Armenia

Bianca Baumler is an expert in EU strategic communication and public diplomacy and engages with civil society, local government and other stakeholders across the globe. She has been working for the EU for around 18 years - as both a senior consultant/expert and as an EU institution staff member.

Bianca is the part-time key communication expert for the European Commission (DG INTPA – International Partnerships) DEAR programme: Development Education and Awareness-Raising. She also works as a free-lance consultant, drafting communication strategies and writing speeches. 

Bianca worked at the EU Delegations to Syria and to Ukraine for seven years – shortly before the wars erupted. She has led EU public diplomacy projects and activities in South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa.

Part of the founding team of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED), Bianca developed all its communications and outreach from scratch. She worked together with civil society representatives and democracy activists in the EU Neighbourhood to promote their work and the role of the EED.

Bianca regularly organises VIP, civil society and media visits and tours. She has run and evaluated 360’ communication campaigns, together with PR agencies and EU officials. She has organised hundreds of events on topics ranging from democracy support to AI, from climate change to LGBTI rights. She has a particular interest in the EU Green Deal, and has organised many relevant communication activities, including the EU-Ukraine Sustainable Energy Days, which have since become an annual event.

A Fulbright scholar, Bianca has degrees from Yale University, SciencesPo-Paris (1998-99) and the Free University-Berlin (1996-2000), and recently completed an executive Harvard course on leadership and community organising. Bianca is the author of “EU Public Diplomacy in an ever-changing world.” A US-German citizen, she is fully tri-lingual in English, German and French, and also speaks Italian.

Economist

Austrian Development Agency Representative in the Practitioners Network of European Development Cooperation

Johan van Geijn has a unique track record as a specialist in international corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the world of sports, particularly in football and international development cooperation. With more than 25 years of experience – heading the international programs at the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) since 1998 to build local capacity through football in developing countries and low-income countries. More than 20,000 young volunteer coaches have been able to improve themselves in their local environment through programs developed by Johan.
As founder of the WorldCoaches program, Johan has proven many times how sport can serve as a means for social development. Using football as a catalyst for social cohesion, for the position of girls and women in society, for awareness of communicable diseases, drugs and addictions or clean water.
With the international challenges surrounding migration and refugees, using football as an initiator for programs to tackle youth unemployment in these countries. A range of thematic social challenges where Johan has been able to let football contribute to the approach and often to the solution.

I am a senior executive with 20+ years of experience in programme management, trade and investments, with a strong track record in EU- and donor-financed projects. I have worked extensively in Ukraine, the EU and partner countries, implementing programmes that supported democratic transition, institutional strengthening, private sector development and European integration.

As founder and director of EuroExpert, I have led advisory projects under EU4Business, GIZ and other donor initiatives, supporting SMEs, business associations and civil society to access EU markets, improve competitiveness and build cross-border partnerships. I also co-founded the European-Ukrainian Bridge e.V., an NGO with 11 offices across Europe, mobilising civil society and fostering EU-Ukraine integration.

My career includes senior management roles in international companies such as KAEFER and Hilti, where I directed multimillion-euro operations, negotiated investment projects across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and built international teams. I also managed operations of an IT company in the US, leading digital transformation and organisational development.

I am fluent in English, German, Ukrainian and Russian, with working knowledge of Polish and Czech. I am an active member of the Professional Government Association of Ukraine (PGA Ukraine), engaging in governance and policy dialogue. My expertise lies in designing and implementing EU programmes, managing multi-stakeholder processes, and building sustainable partnerships between the EU, Ukraine and neighbouring regions.

I am particularly interested in contributing to projects under DG NEAR and DG INTPA, focusing on trade, investment, digitalisation, civil society support and resilience building in Eastern Partnership and Central Asia countries. My motivation is to bridge business, government and civil society for long-term impact.