EMEA Team

Rym Ayadi is the Founder and President of the Euro – Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA). She is Founder and Director of the Euro-Mediterranean and African Network for Economic Studies (EMANES). She is Senior Advisor at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS); Professor at the Bayes Business School, City University of London and Member of the Centre for Banking Research (CBR); Chair of the European Banking Authority – Banking Stakeholders Group (EBA- BSG). She is also Associated Scholar at the Centre for Relationship Banking and Economics (CERBE) at LUMSA University in Rome. Rym Ayadi’s fields of expertise include inclusive and sustainable economic models, international financial systems, sustainable finance, financial markets and institutions, global financial regulation, governance and consumer protection, and socio-economic development and foresight in economies in transition. Her current research focuses on the redesign of a global stable, sustainable and inclusive financial system that better serves economic and societal long-term objectives and with a particular emphasis on the diversity of corporate and business models, private-public partnerships and financing models and the conditions for their success, SME financing and the role of financial markets to achieve developmental objectives and the impacts on business models in finance and role of financial regulation and resolution and impacts on incentives in the financial market. She also works on economies in transition, policy developments and foresight. Rym Ayadi is international academic expert in several international high-level academic and advisory Committees and Boards. She is Academic Member of the European Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee (ESFRC), a shadow academic group of professors of law, finance and economics working on international financial regulation and financial stability, the European Commission’s Financial Services Users Group (FSUG), the European Parliament – Economic and Financial Committee and Committee on Foreign Affairs (EP Think Tank), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), and an invited expert in international organisations including OECD and IMF, among others. She is also member of Finance Watch (FW) a Brussels-based NGO that strives to make finance serve the society since its set-up. She is also the Founder and Co-chair of International Workshop on Financial System Architecture and Stability (IWFSAS), an Annual Conference that provides a forum for academic researchers, practitioners and policy makers to discuss current issues related to the structure and design of financial systems and their impact on macro-financial stability and sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Previously, 2013-2018, Rym served as Professor of International Business and Finance at the Department of International Business, as Director and Board Member of the Alphonse and Dorimène Desjardins Institute for Cooperatives, and Founding Director of the International Research Centre on Cooperative Finance (IRCCF) at HEC Montreal, Canada; as Senior Research Advisor at the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI) (2015-2019) in Piran, Slovenia; and 2001-2013 as Senior Research Fellow and Head of Research of the Financial Institutions Unit at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), a policy think tank in Brussels. She served as an academic senior expert member of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) Stakeholder Group (Between 2011 and 2013). She was the promoter and director of the Mediterranean Prospects Research Network (MEDPRO) an international research network for foresight analysis in the Euro-Mediterranean region (Between 2009 and 2013) funded by the Seventh Framework Program of the EU. She was also Vice President of the European Financial Inclusion Network (EFIN), a European network that promotes mutual learning on financial inclusion which currently part of Finance Watch. She authors several books and scholarly articles on her areas of expertise and is member of several editorial and scientific boards. Rym Ayadi holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Finance from University Paris Dauphine.  

In a career spanning 30 years as a professionally qualified award winning newspaper journalist, PR writer and copyeditor, Rob has extensive experience in producing or fine-tuning content for both online and offline platforms. Commercially, Rob has assisted a wide-range of private and public sector organisations and has worked extensively with the current team on the editing of numerous academic papers and the associated preparation of media-related material.

Nektar is a Founder and Entrepreneur, with more than 20 years experience in International Business Development, IT Project Management, IT Business Consulting, E-Learning, and Artificial Intelligence. Successfully delivered IT products and services for the UN, European Commission, European Parliament, organizations, companies, and startups in several countries. With formal education in Maths (AUTH), International Business (Wharton), MBA (Sheffield) and AI (MIT). Started his career in 1998 and promoted after internship to team leader, with a long experience in Project Management and Business Consulting in the area of IT, web and apps. Co-Founder of Apogee Information Systems in 2005 with the main focus of websites, custom web applications, and e-learning. He has managed and successfully delivered to various institutes and organizations, several projects and products in the EU countries and the USA, for public and private sector partners and clients. Previously, he has been the director, team leader and project manager in international companies as well as for EU’s governmental agencies. Strong communicator and dealing successfully with challenges. Researching cutting-edge technologies and methods on E-Learning, AI, and VR.

Dr. Sandra Challita is an Associate Professor in Finance at Emlyon Business School, a research fellow at the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA) and the coordinator of the Euro-Mediterranean and African Network for Economic Studies (EMANES). She received her Ph.D. in Finance at the University of Montpellier. Her research focuses on financial institutions, more specifically different types of banks, their performance and impact on the real economy. She also collaborates on projects aiming to support job creation and development in the Euro-Mediterranean area.

George Christopoulos specialises in intelligence & communications strategy. He has over 20 years of experience as a geostrategic intelligence analyst, and communications & marketing manager, in various companies and organizations. He currently serves as Intelligence & Communication Officer at the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA), a Barcelona based regional think tank, supported by 35 Universities & Research Institutions from 17 countries. He is responsible for intelligence and reporting of important socio-economic developments, dissemination of deliverables and social media communication. He also holds the position of Marketing Director of Apogee Information Systems, an IT company specializing in e-learning, web applications and content management systems. George also serves as a member at the Board of Directors of the Italian-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce of Athens, elected for the period 2022 – 2026. The Italian-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce of Athens is the 2nd largest bilateral Chamber of Commerce in Greece. On February 2022 George received the Gold Cross of Sabbas the Sanctified, of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Previous to that, George worked as a senior consultant in geostrategic intelligence, communication, and crisis management. He was responsible for threat-monitoring, corporate intelligence, competition monitoring, political trends and actors monitor, general communications and positioning strategy for large corporations and organizations. He has participated to EU IT projects such as the Icarus AI enhanced e-learning, the OpenTEA e-learning platform, the European Observatory for Sustainable Agriculture – OPERA and WP7 NOMAD – Policy Formulation and Validation through non-moderated crowdsourcing. He has also worked in the energy sector, specializing in business intelligence and marketing of renewable energy projects, and as Marketing Manager in the IT sector, specializing in Document and Knowledge Management. George studied Business Administration – Marketing at the University of Bath.

Maria Ruiz de Cossío is an experienced Project Manager with a degree in International Business from the University of Barcelona. She brings extensive experience in managing international projects, particularly in the cultural and creative industries, as well as the life sciences and healthcare value chain. With transversal expertise in legal, technical, financial, reporting, and communication aspects of EU project management, Maria joined our team in 2021 as Project Manager for CREACT4MED. Currently serving as a Senior Project Manager, she leads initiatives that foster entrepreneurship and enhance cooperation in the Southern Mediterranean region.

Doriana Cucinelli is Research Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Financial Intermediaries at University of Milano Bicocca, Italy. She is also SDA Fellow in Banking and Insurance at SDA Bocconi School of Management and associate researcher at the International Research Centre on Cooperative Finance (IRCCF) of HEC Montréal. Her main research interests are risk management in banking, bank business models, financial education and financial behavior. Doriana is author of national and international publications and has presented at many national and international conferences. She holds a Ph.D. in Banking and Finance at University of Roma Tor Vergata and a Laurea cum laude in Finance and Risk Management at University of Parma. She was visiting fellow at Cass Business School in 2017.

Christine Devisser is a recent graduate from the Master’s program in International Development offered by the Institut of Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals. She completed her undergraduate in the School of Business Economics at Maastricht University in International Business. She has experience working in the private sector developing new business units and monitoring their evolution. She has also worked with local NGOs in Colombia to fight child malnutrition. Christine is interested in sustainability, development economics, and public policy to enhance human well-being. At EMEA, she will support the Project Officer in the management, implementation, and monitoring of EMEA’s activities and European Projects.

Mrs. Isabel Lorenzo Sánchez obtained a degree in Human Biology and a Master in Research and Innovation management (Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona). Isabel also graduated as a master in Clinical Nutrition (Barcelona University). She is currently pursuing a PhD in Biomedicine, regarding the impact of dehydration in muscle quality and other frailty parameters (Vic University, Barcelona) Isabel has developed a strong background in Public Health Management as Controller. Since 2005 she worked with several Health Consortia, in the Public Sector (Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Barcelona), as well as Public-Private Partnership Model (Hospital de Dènia PPP). Since 2014 she belongs to GRESFD (a Sarcopenia, Frailty and Dependence Research Group), an AGAUR certified Group by Generalitat de Catalunya. Isabel published several papers regarding her doctoral thesis: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081857 https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9051580 https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11030661 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-018-1129-y

Kirsty joined EMEA in October 2022 after completing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law. She carried out the role of Assistant Project Officer and Communications and Research Officer until July 2024. Kirsty led the communication activities of several EU-funded projects such as Green Living Areas, INVESTMED and CREACT4MED, as well as providing support to project management and EMEA communication overall. Kirsty is currently studying the Diploma in Legal Practice at the University of Edinburgh to complete her legal training as a solicitor.

Yeganeh Forouheshfar, is an economist and a researcher at EMEA, she holds a PhD in economics from Université Paris-Dauphine. Her research interests are economic modeling, entrepreneurship, digitalization, sustainable transition and demographic change. She is also an affiliate researcher at DIAL and a Member of EMANES network. Yeganeh is involved in the implementation of EMEA’s EU-funded projects: CREACT4MED and INVESTMED and in charge of mapping of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) as well as blue and green economy in the South Mediterranean countries. In parallel, Yeganeh is currently working on several research projects and development of data observatories.

Joanna Grodzka, Bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, MSc in International Economic and Political Relations from the Warsaw School of Economics. She also holds a Master’s in IT management from Université Paris Dauphine. Joanna has experience in administration and management, from planning and economic monitoring to reporting, gained in several public and private institutions in Poland, France and Spain. She was engaged in projects related to entrepreneurship, communication, and SME development, as well as management of the EU projects.

Ivan Hajdukovic is an economist with a strong background in quantitative methods and data analysis. His main areas of interest are macroeconomic policies, international economics, environmental economics, humanitarian and sustainable development. He obtained his PhD in Economics (Summa Cum Laude) at the University of Barcelona in July 2021. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Lausanne and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Geneva. From May 2020 to July 2022, he worked as a data analyst and consultant at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. He has previous experience with a research internship at the World Trade Organization and as a research assistant at the Institute for New Economic Thinking of the University of Oxford. He has produced academic research and policy work, both independently and in conjunction with research teams, on issues ranging from macroeconomic policies, international trade to energy resources and environmental quality, and has worked on operational and data collection exercises in a humanitarian context. He joined EMEA as a researcher and will support the implementation of EMEA projects and activities by carrying out data collection, data analysis and economic policy research on sustainability and environment.

Riccardo holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Development Economics from the University of Florence. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics within the “Sustainability and Wellbeing” program at the same institution. His work combines qualitative and quantitative research methods, including empirical analysis, GIS tools, and data software, with a focus on natural resource management, sustainability, small-scale agriculture, and land abandonment phenomena. Through involvement in various research projects, he is gaining professional and academic experience in understanding the complex nexus between economic, social, institutional, and environmental sustainability objectives. In addition to his primary research areas, he is also interested in ecological economics, sustainable development, and non-market goods valuation methods.

Walid is a Senior Data Scientist Consultant. He holds a Ph.D. in Data Science from HEC Montreal. He was researcher at the International Research Centre on Cooperative Finance (IRCCF) at HEC Montreal & a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Canada. He is an expert in Python, R, and SAS, and he has a deep knowledge of Machine Learning and Applied Statistics.

Paula Pazos Puig is a recent graduate of the International Master in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies from the University of Glasgow, specialising in peace and conflict management studies. She completed her undegraduate degree in Global Studies at Pompeu Fabra University. Paula has participated in collaborative projects with local think tanks and NGOs, where she gained experience as a research assistant. Her main areas of interest include geopolitics, human security and sustainable development. She’s now joining the team as an intern, where she’ll be supporting EMEA’s activities by conducting research and data analysis tasks.

Tiago Zibecchi is an economist dedicated to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through a holistic mindset. He recently completed a Master’s degree in Economics, specializing in International Trade, Finance, and Development Economics at the Barcelona School of Economics (BSE) – where he has also refined his skills in quantitative methods and data analysis. He finished his undergrad, with honors, in Finance from the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University, receiving both academic and athletic scholarships. A lifelong student-athlete, Tiago represented Brasil’s U17 national basketball team and played professionally for one season with Botafogo. Before joining EMEA, Tiago served as an Impact Investing Analyst at Sitawi Finance for Good – an NGO pioneering Brazil’s collective crowdlending landscape. There, he helped design innovative financial solutions for positive impact-driven organizations, including several agri-food cooperatives and small businesses in the Amazon and rural Northeast regions of Brasil. At EMEA, Tiago is involved in economic policy research for the ReForest, Brain Capital Alliance and Sports Adherence projects, as well as other topics related to regional integration and global value chain. He is also dedicated to updating and enhancing EMEA’s interactive dashboards and the Open Knowledge Platform on the EMEA website.

Xavier Mallofré Pujadó is EMEA Financial Officer. He is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Barcelona since 2008. He has extensive professional experience as an economic, financial and accounting advising national and international companies and law and accounting firms. Xavier has a degree in Economics and Business Sciences from the University of Barcelona, and a Master’s degree in Financial Management from CEF.

Ms Ronco has over three years of experience in performing qualitative and quantitative research which she gained during several missions undertaken abroad, mostly as volunteering activities (i.e. Kenya, Costa Rica, Italy). She has a BA in International Relations from the University of Turin and a master’s degree in Development Economics from the University of Florence. In 2017 she won an extra-EU competitive grant awarded by the University of Florence for a four-month study period at the University of Costa Rica. There, she collaborated with the academic multidisciplinary program CadenAgro in a project investigating the economic and social role of some typical national staple food compared to the imported ones. Recently she has been involved in data collection and editing activities of the IEMed, in the Euro-Mediterranean Policies and EuroMeSCO department, and she has relevant experience in supporting international projects. Her main research interests are: Development Economics, International Trade and Sustainable Global Value Chains, Food Security and Agricultural Economics, Poverty and Inequality.

Anna Santamaria has more than 25 years of experience in management in the private sector. She holds a Bachelor’s degree and master in business administration from University Ramon Liull in Spain. In EMEA, Anna is responsible of the office administrative management.

Mais Sha’ban is an Associate Professor of Banking and Finance at Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan and a Research Fellow at the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA). Her research interests include financial inclusion, digital financial services, MSMEs’ access to finance, sustainable finance, and bank stability and performance. She holds a PhD in Finance (University of Essex, United Kingdom), MSc in Finance (Swansea University, United Kingdom).

Carlo Sessa, former President and Research Director at the Institute of Studies for the Integration of Systems (ISINNOVA) and Member of the Executive Board of the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA) is currently self-employed in the field of socio-economic research and system analysis. Before joining ISINNOVA (formerly ISIS) in 1983, he was invited as Visiting Scholar at NYU, where he worked with Nobel Prize winner Wassily Leontieff. While working as ISINNOVA partner, Carlo was the Coordinator of several EU research projects, in the 5th, 6th, 7th and H2020 Framework Programmes, and tenders, mostly in the fields of participatory foresight, interdisciplinary urban, transport, energy and environment studies. In this context, he led several participatory projects, involving panels of experts and citizens and aiming to raise the citizens awareness of science and technology prospects in the field of sustainable urban development (EU project RAISE), transport (EU project MOVE TOGETHER) coastal ecosystems (EU project AWARE) and governance (EU Project PASSO). Amongst several projects dealing with foresight issues, Carlo was involved as leading researcher in some EU funded Social Sciences and Humanities research projects: PASHMINA (Paradigm shifts modelling and innovative approaches); GLOBAL-IQ, aiming to enhance the ability to understand and manage global changes by means of a new generation of models and qualitative foresight tools; MEDPRO – Prospective analysis for the Mediterranean region; FLAGSHIP – Forward Looking Analysis of Grand Societal Challenges and Innovative Policies; and TRIGGER – Trends in Global Governance and Europe’s role. In the context of the European ESPON programme, he contributed to territorial foresight studies, and recently was the Coordinator of the Applied Research Project Quality of Life measurement and methodology, delivering a concept and dashboard of Territorial Quality of Life (TQOL) indicators. In association with EMEA, Carlo led several strategic foresight exercises in EMNES – Euro-Mediterranean Network for Economic (ENPI project) and for the IEMED/EMEA Study for the Union for the Mediterranean, building youth employment friendly scenarios for the Euro-Mediterranean region. Carlo was involved as Italian representative in the COST Action 332 on Land Use and Transport Planning in the ‘90s, and more recently as Italian representative in the COST Action TD 1408 on Interdisciplinarity in research programming and funding cycles (INTREPID).

Elena is a recent graduate from the Economics of Public Policy program, a Master’s in Specialized Economic Analysis offered by the Barcelona School of Economics. She completed her undergraduate with honours at Trinity College Dublin in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Sociology (PPES). Elena brings a diverse set of skills and experience to the EMEA team. In addition to acting as a research assistant at Trinity and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, she has worked for several NGOs providing direct service to migrant and refugee communities. Elena is interested in researching the effect of climate change on the social and economic lives of people around the globe. At EMEA, Elena is focused on contributing to the Open Knowledge Platform. She has collected data for and created several dashboards for the monitoring of the TRIS (transparent, responsible, inclusive, and sustainable) Development Model, the Brain Capital Initiative, and the Regional Integration Matrix.

Daniel Luque is currently in his final year of Business Administration and Management in English from the University of Zaragoza. He also has international experience through the Erasmus+ program in Poland. Daniel has experience in events management with different companies and working in customer support. He enters EMEA as an intern. He will support EMEA’s activities by working on the Project Management and Administrative team.