Our Speakers

Karina Batthyány, Professor, University of the Republic, Uruguay

Karina Batthyány is a sociologist and internationally recognised expert in gender, care, and social inequalities in Latin America. She is Full Professor at the Universidad de la República (Uruguay) and was the Executive Director of CLACSO till June 2025. She is a member of the Governing Board of the International Science Council (ISC). She is also part of Uruguay’s National Research System and a full member of the National Academy of Sciences of Uruguay (ANCIU). She is the author of numerous publications on social welfare, gender, public policies, unpaid work, and care.

David Brindle

Adelina Comas-Herrera, Director, Global Observatory of Long-Term Care (GOLTC)

Adelina Comas-Herrera is the director of the Global Observatory of Long-Term Care, a platform that supports international knowledge exchange to strengthen long-term care (LTC) systems. She is based at the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her main area of expertise is the economic and policy aspects of LTC and dementia, including LTC systems, financing, and projections of future care needs and expenditure.

Jane Dudman, Freelance Journalist and Event Chair, United Kingdom

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.

Christian Fillet, Chair, European Social Network

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.

Elsa Fornero, Honorary Professor of Economics, University of Turin

Elsa Fornero is Honorary Professor of Economics at the University of Turin, Honorary Fellow at Collegio Carlo Alberto, and Scientific Coordinator at CeRP, the research centre on pensions and welfare policies she founded in 1999. Her work focuses on household saving, pension systems and reforms, welfare, life insurance, and financial education. From 2011 to 2013, she served as Italy’s Minister of Labour, Social Policies and Equal Opportunities, drafting major pension and labour market reforms. She continues to write and engage in economic education. Her latest book is Conoscere l’economia per scegliere meglio (Understanding economics to make better choices) (with Anna Lo Prete, 2024).

Alfonso Lara Montero, CEO, European Social Network

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.

Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology, Institute of Health Equity (University College London Department of Epidemiology & Public Health)

Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology at University College London (UCL) since 1985 and director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, has led research on health inequalities for nearly 50 years. As Chair of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Commission, he advanced a global movement on the social determinants of health and later led regional commissions and UK government reviews. Coventry became the first “Marmot City” in 2010, and over 50 English communities now apply Marmot principles. His team works with regions across the UK, including Gwent and Public Health Scotland. Knighted in 2000, Marmot was appointed Companion of Honour in 2023 for services to public health.

Daniel Millor Vela, Coordinator of the Asertos Programme, Quatorze and University of Alicante

Daniel Millor Vela is an architect and community practitioner whose work connects public health, participatory design and neighbourhood regeneration. Trained at the University of Alicante and ENSA Paris Belleville, he promotes a transdisciplinary approach centred on collective intelligence, grassroots capacity and inclusive urban transformation. Since 2017, he has been part of the Asertos Programme, coordinating socio-spatial permanencies, community assemblies, training-through-construction initiatives and wellbeing programmes. Guided by an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach, his practice focuses on long-term engagement in vulnerable urban areas, especially Alicante’s Barrio Cementerio, the core of his doctoral research in Social Sciences. He collaborates widely with partners across local to European levels.

Veerle Miranda, Head of the Youth Employment and Social Policies Unit, OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs

Veerle Miranda is Head of the Youth Employment and Social Policies Unit in the OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs. She leads the OECD Recommendation on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People and developed the OECD Youth Policy Toolkit, which provides practical guidance and examples to improve youth policy design and implementation across member countries. Since joining the OECD in 2008, she has worked on diverse areas including employment, social inclusion, mental health and education. A Belgian national, she holds a Ph.D. in Economics and is recognised for her leadership in advancing evidence-based youth and social policies.

Valeriu Nicolae, Entrepreneur, Journalist, & Human Rights Activist, Asociația Casa Bună

Valeriu Nicolae is a prominent Romanian human rights activist, writer, and former journalist known for his work with vulnerable communities, especially disadvantaged children and teenagers. He founded and sponsors “Asociația Casa Bună”, supporting hundreds of children through education, material aid, and mentoring. Nicolae has collaborated with major international organisations, including World Vision and the Council of Europe, and served as State Secretary in the Romanian Ministry of Labour in 2016. He is also noted for his investigative writing on political clientelism, incompetence and corruption in Romanian public life, published in major outlets like Libertatea. His activism has earned awards from UNICEF and the European Parliament.