Ms Mairead McGuinness
European Commission
European Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union
The Commissioner’s vision for the portfolio is focused on ensuring the financial sector’s strength and stability, so that it can deliver for people, society and the environment.
Before joining the Commission in October 2020, Ms McGuinness was First Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2017. She served as an MEP from Ireland for 16 years, and was a Vice-President of the Parliament since 2014.
As Vice-President, she oversaw relations with national Parliaments, led the Parliament’s dialogue with religious and philosophical organisations, and had responsibility for the Parliament’s communication policy.
During her time in the Parliament, Ms McGuinness sat on a range of committees, covering agriculture, environment, public health, budgets, petitions and constitutional affairs. Her legislative work included leading for the EPP Group on the European Climate Law, the revision of medical devices legislation, and CAP reform post-2013. As an Irish MEP representing the border region, she was outspoken on Brexit and the consequences for the EU and Ireland.
In 2006-2007, Ms McGuinness chaired the Parliament’s investigation into the collapse of the Equitable Life assurance company which identified issues around weak financial regulation.
Prior to becoming an MEP, she was an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and commentator.
European Commission
European Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union
The Commissioner’s vision for the portfolio is focused on ensuring the financial sector’s strength and stability, so that it can deliver for people, society and the environment.
Before joining the Commission in October 2020, Ms McGuinness was First Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2017. She served as an MEP from Ireland for 16 years, and was a Vice-President of the Parliament since 2014.
As Vice-President, she oversaw relations with national Parliaments, led the Parliament’s dialogue with religious and philosophical organisations, and had responsibility for the Parliament’s communication policy.
During her time in the Parliament, Ms McGuinness sat on a range of committees, covering agriculture, environment, public health, budgets, petitions and constitutional affairs. Her legislative work included leading for the EPP Group on the European Climate Law, the revision of medical devices legislation, and CAP reform post-2013. As an Irish MEP representing the border region, she was outspoken on Brexit and the consequences for the EU and Ireland.
In 2006-2007, Ms McGuinness chaired the Parliament’s investigation into the collapse of the Equitable Life assurance company which identified issues around weak financial regulation.
Prior to becoming an MEP, she was an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and commentator.
Mr Frans Timmermans
European Commission
European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal
Frans Timmermans is Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, leading its work on the European Green Deal. He is responsible for the European Climate Law that put the 2050 climate-neutrality target into law and for the Fit for 55 package to meet the -55% emission reduction target for 2030. Frans Timmermans leads the EU’s international climate negotiations. In June, he presented the Nature Restoration Law, part of the Biodiversity Strategy.
He also oversees the Commission’s zero-pollution ambition, the circular economy action plan, the Farm to Fork strategy and other initiatives. From 2014-2019 Timmermans was First Vice-President in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
In the Netherlands, he previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (2012-2014), Minister of European Affairs (2007-2010) and Member of Parliament for Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA) (2010-2012 and 1998-2007). Timmermans speaks Dutch, English, French, German, Italian and Russian.
European Commission
European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal
Frans Timmermans is Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, leading its work on the European Green Deal. He is responsible for the European Climate Law that put the 2050 climate-neutrality target into law and for the Fit for 55 package to meet the -55% emission reduction target for 2030. Frans Timmermans leads the EU’s international climate negotiations. In June, he presented the Nature Restoration Law, part of the Biodiversity Strategy.
He also oversees the Commission’s zero-pollution ambition, the circular economy action plan, the Farm to Fork strategy and other initiatives. From 2014-2019 Timmermans was First Vice-President in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
In the Netherlands, he previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (2012-2014), Minister of European Affairs (2007-2010) and Member of Parliament for Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA) (2010-2012 and 1998-2007). Timmermans speaks Dutch, English, French, German, Italian and Russian.
Dr. Hans Bruyninckx
European Environment Agency
Executive Director
Before his appointment at the EEA, Mr. Bruyninckx was head of the HIVA Research Institute in Leuven, Belgium, a policy-oriented research institute associated with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Professor Bruyninckx has also been a senior member of the interdisciplinary Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies and promoter-coordinator of the Flemish Policy Research Centre on Transitions for Sustainable Development (TRADO).
Over the last 20 years, he has conducted and managed policy-oriented research in the areas of environmental politics, climate change, and sustainable development. He was responsible for research in the domains of policy evaluation, monitoring and reporting, methodology development, environmental policy integration, and more recently also on long-term transition policies. His experience pertains to the level of the regions (Flanders in a comparative European perspective), the EU Member States, the EU level, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and processes of global environmental governance (climate change in particular).
European Environment Agency
Executive Director
Before his appointment at the EEA, Mr. Bruyninckx was head of the HIVA Research Institute in Leuven, Belgium, a policy-oriented research institute associated with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Professor Bruyninckx has also been a senior member of the interdisciplinary Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies and promoter-coordinator of the Flemish Policy Research Centre on Transitions for Sustainable Development (TRADO).
Over the last 20 years, he has conducted and managed policy-oriented research in the areas of environmental politics, climate change, and sustainable development. He was responsible for research in the domains of policy evaluation, monitoring and reporting, methodology development, environmental policy integration, and more recently also on long-term transition policies. His experience pertains to the level of the regions (Flanders in a comparative European perspective), the EU Member States, the EU level, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and processes of global environmental governance (climate change in particular).
Ms Petra Hielkema
EIOPA
Chairperson
Petra is the Chairperson of EIOPA and is leading the Authority since September 2021. Petra is also member of the ESRB Steering Committee and the ESRB General Board and a voting member of the IAIS Executive Committee. Besides that, she is the Champion of the IAIS Fintech Forum. In 2022 Petra is also chairing the Joint Committee of the three ESA’s (EIOPA, EBA and ESMA).
Prior to this role, Petra was Division Director Insurance Supervision at De Nederlandsche Bank. The division is responsible for the supervision of the Dutch insurance sector. Petra joined DNB in February 2007 as a policy advisor, contributing to the development of Solvency II. In 2013 she became Head Insurance Policy. In 2015 she was appointed as Head of the DNB Expert Center for Fit & Proper testing, assessing board members in the financial sector. In February 2017 she started as Director of Payments and Market Infrastructures and was responsible for the payments and collateral operations of the Dutch Central Bank, oversight, policy and cyber intelligence. Prior to joining the Dutch Central Bank Petra had an international career in the oil and gas industry.
Prior to being appointed, Petra was an Alternate Member of the EIOPA Board of Supervisors and Chair of the EIOPA Policy Committee. Before that she participated in several EIOPA, and CEIOPS working groups and fulfilled some international roles including Chair of the FSB fmiCBCM (recovery & resolution for CCPs), member if the BIS Committee for Payments and Market Infrastructures, member of the ECB Market Infrastructures Board, member of the IAIS Technical Committee.
EIOPA
Chairperson
Petra is the Chairperson of EIOPA and is leading the Authority since September 2021. Petra is also member of the ESRB Steering Committee and the ESRB General Board and a voting member of the IAIS Executive Committee. Besides that, she is the Champion of the IAIS Fintech Forum. In 2022 Petra is also chairing the Joint Committee of the three ESA’s (EIOPA, EBA and ESMA).
Prior to this role, Petra was Division Director Insurance Supervision at De Nederlandsche Bank. The division is responsible for the supervision of the Dutch insurance sector. Petra joined DNB in February 2007 as a policy advisor, contributing to the development of Solvency II. In 2013 she became Head Insurance Policy. In 2015 she was appointed as Head of the DNB Expert Center for Fit & Proper testing, assessing board members in the financial sector. In February 2017 she started as Director of Payments and Market Infrastructures and was responsible for the payments and collateral operations of the Dutch Central Bank, oversight, policy and cyber intelligence. Prior to joining the Dutch Central Bank Petra had an international career in the oil and gas industry.
Prior to being appointed, Petra was an Alternate Member of the EIOPA Board of Supervisors and Chair of the EIOPA Policy Committee. Before that she participated in several EIOPA, and CEIOPS working groups and fulfilled some international roles including Chair of the FSB fmiCBCM (recovery & resolution for CCPs), member if the BIS Committee for Payments and Market Infrastructures, member of the ECB Market Infrastructures Board, member of the IAIS Technical Committee.
Mr Rolf Johnsen
Region Midtjylland, Danmark (Central Region, Denmark)
Head of Office
Mr. Johnsen is responsible for the Climate, Resources and Green Transition office within the Central Region administration, which covers 19 municipalities, an area of 13,053 km2, and has 1.3m inhabitants. He has a focus on climate resilience and water challenges, mapping and government tasks in the field of natural resources and raw materials.
Mr. Johnsen has a background in Hydrogeology, and has been involved in Midtjylland’s participation in the INTERREG-funded TOPSOIL, and WaterCAP projects, and the LIFE-funded Coast 2 Coast Climate Challenge.
Region Midtjylland, Danmark (Central Region, Denmark)
Head of Office
Mr. Johnsen is responsible for the Climate, Resources and Green Transition office within the Central Region administration, which covers 19 municipalities, an area of 13,053 km2, and has 1.3m inhabitants. He has a focus on climate resilience and water challenges, mapping and government tasks in the field of natural resources and raw materials.
Mr. Johnsen has a background in Hydrogeology, and has been involved in Midtjylland’s participation in the INTERREG-funded TOPSOIL, and WaterCAP projects, and the LIFE-funded Coast 2 Coast Climate Challenge.
Mr Simon Moulines
La Région Occitanie, France
Mission Director - Regional Green New Deal and climate change
Mr. Moulines is the Director of La Région Occitanie’s Regional Green Deal, the Pacte Vert, which aims to accelerate the ecological transition with a strong focus on citizen participation. These ambitions are expressed in the form of new territorial contracts signed between local authorities and the region. As of October, 57 territories have signed the contract.
Simon has presented on the regional Green Deal at a number of engagements, including the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) in June 2022, and at the Forum le Monde Nouveau in October 2022.
La Région Occitanie, France
Mission Director - Regional Green New Deal and climate change
Mr. Moulines is the Director of La Région Occitanie’s Regional Green Deal, the Pacte Vert, which aims to accelerate the ecological transition with a strong focus on citizen participation. These ambitions are expressed in the form of new territorial contracts signed between local authorities and the region. As of October, 57 territories have signed the contract.
Simon has presented on the regional Green Deal at a number of engagements, including the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) in June 2022, and at the Forum le Monde Nouveau in October 2022.