Team

As Rudyard Kipling once put it, “the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”

Find out more about our pack: who we are, what we do, and what makes us tick.

Francesco Ballone

Senior Membership and Governance Manager

Discover

Marco Cucé

Programme Officer – Climate Collaborations

Discover

Ilaria d’Auria

Head of Programmes – Thematic Collaborations

Discover

Carla de Cristofaro

Operations Assistant

Discover

Davide Durante

EU Public Affairs and Communications Assistant

Discover

Deborah Flon

Information and Knowledge Officer

Discover

Alice Forsman

Programme Officer – Equality Thematic Networks

Discover

Marta Gallerani

Events and Membership Officer

Discover

Karalyn Gardner

Programme Officer – Climate Coalition

Discover

Rebecca Granshaw

Senior Grants Manager

Discover

Hanna Hanses

Policy Manager

Discover

Gonzague Huybrechts

Head of Finance and IT

Discover

Marianne Johnston

Senior Communications Manager

Discover

Sevda Kilicalp

Head of Research and Knowledge Development

Discover

Giulia Lombardi

Senior Programme Manager – Climate Thematic Networks

Discover

Nils Luyten

Programme Manager – Thematic Collaborations

Discover

Letizia Manzoni

Programme Manager – Equality Thematic Networks

Discover

Lorena Marin

Operations Officer

Discover

Sarah Mekhneche

Finance and Administrative Officer

Discover

Delphine Moralis

Chief Executive Officer

Discover

Valentina Nerviani

Human Resources Manager

Discover

Stefanos Oikonomou

Head of Programmes – Peer-Exchanges

Discover

Lucia Patuzzi

Senior Knowledge Development Manager

Discover

Angela Pauly

Head of Communications

Discover

Isabelle Piette

Information and Knowledge Manager

Discover

Lucia Plantamura

Legal and Policy Officer

Discover

Prabhu Rajagopal

Programme Manager – Peer-Exchanges

Discover

Joshua Redding

Communications Officer

Discover

Lina Ristovska

Membership Officer

Discover

Alina Shenfeldt

Programme Manager – Membership and Foresight

Discover

Gilberto Sierra

PA to the CEO and Executive Office Coordinator

Discover

Daniel Spiers

Programme Officer – Peer-Exchanges & Knowledge

Discover

Hanna Stähle

Head of Foresight and Innovation

Discover

Hanna Surmatz

Head of Policy

Discover

Vivien Tóth

Programme Officer – Peer-Exchanges

Discover

Isabel Valero

Conference and Events Manager

Discover

Jon Warne

Senior Communications Manager

Discover

Programme Officer – Climate Coalition

karalyn.gardner@philea.eu

Biography

Karalyn Gardner role as Programme Officer, Climate Coalition sees her coordinate the work of the European Philanthropy Coalition for Climate within Philea. Her ambition is to see all foundations, regardless of their mission, integrating a climate lens across their work and philanthropy playing a catalytic role in the transition towards a more sustainable future for all. She leads the European Philanthropy Coalition for Climate’s peer-exchanges and communications, and supports the development of the global #PhilanthropyForClimate movement in collaboration with WINGS and the national commitment hosts including ACF (UK), AEF (Spain), CFF (France) and Assifero (Italy).

Karalyn graduated from the College of Europe (Natolin, Poland) with an Advanced Master’s degree in European Interdisciplinary Studies, specialising in the EU and its Neighbourhood. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Exeter in Classics.

Favourite Quote

“Kid, you will move mountains! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So get on your way!”

Dr Seuss

Social Media

Head of Research and Knowledge Development

sevda.kilicalp@philea.eu

Biography

Sevda leads on Philea’s research and knowledge development work to contribute to building Philea’s knowledge base on European philanthropy, and increasing the quality of data being created and used by the philanthropic organisations to make critical decisions, improve their practices, and enhance their impact. With experience in the full research project life cycle both within industry and academic/research-intensive contexts, her work entails providing high level research support to the Knowledge team, developing and managing Philea’s research agenda; seeking out new opportunities for research collaboration for Philea; serving as liaison to academic institutions and research centres on philanthropy; turning data into insights; using learnings from peer exchanges to create new knowledge products; and ensuring that peer exchanges are informed by the latest research in the field.

Sevda has worked in and around philanthropy for two decades and is deeply invested in blending practice with the study of philanthropy. She has a PhD in Philanthropic Studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and a Master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies and Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Bologna.

Favourite Quote

“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.”

Angela Davis

Social Media

Head of Programmes – Peer-Exchanges

stefanos.oikonomou@philea.eu

Biography

Stefanos’s role at Philea encompasses the strategy, implementation, and M&E for the Philea portfolio of communities of practice and peer-exchange programmes. Stefanos is passionate about weaving networks; and enabling sharing of best practices pertaining to both strategic and trust-based philanthropy. In this way, he hopes to contribute to a more effective, accountable, and inclusive sector. Prior to his current role, Stefanos worked with the EFC as Thematic Networks Coordinator, stewarding six communities of practice in a range of areas including grantmaking; investments; strategic communications; and operations. This work entailed designing and implementing programmatic activities; nurturing relationships with project stakeholders; and taking care of project governance. In his early days with the EFC, Stefanos worked in various roles related to grants management, membership, and the flagship annual convening of the sector. Stefanos also gained experience in policy, project management, and communications with the European Institute for Gender Equality in Lithuania; the pan-African nonprofit Make Every Woman Count, and the U.S-based National Democratic Institute. Stefanos has a master’s degree in political management and electoral politics from The George Washington University; and an undergraduate degree in media studies (liberal arts) from The University of Athens.

Favourite Quote

“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”

Audre Lorde

Senior Knowledge Development Manager

lucia.patuzzi@philea.eu

Biography

Lucia joined Philea (then the EFC) in 2012, and worked initially for the Professional Development and Communications departments of the organisation while also working as a Fundraiser officer for ERAB Foundation, a research foundation based in Brussels. Since 2014, she has worked with the knowledge team, where she collects and analyses data from Philea members, responds to research requests and produces mappings on different themes at the heart of European foundations’ work.

On the side, and after working for documentary festivals and cultural associations in Italy, Lucia has founded a cultural association based in Brussels, and sits on the board of AIF+, the Flemish umbrella organisation of intercultural associations in Belgium. Lucia holds a MA in Linguistic Science for Intercultural Communications from Universitá per Stranieri di Siena.

Favourite Quote

“Life has always seemed to me like a plant that lives on its rhizome. Its true life is invisible, hidden in the rhizome. The part that appears above ground lasts only a single summer. Then it withers away—an ephemeral apparition. When we think of the unending growth and decay of life and civilizations, we cannot escape the impression of absolute nullity. Yet I have never lost a sense of something that lives and endures underneath the eternal flux. What we see is the blossom, which passes. The rhizome remains.”

C. Jung