), she managed agents and developed new markets across Europe. 

Her career began in product management at ELHA Cosmetics (1996–1998) and Revlon Benelux (1990–1996), where she gained valuable experience in budgeting, marketing plans, and product launches. These roles provided a strong foundation for her strategic and results-driven approach. 

Anne combines strong analytical skills with a pragmatic working style. Her knowledge of international markets and experience in the flower bulb and cosmetics industries make her a valuable partner for businesses looking to grow and distinguish themselves in their sector. 

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/anneverdoes/

Communication Manager

Laure Payrastre is communication manager at CNIPT, the French interbranch of fresh potatoes, for 5 years. She defines and implement communication strategies to promote the French potato industry in France and Europe. She monitors the implementation of EU cofounded programmes for 5 years, first as a beneficiary and then as a coordinator.

After specialising in international marketing and communications at ESCEM business school and at the London Metropolitan University, she has 16 years' experience in communications, including 13 years working for the potato industry.

Head of administration, finance and control at unaprol s.c.p.a.

Giuliana De Pompeis has been working as head of administration, finance and control for 7 years at Unaprol, one of the Italian largest olive growers' associations, which manages several EU-funded projects, including promotion projects. 

Previously, she gained experience in auditing and financial services companies, and then she pecialized in consulting to companies in the agricultural sector. 

She is member of the Order of Chartered Account and member of the Order of Auditors.