Welcome to the EMRC Team page

Idit is the pulse of EMRC. She was among the first of EMRC's founding members to recognise the importance of international business networking. Idit dedicates her knowledge and experience to organising international business events, meetings and conferences - from the conception, planning and marketing strategy through to execution and successful completion of each top-level project. Idit has a Master in Physical Chemistry from the Brussels University, a Master in Sciences of Management from Boston University and studied in the Tel-Aviv and Bar-Ilan Universities (Israel). Idit's mother tongue is Hebrew, but she also speaks English and French. Her hobbies include traveling and meeting new people, mainly in Africa, gymnastics, cinema and theatre. One of her favorite quotes is "It is not the impossible which gives cause for despair, but the failure to achieve the possible." - Louis Michel

Caterina joined EMRC in March 2007, she is the manager of both the annual EMRC AgriBusiness Forum and the annual Africa India Economic Mission. She is also responsible for project development within English speaking African countries. She previously worked for the Brussels Office of the Italian Region Emilia Romagna and CNA, the Italian Confederation for small and medium-sized enterprises. Her work experience includes expertise in corporate social responsability projects as well as in environmental, food safety and agricultural law. Caterina passed the bar exam in Italy in 2006. Caterina has a MA in "International Law", Alma Mater Studorium University of Bologna, Italy and a Law Degree from the University of Siena. Her mother tongue is Italian, but she also speaks Spanish, French and English. Her hobbies include Capoeira and Organising cultural events.

Inês joined EMRC in 2007. She has always worked in the private sector; first in Lisbon, Portugal and then in Brussels where she worked for a Portuguese Financial Institution – CGD (Caixa Geral de Depósitos) where she developed her expertise in banking and finance. Prior to moving to Brussels she worked for Hay Group where she was responsible for marketing and communication. At EMRC Inês is responsible for the annual EMRC Africa Finance & Investment Forum and for project development with Portuguese speaking African countries. Inês is currently attending the Microfinance Programme at Solvay Business School and she has a Master in International Politics. Her mother tongue is Portuguese, but Inês also speaks English, French and Spanish. Her hobbies include playing with her little baby, travelling, painting and drawing.

Maria is the focal point and first EMRC contact for our suppliers and administrative issues. She has an MA Degree in Cross-Cultural Management and another one in Applied Foreign Languages for Business. Her mother tongue is Bulgarian and she also speaks French, English, Russian and Chinese. Maria enjoys cross-culturalism and enjoys working in an international environment. She has lived in countries around the four corners of the world and also enjoys learning new languages. Maria’s hobbies include Kite surfing, mountain climbing, and dancing.

François is firmly devoted to peace and development in Africa. He gained skills in event organising and is passionate for international politics and development policies. Before joining EMRC, he took part in organising several events, such as the Conference on Arms Control at the European Parliament (Colloque sur la Paix et la Citoyenneté). He also gained work experience from an internship at ‘Search for Common Ground’, the main NGO aiming at resolving conflicts and reconciling divided communities throughout the world. François has a MA in International Politics and a Graduates Degree in Political Science from the ULB, Belgium. His mother tongue is French but he also speaks English and has a good understanding of Dutch. His hobbies include fencing, photography, sailing and trekking. One of François's favorite quotes is "The only thing that is permanent is change."- core Buddhist belief

Jessica joined EMRC in March 2011. Previously, Jessica worked in Cambodia for over 8 years in journalism, advertising and editing. She studied in London, reading War Studies and History(BA) and International Journalism (MA). Having lived in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, focusing on Africa was the logical next ‘destination’. Jessica speaks English, French and Khmer.

Prody joined EMRC in 2009. Before EMRC, she worked as a volunteer at AIESEC - an international student run NGO based throughout the world. She has always had an interest in multiculturalism, international development and governance. Prody has a BA in Communications from Vesalius College, Belgium. She speaks French, English and basic Swahili and Lingala. Her favorite quote is "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr. Her hobbies and talents include music (piano and choir), dancing and travelling.

Lina joined EMRC in June 2010. Before joining EMRC she gained international professional experience as an intern at the European Parliament. She also acquired experience in the private sector while doing an internship in a corporation of reference in the Azores Region, Bensaude Group, as part of the Marketing and Communications Department. Furthermore, her contribution in the Azorean Regional Government (Portugal), while working as an officer to the European Affairs and International Cooperation Office, gave her a strong work experience base. Lina has a MA in International Politics, from the CERIS Institute (Brussels) and a University Degree in European Studies and International Politics from the Azores University, Portugal. Her mother tongue is Portuguese but she also speaks English, French and has a good understanding of Spanish and Italian. She is passionate about travelling, an activity that allows her to meet new places, people and different cultures.

Henriette joined EMRC at the beginning of the year 2011. Before joining EMRC she was working at GDF SUEZ –Tractebel Engineering as a Sales Officer. She has a BA in Communications – Public Relations from the European Communication Institute of Brussels. Her mother tongue is Kinyarwanda but she also speaks French and English. She like to travel, meet new people, network and organise events. Her favorite quote is from Albert Einstein : “A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labours of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received.”

Augustin joined EMRC in December 2010 after an internship at CECRI in Louvain-La-Neuve. In June he previously got an MA in “Orientalism” from the Free University of Brussels. He is a native French speaker, and also speaks classical Arabic, Middle Eastern Arabic and English. Because of his deep interest in History and geography, he developed an interest in geopolitical issues especially about the Arabic-Muslim world. His hobbies include travelling and meeting people of different cultures. All he has learned from his studies and from his trips around the Arab world has enabled him to match what he likes most and what he does best: understanding the fundamentals of a situation and summarising it in order to share the insights that have been gained. Now working as a Development Market Assistant for EMRC he strongly believes that the development of agriculture in Africa is the best way and the first step to help this continent find the right place in a globalized world.

Diogo strongly believes that a safer and peaceful Africa depends on the development that you can bring to the continent. During his academic years, he gained skills in event organization as member of AIESEC (an international student run NGO) and of the European Youth Parliament (EYP). Diogo also gained work experience as a volunteer at the headquarters of Amnesty International in Lisbon. He has a BSc in Political Science from the Institute of Social and Political Sciences – Technical University of Lisbon (Portugal) and a Certificate in European Politics (CEPE) from the University of Strasbourg (France). His mother tongue is Portuguese but he also speaks English, French and has a very good understanding of Spanish. His favorite quote is “ Fortune Favours the Bold” from Publius Vergilius Maro.