Each year at the European Social Services Awards, we are joined by a number of experts in the field of social services and other adjacent industries, who will speak at the Awards Ceremony taking place in Rome, Italy, on 19–20 November 2026. During the event, they will share their experience and expertise in their field with all attendees, and below you will find more information about them and their work.
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Sinead Kane Double Guinness World Record Holder · Disability Advocate · Keynote Speaker · Lawyer Read full bio ▼ |
Dr. Sinead Kane is a double PhD holder, double Guinness World Record holder, international keynote speaker, qualified lawyer, and lecturer in disability law and policy. She is also a regular media contributor in Ireland. Sinead holds an academic PhD from Dublin City University and an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland. She graduated with a Law degree in 2004 and a Master’s in Law from University College Cork. She qualified as a lawyer in 2009. Her legal expertise spans equality law, human rights, criminal law, and family law. She has contributed to the Irish Criminal Law Journal for over 15 years. A leading voice in disability advocacy, Sinead has influenced policy at both national and international levels. She combines lived experience with professional expertise to challenge systems, remove barriers, and drive meaningful change. Her work has also included collaboration with charities and organisations across advocacy, fundraising, and national awareness campaigns. Alongside her legal and advocacy work, Sinead has built an international speaking career, delivering keynote speeches both nationally in Ireland and internationally to audiences of up to 7,000 people. Her talks focus on resilience, leadership, mindset, teamwork, diversity and inclusion. As a visually impaired athlete with just 5% vision, Sinead has achieved extraordinary success in endurance sport. She holds two Guinness World Records, including becoming the first blind person to complete seven marathons across seven continents in seven days. She also holds the Guinness World Record for furthest distance run by a female on a treadmill in 12 hours, covering 130.5 kilometres. Despite being registered as legally blind, Sinead has built a career defined by impact, achievement, and influence. She is a leading advocate for disability rights, working to remove societal barriers and drive meaningful, lasting change. Through both her professional work and sporting career, she has successfully challenged discriminatory policies and contributed to tangible progress in accessibility and inclusion. Sinead is passionate about empowering others to use their voice to influence change within their communities. Through her story and lived experience, she demonstrates how resilience, determination, and creative thinking can be powerful tools for leadership, progress, and transformation.
Sonia Fuertes Read bio ▾
She has a degree in Philosophy and Education Sciences from the University of Barcelona, a Postgraduate Degree in Political and Administration Sciences and a Diploma in Social Education. Postgraduate Degree in NGO Management. At first she worked as a social educator in the field of drug addiction, mental health and penal enforcement and later developed roles of direction and supervision of social promotion projects. She has been a teacher in various academic institutions, in the Catalan Open University’s bachelor's degree in social education continuously for eight years. She has participated in the boards of directors of the Third Sector Working Group, the European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN Spain) and Catalan Social Action Organisations (ECAS), holding the presidency from 2017 to 2019. Since 2019, Sonia Fuertes has been the Commissioner for Social Action of Barcelona City Council.
Alfonso Lara Montero Read bio ▾
Alfonso is the Chief Executive Officer of the European Social Network where he oversees the Network’s management and strategic direction, leads the programme of activities co-financed by the European Commission, and the annual editions of the European Social Services Conference and the European Social Services Awards. He has over 15 years of experience in public policy formulation and evaluation, has authored and co-authored several publications, and is a regular contributor to academic journals, newspapers, and specialist social services magazines. Before joining ESN in 2010, Alfonso worked in project management and consultancy in public policy evaluation. He holds an MA in modern languages from the University of Granada, an MA in European Governance from the College of Europe, an MSc in Public Policy from University College London, and a Masters in Executive Management of International Associations at Solvay Brussels School for Economics and Management. Alfonso advises public administrations on social services quality evaluation and teaches on social services innovation and transformation at the Universities of Barcelona, The Basque Country, and the School of Public Administration in Galicia in Spain.
Christian Fillet Read bio ▾
Christian is Deputy Director of the City of Bruges (Belgium). He is also responsible for all social services and 9 local public welfare associations in Bruges covering services for children, disabled people, elderly, and youth. He also sits on the Board of EXELLO, the Flemish association of city directors. Christian has been working in social services in Brussels and Flanders since 1986, soon after graduating in law. Outside work, Christian loves jogging along the seafront where he lives.
Jane Dudman Read bio ▾
Jane Dudman is a freelance journalist, event chair & consultant. She is the former public leadership editor of the Guardian, where she worked for 14 years until December 2020. Jane is a senior commentator on UK and global public services, with expertise in central and local government and social housing. She is an experienced chair of UK and global events.