Jonathan Bennet leads the External Relations Director function for General Mills across its businesses in Europe & Australia, his work encompasses public affairs and corporate communications, as well as managing the company’s philanthropy programmes across the region. Jonathan has over 20 years’ experience working in corporate multinational businesses including time spent leading the UK Corporate Affairs team for FTSE-10 brewer SABMilller. Jonathan has previously worked as a journalist and for international NGOs.

Friederike has been working on the interface of politics and communications for more than 10 years. Prior to working on Global Citizens’ advocacy and campaigns – combining pop and policy to end extreme poverty and hunger by 2030 – she was a member of the Exec Board at a comms agency in Berlin which focused on campaigns for non-profit organisations, the German Federal Government, PR and strategic consulting.

Jochen Brühl was born on 3.4.1966 in Altena/Westphalia. He studied social work, and did fundraising. Volunteering for the Tafel has been part of Jochen Brühl’s life for over 20 years. In 1999, he co-founded the local food bank in Ludwigsburg, Germany, and was its honorary managing director for 13 years. Since 2005, Jochen Brühl has also been active, first on the advisory board and since 2007 as a member of the board, and since 2013, he has been Chairman of Tafel Deutschland. In addition, Jochen Brühl is a member of the Board of Directors of the European Food Banks, FEBA, and advises food banks and food bank founders in other in other European countries. Brühl lives in Essen and is also a member of the Essener Tafel. In recognition of his many years of social commitment, Jochen Brühl was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in 2019. In the same year, he published his book “Volle Tonne, leere Teller: Was sich ändern muss. Conversations about poverty, waste, Justice and Necessary Commitment.” Brühl also contributed to other books and publications. Jochen Brühl is also active in the social field in his profession. After many years as a social worker and fundraiser at the Karlshöhe Foundation in Ludwigsburg, he has been in charge of fundraising at the YMCA Germany and the University in Kassel. For his voluntary work as chairman of Tafel Germany, his employer gives him time off and allows flexible working hours.

Nadiya Borysenko was born in Kyiv March 28, 1968. Married, have a son and a daughter. She graduated High School with honor, have Master’s Degree in Finance and Economics from the Kyiv National Economic University. She worked for Cargill in Finance on different positions for 13 years, got Cargill CFO Excellence Award in 2004, Cargill Finance Award in 2011. Since spring 2011 she has been working for ADM company starting in Ukraine as a Corporate Finance Controller, she was relocated to the USA in 2016. Favorite book “The little Prince”, cartoon “Beauty and the Beast”, movie “Casablanca” Hobby sewing, knitting, biking, level 3.5 at tennis. In 2011 led the creation and development of Food Banking in Ukraine, founding KCCF ”Food Bank” in her home country. Since 2013 KCCF ”Food Bank” is FEBA member.

Lindsay is passionate about fighting hunger and food waste in the UK. As Chief Executive of FareShare he provides leadership and direction to a network of like-minded organisations across the UK. Since joining FareShare in 2010 Lindsay has led and supported an amazing team that now supports 10,000 charities and community groups across the whole of the UK. Lindsay has 25 years senior management experience in the voluntary sector. This is Lindsay’s second time as a director of FEBA and he is very proud to be supporting you all as Vice President.

Salvatore Maggiori is the General Manager of the Fondazione Banco Alimentare Onlus and a Member of the Board of Directors of CDO Opere Sociali. After a long professional experience in the profit sector, where he held numerous executive positions, including as CEO and European Director of multinational Companies, he moved into the non-profit sector at Banco Alimentare Foundation where he now manages all the Italian activities of the Foundation for coordinating and supporting the activities of all Regional Food Banks on the Italian territory. In the past he was President of the Communication Commission of Amnesty International and Member of the National AI Committee.

Alexandra Nikolakopoulou is Head of Unit, Farm to Fork, at the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE). She has steered and coordinated work leading to the adoption of the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy in 2020. Under her leadership, the Unit coordinates the implementation of the Farm to Fork Strategy and is in charge of some of its main initiatives, such as the general framework for sustainable food systems, the Code of Conduct on sustainable food practices, the monitoring of the strategy and actions related to the reduction of food waste. Throughout her career in DG SANTE, she has been dealing with issues relating to food labelling and general food law, biotechnology, health claims, food supplements and foods for specific groups. Alexandra joined the European Commission as an official in 2003. She previously worked as food law advisor at EuroCommerce. Prior to that, she spent 3 years at the legal Unit of the former Consumer Protection Directorate General of the European Commission. She graduated in law at the University of Athens and completed a DEA in European law at the University of Toulouse.

As economist, Ruth Paserman joined the Commission in 1993. She has since worked in a number of services: Eurostat, DG Employment and Social Affairs, DG Competition, DG Enterprise and Industry. She was also member of cabinet of Vice-President Tajani, Vice-President Dombrovskis and deputy Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Thyssen. Since November 2020 she is Director for Funds Programming and Implementation in DG Employment, Social Affairs and inclusion. She is responsible for the legislation, policy development and coordination of implementation of the funds managed by the DG (ESF+, EGF, Invest EU social window), as well as for the social economy and better regulation.

Nentas Dimitris has been a food banker since 2012. He has studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, but he has been dedicated to supporting people in need. As a teenager he volunteered in small charities, delivering food and in-kind support, to poor families. He is now Managing Director to the Food Bank Greece.

Chris is the Field Services Director for Canada, Europe, and South Asia. He brings a career rooted in food banking and community service, with more than 40 years of experience in the field. Chris travels extensively and manages food bank capacity building and effectiveness projects, member support, and training activities for his region. He also leads GFN’s global New Food Bank Development program, helping establish food banks in countries that do not have them. Previously, Chris has been the Executive Director of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the Vice President of Member Support for Feeding America, where he also served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD). While with Feeding America he assisted local teams in Argentina and Israel with the development and maintenance of successful food banks systems. With his experience and career history, Chris helped establish GFN through the expansion of food banking internationally. His work with Bob Forney, Bill Rudnick, and others led to the launch of GFN in July of 2006 and the organization he helped create continues to benefit hungry communities all over the world.

Brooks Reed is Vice-President of Business Development at CAF America, in which role he coordinates communications, outreach, and research for the organization. He has been with CAF since 2015, having served in roles in both CAF’s London office and then with CAF America since 2017. Most recently, he has been involved in CAF America’s flagship research reports tracking the state of charities worldwide through the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the production of its 8th volume: Lessons for Disaster Philanthropy.

Born in Belgium, Jacques Vandenschrik obtained a Master’s Degree in Hospital Sciences from Université Libre de Bruxelles. He started his career in Somalia working for the European Development Fund, he worked at a local University Clinic in Belgium, and then he led the HR department of a large industrial group in South Africa. He finally founded his own business specialized in antiseptics. During the 25 years of his stay in South Africa, he was the Honorary Consul of Belgium for the Eastern Cape. In 2007 he turned back to Belgium where he took the helm of a local Food Bank and assumed the Vice-presidency of the Fédération Belge des Banques Alimentaires. In 2015 he became member of the Board of Directors of the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA). First elected in May 2018 and then reelected in June 2022, he is the current President of FEBA.