Mr. Tycho Vermeulen is the Agriculture Counsellor to Egypt and Jordan at the Dutch Embassy in Cairo, a position he has held since 2023. He holds a Master’s degree in Biology from Wageningen University, specializing in plant protection. Over the course of his career, he has worked as a consultant, researcher, entrepreneur, civil servant, and diplomat, publishing in the fields of phytopathology, systems engineering, and transition management.He began his career as a consultant in sustainable agriculture and business development in the Netherlands’ horticultural sector. He later returned to Wageningen University as a researcher, designing cultivation systems and developing innovative business concepts for greenhouse horticulture. During this period, he also founded a community vineyard in The Hague, which continues to produce wine today.Before joining the Embassy, Mr. Vermeulen worked at the Dutch Food Safety Authority in phytosanitation, facilitating international trade while preventing the spread of plant pests and diseases

Ms. Ebe Muschialli is a development economist specialized in International Institutions Management from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. With extensive international experience, she has lived in Vietnam, India, and Morocco, and worked on projects in Ghana, Comoros, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Benin, Tunisia, Egypt, Georgia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central Africa.She joined UNIDO in 2003, initially serving as Cluster and Network Expert in Rabat, Morocco, before moving to UNIDO Headquarters in Vienna in 2016. Since 2020, she has focused on implementing Quality Infrastructure and cluster-related interventions within the Directorate of Technical Cooperation Services.Throughout her career, Ms. Muschialli has supported governments in developing industrial and artisanal clusters, coached companies on business plans to enhance product quality and exports, and promoted collective brands to strengthen market access in agro-industrial and cosmetic value chains. She currently manages projects in Egypt, Central Africa, and Comoros to build SME competitiveness within a sustainable and inclusive ecosystem.

Mrs. Dorra Fiani is the Founder and President of Knowledge Economy Foundation, Egyptian NGO specialized in the nexus water food energy with focus on digital agriculture and participation to multinational consortia for African agro-food research and innovation programs. International multi-disciplinary expert, with 30+ years’ experience in managing her own company and establishing foreign subsidiaries in Egypt, together with extensive links to European markets.  Pioneering since 2015 Bashaier Platform, the first digital agribusiness extension services and marketplace platform, focused on value chain strategies and inclusive small farmers’ approaches, together with an agribusiness entrepreneurship digital exchange center.

Iva Stamenova is a Programme Manager at the European Union Delegation to the Arab Republic of Egypt since September 2024. Iva has been working for the European Union for 19 years and has supported the successful implementation of over 100 development projects in the field of agriculture, rural development, private sector development and trade. She has worked on these issues across Western Balkans, neighboring countries in Europe and Sub-Saharan countries. Iva is now working closely with EU Member States Development Agencies and Financial institutions  for the implementation of EU programmes in the field of agriculture and food security which are aligned with the Country Platform for the Nexus of Water, Food, and Energy (NWFE)

Jacopo Tavassi is a senior international development professional and lawyer with over 15 years of experience in the MENA region and beyond. He currently serves as EU Portfolio Coordinator at the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in Cairo, where he manages a €100 million portfolio in migration, human rights, gender equality, TVET, and rural development. He has previously worked with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lebanon, and the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs – Codification Division in New York, focusing on legal frameworks, public and private investments, and multi-stakeholder initiatives. Earlier in his career, he practiced with an international law firm in Milan, advising on cross-border investment and compliance. Jacopo holds a Ph.D. in International and EU Law for Development from the University of Naples “Parthenope.”

Dr. Samar Shaarawi is Head of the Department of Primary Supplier and Packing Houses Control at the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) in Egypt. She is also an Associate Professor at the Fruit Post-harvest Handling Department of the Agricultural Research Center in Giza, with expertise in production, post-harvest quality, pathology, and biotechnology of fruit crops.She serves as NFSA’s focal point and official coordinator with the European Commission (DG-SANTE) for audit missions on food safety related to non-animal origin exports to the EU. Dr. Shaarawi has worked with FAO as National Consultant and technical team leader for the grape subsector, and has collaborated with UNIDO, the National Research Center, and the Ministry of Agriculture.She earned her M.Sc. from Ain Shams University and Ph.D. in Post-Harvest Pathology from the University of Bari, Italy. She has published over 20 scientific papers and is an invited lecturer at numerous international events.

Mr. Christophe Malherbe is Deputy Team Leader at GOPA-AFC, where he supports the design and implementation of policies and instruments that expand Access to Finance and promote Private Sector Development. He began his career in private equity, gaining experience in investment structuring and portfolio management, before moving into advisory roles for public and private institutions.Over the years, he has designed and supported innovative financial instruments such as guarantee schemes, risk-sharing mechanisms, and early-stage funds to address the financing needs of SMEs, start-ups, and entrepreneurs. His work focuses on trade and investment issues from a financial perspective, with the goal of creating economic, social, and environmental impact.He currently leads the EU–KfW programme in Egypt, implemented by GOPA-AFC in partnership with MSMEDA. The programme promotes Innovation for Impact through grants, innovation challenges, and targeted support to entrepreneurship organizations, with particular emphasis on the agriculture and agribusiness sectors.

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Agribusiness professional with over 26 years of comprehensive experience. A track record includes successful collaborations with international organizations; and finally GIZ, where he contributed to transformative projects in agriculture, climate change adaptation, and quality management systems. Holding MSc in Agriculture, Master of Business Administration, and a Doctorate Degree in Sustainable Development, Joined GIZ Egypt since 2020; leading and managing diverse programs under the Innovation for Sustainable Production Component.

Dr. Mohamed Fahim is Director of the Climate Change Information Center & Renewable Energy & Expert Systems at the Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. He has served as Advisor to the former Minister of Agriculture and represents the Ministry in the Executive Office of the National Council for Climate Change under the Council of Ministers. He is also a board member of the General Authority of Meteorology.Dr. Fahim earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences, specializing in climate change and plant epidemics. His expertise includes policy formulation for sustainable agricultural development, integrating climate change into socio-economic and poverty reduction strategies, and advancing climate adaptation and mitigation. He has led studies on greenhouse gas emissions, climate impact assessments, and sustainable resource management. A strong advocate for education and awareness, Dr. Fahim has established networks of national and international climate information, providing evidence-based recommendations to support agricultural development and sustainability.

Mr. Guido Battista has been passionate about the banking sector since his studies and has built over 15 years of experience focusing on transformational projects for some of Italy’s leading financial institutions. In 2015, he joined Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) Group, where he contributed to developing the equity risk practice for a €40 billion portfolio of equity and funds, supporting the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan through CDP’s role as the main financier of Italian local public administration, and expanding CDP’s international presence by launching the regional office in Cairo, which he continues to manage with the support of local teams. Before joining CDP, he worked as a consultant with Deloitte and Intesa Sanpaolo for five years. He studied corporate finance, financial markets, and banking, combining strong technical expertise with a commitment to driving sustainable growth and international cooperation.

Elsa Faivre is a development professional with over 10 years of experience in finance, strategy, and sustainable development. She holds a Master’s degree in Finance from HEC and a Master’s degree in Economics from the École Normale Supérieure in France.Her career began in Africa-focused investment and consulting, first with Amethis Finance, an equity investment fund, and later with Okan Consulting, a strategy firm dedicated to financing African economies. In 2015, she joined the AFD Group, working in Proparco—the subsidiary dedicated to private sector financing—where she contributed to initiatives on affordable housing, climate finance, and innovative financing mechanisms.Since September 2023, Ms. Faivre has been Head of Unit for Agriculture, Rural Development, and Sustainable Finance at AFD’s Cairo office. She leads a broad portfolio engaging diverse stakeholders across sectors, covering climate action, gender finance, food security, and agricultural financing for small farmers, with a strong focus on sustainable impact.

Rene Gorenflo has joined the EU Delegation in Egypt a year ago as Economic Counsellor and has been the focal point for PFM reform, financial inclusion and SME investment promotion. Previously, in DR Congo, Rene worked as economic counsellor on food security and sustainable agricultural practices as well as trade coordination. In the past Rene has also worked on Syria, Lebanon and Haiti in different capacities for the EU. He holds a degree in Economics from Oxford University

Dr. Islam Abolela is an international expert in phytosanitary and regulatory affairs with over 17 years of experience across government, multinational companies, and national institutions. He holds a background in Agricultural Sciences, complemented by advanced studies in the field, as well as a Master’s and Ph.D. in Business Administration. In addition, he lectures at Cairo University.His expertise covers agribusiness, plant health, food safety, pest risk analysis, market access negotiations, and trade-related issues such as WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), and IPPC standards. Recognized by FAO, UNIDO, the World Bank, and EBRD, he has contributed to key IPPC technical and advisory groups, including the ePhyto Steering Group.Under his leadership, CAPQ has successfully secured market access for more than 117 new markets for Egyptian agricultural exports, while reducing and eliminating trade barriers.