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Mentors: EWoB

Meet the mentors for season 2021/2022
Anderson Kristen

Barilla Group - Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Country - Italy

LinkedIn

Kristen is currently the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Barilla and has been a member of the D&I Board since its formation in 2013. 

Kristen reports to the CEO of Barilla and leads a 12-member D&I Board, comprised of internal members from eight key countries and two external advisors.

Backström Vera

Fingertip - Digital leadership expert
Country - Finland

LinkedIn

Passionate about digitalization, Vera is a strong professional in sales and business management with special knowledge in IT and solution sales with digital leadership focus, strategy implementation, goal setting, and project management.

Vera’s sector expertise includes family business governance, healthcare industry and biosciences.

Ballaert van, Sonia

Global Client Director at IBM

LinkedIn

Sonia works as Global Client Director at IBM, responsible for account management and business development for multinational clients in the industrial sector. Sonia has 25 years of international experience driving technology-led business transformation.

As IBM Distinguished Industry Leader, she contributes thought leadership to the emerging business around sustainability, with a focus on the energy transition.

Bianchini Elena

Head of Product – Customer Conversion Zalando SE Country - Italy

Discover why Elena defines herself as "A happy mix of Engineering and Creativity."

Elena Bianchini is an experienced product management professional, diversity and inclusion evangelist, and pro-bono consultant. She believes the key to creating great products is to refer back to the customers.

Chrysostomou Antigoni

Microsoft - EMEA Business Leader for Azure HPC (High Performance Computing) Country - Germany

LinkedIn

Antigoni is a highly self-motivated and energetic senior leader with a 
proven 20-year track record of business achievements in Sales, High 
Performance Computing (HPC), IT-Outsourcing, Services, leading large IT 
portfolios and business transformation.

Coune Cécile

Cécile Coune is an independent non-executive director, board member of several large financial institutions (QBE, Belfius end Corona direct) and a number of their audit, risk and/or remuneration & nomination committees. She will soon be nominated on the board and audit committee of a digital marketing group, active internationally.

She previously was chief executive officer and chairwoman of the Executive Committee of Aviabel, a leading aviation insurer and reinsurer worldwide.

Granger Corinne MD, MSc

GlobalBioEnergies - Chairwoman of the Board, Executive Director R&D, Chief Medical
Officer: ISDIN
Country - Spain

LinkedIn

Forward-thinking executive working in the Healthcare industry (pharmaceutical, medical devices, cosmetic) with a proven record in leading global R&D and Medical Affairs’ activities, business development, building/re-engineering organisations to improve company performance, recruiting talented people internationally, and ensuring consistent succession plans. 

Henares Alicia

International Airlines Group (IAG) - Head of Delivery for Iberia
Country - Spain

LinkedIn

20+ years’ experience in Aviation Industry, with a focus on Digital Transformation Programs,

Organization Transformation & Cultural Changes.  Alicia is a charismatic high-energy people person with excellent relationship skills. With a strong work ethic, Alicia also strives to make a difference by mentoring and advocates for more diversity and inclusion in corporates and society.

Jahňáková, Adriana

LEGO - GM Czech Republic & Slovakia

Country – Czech Republic

LinkedIn

Adriana is the General Manager of LEGO in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 

Prior to being appointed into the GM role, Adriana was leading LEGO marketing teams in 100 countries within Russia, Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa. Adriana has lived in 6 countries and has 23 years of experience in Marketing and Sales in companies including Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and SABMiller.  Adriana is a lector at ELAI – Innovative thinking.

Janáček Martin

Managing Director and Vice President, SAP Labs Czech Republic

Country – Czech Republic

LinkedIn

Martin has 20+ years of experience and is the Managing Director of SAP Labs in CZ.  SAP Labs is an R&D center focused on development, localization and maintenance of SAP solutions, especially SAP S/4HANA Finance.

Jentschke Mirjam Dr.

Head of Global Brand Equity, PR and Social at Siemens Country - Germany

LinkedIn

Dr. Mirjam Jentschke is Head of Global Brand Equity, PR and Social at Siemens Home Appliances and Marketing transformation expert.

She is passionate about the exiting interactions between brands and customers, which leads to always new challenges for brand management.

Kirves Tiina

Red Cross, Digital Fundraising Country - Finland

LinkedIn

Tiina is a sales-oriented digital marketing and communication professional whose experience covers global scale digital marketing, online sales, communications and concept / process development.  

Tiina has a good functional overview for both eCommerce and social media and loves creative problem solving.

Kurz Eberhard Dr.

Professor for digitization in tourism and transport at Worms University Country - Germany

LinkedIn

Dr. Kurz is an experienced EWoB mentor who believes in supporting the development of women in business.  He has an in-depth knowledge of the transport and travel industries including the relevant IT solutions. 

He has experience in the management of large-scale software development projects and in the operations management for a landscape of several hundred applications. 

La Ronca Parpel, Kristin

KLP Coaching – Executive coach and consultant Country – Czech Republic

LinkedIn

Kristin is an executive coach and leadership consultant with over 25 years of business experience. Kristin runs her own company, KLP Coaching, which offers individual coaching and team programs focused on leadership, diversity and mentoring. 

Prior to becoming an executive coach, Kristin spent over a decade in executive leadership roles in the advertising industry both in Prague (as GM of Wunderman) and in New York City (as Global Director of Marketing Services at Euro RSCG Worldwide). 

In addition, Kristin is a steering committee member and mentor in the Equilibrium mentoring program for women (organised by the British Chamber of Commerce) , as well as a mentor in the EWOB (European Women on Boards) and an international mentor for the Odyssey mentoring program.

Laurick Bettina

FidAR Board Member Senior Advisor - Start-Ups and FinTechs Country - Germany

LinkedIn

Bettina graduated with a Masters Degree in Economics with a focus on computer science. She has since gained over 30 years of experience working at the intersection of Business and IT in the IT and banking sector. 

Nuyens Hedwige

Managing Director of the International Banking Federation Country - Belgium

LinkedIn

Hedwige Nuyens has more than 30 years of experience in the Banking Industry and in Finance.

She currently heads the International Banking Federation representing the banking industry at international level. The International Banking Federation (IBFed) includes all the major national banking associations (United States, European Union, Japan, Australia, Canada, South Africa, China, Brazil, India and Korea) covering more than 95% of the banking industry.

Ocha Rhonda A.

Mastercard Europe - Director, Market Delivery

Country - Belgium

Rhonda has lived in Belgium for over 30 years, speaks French fluently and has over two decades of business experience with Mastercard in Europe.

She has extensive experience in leading crossfunctional global and virtual teams to sell and deliver innovative, complex, multi-market products, digital programs and services in the Benelux, France, Nordics and Baltics.

Pincot, Lenka

Raiffeisenbank – Head of Agile Transformation Country – Czech Republic

LinkedIn

Lenka is a leader of organizational transformations and strategic changes. Her main focus is on enhancing business agility by building culture of efficient teams,

contributing to digital transformation and aligning business and IT strategies. Her main expertise lies in setting strategic transformation vision, driving complex changes leading to creation of customer value and coaching of agile teams for business success.

Reich Francesca

CEO presso Consodata
Country - Italy

LinkedIn

Francesca is passionate about business strategy and innovation with specialization in the design of new services, digital transformation and big data. 

She is a founding partner of Angels4Women and an investor in female startups.

Francesca gained extensive managerial experience in the Telecom Italia Group, first as Strategy Director of the Media area, then as Marketing Director of the fixed and convergent offer, including the launch of 4-play and the IPTV offer, and finally in the role of Digital Market & Services Director, dealing with digital controls and digital services for consumer customers, such as digital ID and payment and smart home.

Růžičková Zuzana

Management Consulting. Project Management. Country – Czech Republic

LinkedIn

Results and customer oriented global leader with over 20 years of IT and management experience in business, government, healthcare, education and science organizations.

10 years international management experience from various global and regional roles.

Zuzana’s approach brings a combination of both strong technical and people oriented to project to project and program management. 

Spicer Caroline

Non-Executive Director at Isle of Wight NHS Trust Country - United Kingdom

LinkedIn

Caroline’s 30 years of practical consulting experience involved advising clients in the public and private sectors, running significant projects and advising on issues relating to the transformation of their businesses through technology, organisation, shared services and process change.

Stejskalová Dita

Managing Director, PR & Influence, Ogilvy Country: Czech Republic

Highly regarded for her insight and effectiveness in developing and managing communications programs for high-profile Ogilvy clients in the Czech Republic.

Dita has been a trusted advisor to executives for more than 25 years through a wide variety of business cycles, including: image and public relations, internal communications, re-branding, IPO analyst/investor interface and crisis communications.

Torkkel Nina

Business Mentor of the Year 2020: Business mentors Finland 
Fintech Finland – Board Member
SVEA – Head of Business Development
Country - Finland

LinkedIn

With years of experience in investment bank/banking/finance branch, Nina has a proven track record of driving profitable growth. 

She has strong expertise especially in cross border outbound sales and marketing, as well as the efficient use of IT development (automatization/ digitalization) in order to create smooth customer experiences as well as profitable business inhouse.

van Uffelen Saskia

Corporate Vice President Benelux Inetum Digital Champion of Belgium - Digital Agenda Belgium Country - Belgium

LinkedIn

Digital Champion for Belgium since 2012, when Saskia was given this mandate by the European Commission and the Belgian Government.

Very passionate about leading and managing the Positive Digital Flow within organizations in all aspect such as: business definition, customer segmentation, new ecosystem building, organization, competences and culture.  

Vicini Cristina

High-level entrepreneurship and innovation expert for the European Innovation Council (European Commission). Chairwoman, Board Advisor, Mentor - Innovation, International Business Strategy, Digital Transformation, Sustainability

Country - Belgium

LinkedIn

Board member and advisor to companies and organizations in Europe and North America, with an edge in Cross-Sector Innovation, International Business and Strategic Marketing, Sustainability, Deep tech (AI, IoT, ...), Industry 4.0 and Digital transformation.

Odyssey, z. s.

Odyssey is a non profit Society established pursuant to Section 214 et seq. of Act No. 89/2012 Coll., the Civil Code, for the pursuit of educational purposes.
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