Ana Buñuel Heras, Senior Advisor to the General Coordination of the Area of Social Policies, Family, and Equality, Madrid City Council, Spain

Ana has a PHD in Sociology, and has been a civil servant of Madrid City Council since 1987, where she has developed her professional career in planning and evaluating social services, international development cooperation policies, gender equality, and combating gender-based violence, care for the elderly, family and childhood, as well as international coordination of the Social Policies Area.

She has been the General Director of Gender Equality (2015-2017) and of Family and Childhood (2018-2019) at Madrid City Council. She has collaborated on several postgraduate university courses (University Complutense of Madrid, UNED) and has several publications in the field of social policies.

She is currently Senior Advisor to the General Coordination of the Area of Social Policies, Family, and Equality of the Madrid City Council.

Sarah Carlick, Director, MeSafe, United Kingdom

Dr Sarah Carlick started her professional career as a social worker and then as a probation officer, gaining experience in the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia. Her experience builds on a rigorous academic background. Sarah is the Director and founder of two companies, a Safeguarding Training and Consultancy company for over 20 years as well as MeSafe that supports organisations developing a  strategic approach to Digital Safeguarding that promotes co-design with children and young people. She also currently Chairs the Digital Safeguarding Special Interest Group on behalf of the Association of Child Protection Professionals (UK). Is a visiting university lecturer and associate researcher.

Andrzej Klimczuk, Assistant Professor, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Poland

Andrzej Klimczuk, PhD, a sociologist and public policy expert, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Policy of the Collegium of Socio-Economics at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Poland. He worked as the external expert of institutions such as the European Commission, URBACT Programme, Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme, and Fondazione Cariplo. He is a member of various scientific organisations such as the European Sociological Association, European School of Social Innovation, International Political Science Association, European Citizen Science Association, and Human Development & Capability Association. Author of many scientific papers and books in gerontology, labour economics, public management, and social policy. He is an editor of the series “Towards 2030: Sustainable Development Goals. A Sociological Perspective” (Frontiers Media) and a Sections Editor in the “Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging” (Springer Nature).

Suzi Kvas, General Secretary, Social Chamber of Slovenia, Slovenia

Suzi Kvas is a leader in the field of social welfare in Slovenia, with more than 30 years of professional experience. She currently serves as General Secretary–Director of the Social Chamber of Slovenia, where she oversees strategic development, national and international cooperation, and the advancement of professional standards in social services.

Before this role, she spent over two decades as Director of the Public Institution Socio, leading innovative social welfare programs, developing new services, and managing extensive teams and partnerships across the sector

Suela Lala, Board Member, European Network on Independent Living, Albania

Ms Suela Lala has been a board member of the European Network on Independent Living since 2019. Suela is one of the founders and the Executive Director of Together Foundation/ Fondacioni "Se Bashku", an organisation that promotes the rights of persons with disabilities and is one of the few organisations in Albania to focus on Independent Living. In the organisation, she has designed and led countless projects focused on accessibility, sexual and reproductive health and rights for persons with disabilities, Independent Living, etc.

Suela is a disability rights activist since more than 15 years has been a disability rights activist for more than 15 years, and previously she has worked in different projects for different organisations in Albania as a trainer/consultant/author, and previously she has worked in different projects for different organisations in Albania as a trainer/consultant/author always focusing on disability rights. Suela has studied law both in Albania and England and has a master's degree in Public Law from the University of Tirana, and she's an alumnus of the School of Political Studies, a programme of the Council of Europe, targeting new leaders. She is fluent in English and Italian, moderate in Spanish, apart from her native language. 

Peter Macleod, Health and care advisor and consultant, CGI, UK

Peter acts as health and care advisor and consultant for CGI. He is the former CEO of the Care Inspectorate – Scotland’s care and early years inspection agency. He was appointed Renfrewshire Council's Director of Social Work in 2007 and Director of Children's Services in 2014-integrating social work and education services. He was elected President of the Association of Directors of Social Work in 2012 and led significant work in relation to the integration of health and care. He was appointed to the post of the Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate in 2018 and retired in 2021.

Peter has considerable experience in the field of digital Health and Care and is the former chairperson of Scottish Government's Digital Health and Care Programme. He is also the former chairperson of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS). Peter continues to be engaged in consultancy work in the UK and abroad. He has led two recent reviews with ESN of the Maltese government's social work services for domestic violence and child protection. Peter is a Gaelic speaker from the Western Isles. He remains passionate about always trying to make a positive difference to the lives of people who need care and support.

Stathis Marinos, Senior IT Consultant, World Bank, Greece

Stathis Marinos is Senior IT consultant for the World Bank. He is the head of design of the Case Compass Prototype that is part of the World Bank initiative for a case management toolbox and the platform for managing social inclusion pacts (GePI) for Reddito di Cittadinanza (the Italian Guaranteed Minimum Income).

He has worked as technical and project manager for several nation-wide social protection projects in Greece such as the Guaranteed Minimum Income platform, social dividend, Electricity social tariff, National mechanism for monitoring, coordination, and evaluation of policies for social inclusion, and the integrated platform for the public authority of social benefits and social solidarity.

He has extensive experience in EU-funded projects in the field of health informatics, where he was employed as a researcher. He has also worked as a free-lancer, developing software for various business domains including insurance, health, and social protection. He holds a Diploma in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), and a Master’s degree (MA) in Management of Health Services from the National School of Public Health, Greece.

Francisco Javier Martínez Capín, Head of Social Innovation Service, Ministry of Social Rights and Welfare of the Principality of Asturias, Spain

Francisco Javier Martínez Capín is a Spanish expert in social innovation, education, and European programme management, with a career spanning public administration, vocational education, and international project evaluation. He currently serves as Head of the Social Innovation Service in the Ministry of Social Rights and Welfare of the Principality of Asturias, where he leads innovation programmes, pilot projects, employability initiatives, MRR-funded actions, and institutional coordination.

Veerle Miranda, Professor, Head of WellFare: Nordic Research Center for Wellbeing and Social Sustainability, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway

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.

Ottar Ness, Head of the Youth Employment and Social Policies Unit, OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, Norway

Ottar Ness, PhD works as a Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Head of NTNU WellFare: Nordic Research Center for Wellbeing and Social Sustainability. He is also Co-heading the WHO Collaborating Centre on Well-being and Social Sustainability. His research interests have been on relational welfare, public sector innovation, mental health recovery and wellbeing, and social justice.

Liljana Rihter, Associate Professor and Researcher, Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Liljana Rihter, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and researcher at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She served as Vice Dean for Scientific Research from 2008 to 2013 and as Dean from 2013 to 2015 and from 2019 to 2023. She teaches research methodology in social work at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Her research focuses on methods and models for evaluating social protection programs, vulnerable groups, dementia, the working poor, precarious work, vocational rehabilitation, needs assessment, and poverty. She has been a member of various groups preparing national program documents, including the Strategic Council for Social Policy.

Isaac Samuels, Keynote Speaker, Facilitator, Visiting Lecturer at Various Universities, and Anti-Racism Lead, Lived Experience, Co-Production Collective Member, UK

Isaac Samuels OBE is a well-respected leader and advocate in social justice, known for his tireless work tackling inequalities and promoting racial equality in health and social care, both locally and nationally. Through his work with Thinking Local Act Personal, Greenwich Council, and various anti-racism initiatives, Isaac has become a guiding light, inspiring change and helping communities make their voices heard.

Celebrated for his dedication and impact, Isaac combines lived experience, insight, and a genuine passion for creating a fairer, more inclusive society, and is widely recognised as a beacon of leadership in social justice.

Charles Scerri, Operations Director, Agenzija Sedqa within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS), Malta

Charles Scerri is a Maltese social work professional with over two decades of experience in the social welfare sector. He currently serves as Operations Director at Agenzija Sedqa within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS), where he oversees the agency’s strategic and operational direction in the field of addiction and rehabilitation services. Throughout his career, Charles has played a key role in the restructuring and integration of community and residential services, promoting a holistic, biopsychosocial approach to treatment and reintegration.

Before taking on his current role, Charles held several leadership positions within Agenzija Appoġġ (FSWS), including Operations Manager and Service Area Leader for the Looked After Children Services, where he was responsible for service development, supervision, and policy coordination. His professional journey is rooted in social work practice, having begun his career in child protection before advancing into senior management roles.

A graduate of the University of Malta with a bachelor’s degree in social work, Charles has also undertaken extensive training in areas such as trauma-informed practice, crisis intervention, risk assessment, and management skills. Known for his commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration, strategic innovation, and ethical leadership, he continues to contribute actively to national initiatives addressing addiction, social welfare, and family wellbeing.

Ruth Sciberras, CEO, Social Care Standards Authority, Malta

Ruth Sciberras is a Social Worker by profession and has been working in the social work sector for the past twenty-five years. Her experience within this sector started as a social worker with Aġenzija Appoġġ, within the Foundation for Social Welfare Service in 1996. Ms Sciberras have worked mostly in safeguarding abused and neglected children, Adoption and Fostering Services and combatting Domestic Violence. She had served as part of the management team of Aġenzija Appoġġ for a number of years, where she was appointed as Children’s Services Manager and later on headed the Agency as the Operations Director.

Ms Sciberras served for a number of years on the Committee of Experts on the Council of Europe Strategy for Positive Parenting and also served on the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse also known as “the Lanzarote Convention.” Ms Sciberras was also the National Focal Person on PROMISE, a network of the European Barnahaus Movement and contributed towards the setting up of a Children’s House in Malta where a child-friendly environment is created. Ms Sciberras also formed part of the Maltese delegation to assist the Maltese Government to set up agreements in relation to overseas adoption.

In November 2019, Ms Sciberras was appointed as CEO of Aġenzija Sapport, the National Agency for Persons with Disability. In May 2022, Ms Sciberras moved within the Ministry for Social Policy and Children’s Rights to continue with the implementation of the Positive Parenting: National Strategic Policy 2016-2024. She is also the Chair of the Parental Alienation Committee. Due to her extensive experience in domestic violence Ms Sciberras and has recently been appointed as Chair of the Multi-Agency Risk Assessments Meetings for Domestic Violence Cases (MARAM). Ms Sciberras has been appointed as a CEO for the Social Care Standards Authority in January 2024 and still holds this position.

Marcel van Druenen, Director, Dutch Association of Professionals Public Social Domain, The Netherlands

Marcel is currently working as director of the (Dutch) Association of Professionals Public Social Domain. Craftsmanship and professionalisation have been his main interests during his career, both as a manager and as a consultant of Organisational Development and Social Innovation. He has studied Business Administration and Economics. He lives in Amsterdam with his wife and one of his children.

Fiona Verity, Professor in the Department of Health Sciences, Brunel University, UK

Professor Fiona Verity has a background in social development. She worked in Australia for many years in various community-based roles; local council community development worker, community development and management roles in the community health sector. After working in universities in South Australia, she moved to Wales, UK and took up the position of Professor (Social Work) at Swansea University (2016-2023). She is now Professor at Brunel University (London) in the Department of Health Sciences. She has extensive experience in social services and policy evaluation and social care research capacity building.

She been active in projects such as the Developing Evidence Enriched Practice Programme (DEEP), and was a member of the team which conducted the evaluation of the implementation of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Fiona has a commitment to community development and preventative work, a continuous theme in her community engagement, university teaching and research.