Meet The Team
Board Members
Eloïse Ryon
President
Eloïse Ryon is a French young graduate and President of Young European Leadership since April 2021. She was previously the head of the Delegations team and CEO for 3 years. Eloïse Ryon is a law and political sciences graduate from the College of Europe and SciencePo Paris. She has dedicated most of her extracurricular time to supporting the voice of the youth on the European stage. She intends to continue and further this ambition with the growing and development of YEL. All of her studies have been oriented towards the European Union. She is a firm believer in the potentiel of the project and if its positive outcomes. However, tomorrow’s EU cannot be built without its youth. YEL intends to contribute to their voices being heard.
Augusto Gonzalez
Secretary-General
Augusto Gonzalez is a Spaniard and the Secretary General of Young European Leadership since January 2024. He joined in 2023 and previously held the title of Delegations Officer. Augusto has a Masters Degree in Global Development from the University of Copenhagen and a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and South Asian Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. He leads YEL’s political work and institutional outreach. He has also served as the Head Delegate of the European Union to the Y7 in 2024 and has been involved in the Y20 process since 2018, taking over as EU Chair for Y7 and Y20 in 2024. Augusto is driven by a lifelong passion for understanding the significant value of the European Union and helping to bring about European strategic autonomy.
Federico Soattin
Treasurer
Federico is an ambitious Italian student whose journey took a significant turn at the age of 15 when he moved to Germany. He is now on the verge of completing his studies in Business and Economics and is set to further his education at the TU München, focusing on Sustainable Engineering. His extensive volunteer work, combined with practical business experiences, has equipped him with a unique perspective on driving sustainable positive change in today’s economy. He seeks to build a network of young leaders ready to challenge and innovate modern structures. Federico is committed to inspiring his peers to actively engage with the EU and promote cross-cultural collaboration towards a more sustainable future.
Christian Neubacher
Vice President for Strategic Partnerships
Christian Neubacher is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Young European Leadership, where he supports the organization’s high-level external partnerships. He currently works at the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge, where he supports the Centre’s efforts to translate academic research into public policy projects. Neubacher holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a Master in European Politics from Columbia University, along with prior internship experience with the International Organization for Migration and the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Marko Milutinovic
Vice President for Communications and Community Building
Marko Milutinović is the Director of Communications for the Young European Leadership. He has graduated from Law School at the University of Belgrade but has soon shifted his focus to the Communications sector. In addition to being the Director of Communications at the YEL, he leads the Communications for various non-governmental organizations, both domestic and foreign. Marko is proud of the fact that he is an environmental activist, the Young European Ambassador for the Western Balkans and the Ambassador of the European Climate Pact.
Partnerships
Christian Neubacher
Vice President for Strategic Partnerships
Christian Neubacher is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Young European Leadership, where he supports the organization’s high-level external partnerships. He currently works at the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge, where he supports the Centre’s efforts to translate academic research into public policy projects. Neubacher holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a Master in European Politics from Columbia University, along with prior internship experience with the International Organization for Migration and the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Maïa Madani Davies
Director of Partnerships
Maia is a British graduate of the University of Sussex, receiving a Bachelors in Economics and International Development, with a specialization in economic and fiscal policy. Her professional experience includes working with the United Nations’ agencies on research projects to help achieve sustainable economic growth and human development, along with numerous placements at NGOs and the Civil Service on their Fast Stream pathway for university students. Internationally, her work experience stretches from speaking as a Delegate for Venezuela at NYU Abu Dhabi in their UNESCO Committee for the CWMUN Conference to working on the Covid Response Tracker for the UNDP/UN Women. She is currently a British Delegate for the UN Women at CSW68, having also been at CSW67, and a Global Youth Ambassador for Theirworld. Outside YEL and Global Development work, she has a photographic gallery, specializing in music and fashion.
Gregorio Vichi
Deputy Director of Partnerships
Gregorio is a Partnership Officer in the YEL’s Partnership Team. His double Italian-French origin gave him a European outset which is now looking to deepen through an Erasmus Mundus Master in European Politics and Society.
Despite being a student, he has already conducted many experiences at the European associational level which have sparked his passion for youth engagement in politics. He is currently holding a position in the Nature Restoration team at Generation Climate Europe where he develops his interest for biodiversity and the sustainability field; while as a culture and education enthusiast he is a member of the UNESCO Global Youth Community.
Isabelle Pickett
Partnerships Officer
Isabelle is a Chemical Engineering student from the UK with a passion for encouraging youth voice in policy. She is particularly motivated to improve diversity and social mobility within policy engagement. In 2022 she attended COP27 as part of the IET’s delegation and hopes to open opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to engage with international dialogue on important issues.
Elia Kostopoulou
Partnerships Officer
My name is Elia Kostopoulou, and I am a 23-year-old trainee lawyer from Greece, specializing in digital and intellectual property law. One of my greatest passions is activism. From a very young age, I have aspired to make a difference in the world, and the EYL has provided the perfect platform for my growth. I am eager to invest in innovative ideas and drive meaningful change.
Ana Cláudia Alves
Partnerships Officer
Ana Cláudia is a dynamic professional with a knack for navigating the intricacies of international relations. She possesses a background in political analysis, foreign affairs, communication and event management from roles at the European Commission, the Portuguese local government and the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and holds an MA in International Politics from Sciences Po Bordeaux and an MA in Peace, Security and Development Studies from the University of Coimbra. Ana Cláudia’s personal mission – to engage citizens, especially the youth, in finding ways to participate and interact with the European decision-making processes – has led her to join the YEL as a Partnerships Officer. She is ready to foster cooperation and make a meaningful impact on youth leadership across Europe by fostering a culture of democratic participation, safeguarding the values of democracy and promoting a more cohesive and resilient EU.
Manray Davies
Partnerships Officer
Manray is a Graduate of The University of Edinburgh with a Master’s in Sport Policy, Management and International Development who looks to provide a fresh perspective in the direction of partnerships with the team. With previous experience in partnerships throughout his time at Premier Sports Network and Hibernian Football Club, working with C-suite clients and notable partners, he looks to further explore the pathway, via policy-making and discussions, in promoting sports within the youth who have limited resources to access one of the biggest industries that brings people together to progress global development. Additionally, Manray is a UN Women UK Delegate, contributing to accelerating gender equality and empowering all women and girls. With a focus on addressing poverty and strengthening institutions with a gender perspective, he collaborated with representatives from Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited NGOs worldwide. At this year’s CSW68, he championed for a larger focus on addressing poverty and strengthening institutions with a gender perspective. Away from YEL, Manray is an avid tennis player, having competed to a national level and travelling across the UK for tournaments, including the widely-recognised British Tour.
Katarzyna Makowska
Partnerships officer
Kasia is a Partnerships Officer at YEL. She is set to graduate from a BA in Politics and International Relations from Queen Mary University of London in the summer of 2024, where she also worked as a Policy Associate at the Global Policy Institute. She has chosen her Masters next year to be at ESCP in MSc Paris in International Business and Diplomacy. She had been an intern at the Polish Embassy in Washington DC, while she was studying at an exchange at George Washington University. She is interested in international dialogue and cooperation, which she engages with as a Member of the Polish Forum of Young Diplomats. She is a globally minded individual, who hopes to facilitate as many opportunities for young people as possible, by working with the Partnerships Team.
Maxime Zadel
Partnerships Officer
Maxime Zadel serves as a youth delegate for the World Food Forum and the European Climate Conference. Alongside her policy and advocacy work, she works one day a week as a chef at a wild foraging restaurant. Through this role, she can witness firsthand the effects of the work done at UN levels on grassroots communities.
Maxime holds board positions in several organizations, including the Slow Food Youth Network, where she focuses on funds and grants, as well as the Future Thinking Lab. Additionally, she serves as the chairperson of the G17 chapter in the Netherlands.
She expresses enthusiasm about joining YEL, as it aligns perfectly with her passion for empowering young leaders and making a positive impact in society. The mission of YEL resonates with her deeply, as she has always believed in the importance of youth involvement in decision-making and leadership development.
Clara Bracken
Partnerships Officer
Clara is Irish/Spanish but Brussels born and raised, and has recently graduated from SciencesPo Paris where she majored in Political Humanities. She is passionate about international organisations and cooperation. She is now finishing her Master’s in International Development at IBEI.
She has a strong interest in youth associations after working closely with other organisations such as PeaceJam, and she’ll be working as a partnerships officer at YEL.
Delegations
Ana Opre
Director of Delegations
Ana is a political science student passionate about education and youth empowerment. Her passion for international relations led her to Leiden University, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies. Her commitment to continuous learning is evident through her participation in various language courses and online education programs at esteemed institutions like Oxford University. Outside academia, Ana is an accomplished debater and mentor, having won multiple awards. Ana’s dedication extends to volunteer work, where she engages with disadvantaged youth, fostering personal growth and providing educational support. During her academic journey, Ana undertook an enriching internship at the Representation of the European Commission, where she delved into the intricacies of European governance and policy-making. As a Delegation’s Director at YEL, she aims to bridge the gap between the European Youth and the European institutions with a belief in the power of the youth to shape their own future.
Ciáran Ferrin
Deputy Director of Delegations
Ciaran is a planetarian-focused sustainability advocate that has grown up in a post-conflict society, where his passions for conservation, sustainability research and system optimisation has led him to becoming a prominent youth ambassador for Northern Ireland in how sustainability and peace relationships can flourish together. Ciaran has graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a BSc in Chemistry and a MSc in Leadership for Sustainable Development, along with two DegreePlus awards. He’s chair of the Belfast Climate Commission’s Youth Working Group and delegate for the One Young World Summit in Belfast 2023. He has a colourful repertoire of experiences throughout a myriad of industries, representing Northern Ireland and youth voices on national and international platforms, relating to sustainability education. He’s helped start multiple social enterprises, has international experiences in conservation, science, leadership, business, teaching, societal relationship building, etc. and has even taught himself multiple languages.
Vincent Tadday
Delegations Offcier
Interested in global politics and governance, Vincent graduated with a BSc in Global Studies (cum laude) from Maastricht University. He is a Young European Ambassador bridging the EU and its eastern neighbourhood. As part of a diverse range of organizations and networks, he is strengthening the voice of the youth in national, international, and global policymaking. Currently, Vincent is pursuing his master’s degree in public policy, studying in Paris and Berlin. As part of the Delegations Team, he eagerly supports young people from diverse backgrounds to navigate international politics and make their voices heard.
Alba Cantero Sanchez
Delegations Officer
Alba is a third-year student of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick UK, currently on a placement year in Brussels at FleishmanHillard EU. Her interests lie in international aid and development as well as youth empowerment, sparked by her multicultural and multilingual background. During her first years at university, she took part in several volunteering and student union roles, to improve integration and increase awareness of politics, through the Student Action for Refugees and as a Democracy Assistant to name a few. Alba is committed to empower the most vulnerable in society and advocate for their rights, she has taken up several roles where she worked closely with public services to represent these voices. As a Delegation Officer at YEL she is looking to empower young people and give them opportunities to develop key skills.
Krista Tammila
Delegations Officer
Krista Tammila is half Finnish and half Singaporean and has grown up abroad. She has a Bachelor’s in international relations and a Master’s of Law and has pursued her career in the international sphere in project management. Dedicated to empowering youth, Krista is a member of STEAR as the Podcast Director, and has been in various other think tanks, working to provide youth with opportunities to make a difference in the international community.
Elena Cioffi
Delegations Offcier
Elena is a third-year Bachelor of Global Governance student at the University of Rome, Tor Veragta. The previous semester, she left for an exchange program Erasmus+ at the University of Carlos III of Madrid, where she discovered what she would like to do in the future: international security. Now, she is looking forward to dedicating her next studies to the field of security. During her academic studies, she was selected as an intern at the Mexican Embassy in Italy, where she improved her Spanish skills. In addition, Elena is active in different associations and organizations involving security, such as Women in International Security, Student Movement for International Organisation, and Dossier Difesa.
Anna Lipiec
Delegations Officer
Anna is a first-year Political Science student at NYU Abu Dhabi, who wants to minor in Peace Studies and Chinese language. She is passionate about international conflict and security, as well as the US- China relations. As for her non-academic activities, throughout the years she has been involved in multiple NGOs that promote youth agency and engagement. On campus she is a part of multiple SIGs, being the most active in the Debate Union. She was also engaged in volunteer work and is planning to come back to
that in the near future. Apart from that, she loves traveling, learning new languages and reading non-fiction novels (preferably with a cup of matcha by her side).
Malgorzata Waniek
Delegations Officer
Malgorzata is a passionate about Cross-Border-Cooperation , Sustainable Development, Climate changes and sustainable turism. She is currently working as a PhD researcher at the Catholic University of Avila in Spain. Her research focuses on environmental cross-border cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia, with focus on climate changes and turism. Through her work, she is not only involved in the orgaisation of many international scientific conferences but also successfully presents the results of her research. Additionally, she holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations, a master’s degree in business psychology and has completed a postgraduate MBA.
Communications
Marko Milutinovic
Vice President for Communications and Community Building
Marko Milutinović is the Director of Communications for the Young European Leadership. He has graduated from Law School at the University of Belgrade but has soon shifted his focus to the Communications sector. In addition to being the Director of Communications at the YEL, he leads the Communications for various non-governmental organizations, both domestic and foreign. Marko is proud of the fact that he is an environmental activist, the Young European Ambassador for the Western Balkans and the Ambassador of the European Climate Pact.
Alisha Houlihan
Deputy Director of Communications
Alisha is a Marketing and Events Manager for AML Intelligence, based in the Dublin office.
Alisha Houlihan is a dynamic and dedicated professional with a passion for creating meaningful content and engaging events in the field of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and financial crime prevention. Alisha brings a unique blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and communications experise and hits the ground running in the world of media and marketing. Alisha works within the execution of impactful events that foster knowledge sharing and collaboration. Her strategic approach to event planning ensures that conferences, seminars and workshops provide attendees with unparalleled insights.
Alisha manages newsletters and social media platforms.
Elena - Alina Staniloiu
Communications Offcier
Elena-Alina Staniloiu holds the role of Communication Officer at the Young European Leadership, and her mission is to inform, inspire, and empower young individuals to embrace international opportunities and actively engage in policy-making processes, catalysing democratic change on a global scale. As a young professional with a Bachelor’s degree in European Languages and Cultures from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, complemented by an Honours College Programme and coursework in Media Studies and Political Communication, Alina is passionate about EU policy-making, digital communication, gender equality, and multilingualism, all being reflected in her engagement in the ENLIGHT European University Alliance, the European Parliament, and the Brussels Binder. In her role at YEL, Alina is dedicated to facilitating access for young individuals to resources and training, enabling them to ascend to the vanguard of impactful decision-making on the international stage.
Haguar Mourad
Communications Officer
Haguar is 21 years old and is currently finishing my bachelor’s degree in political science at University of Lille in France. During her studies, she discovered her passion for activism, especially when it comes to Human Rights, feminism and climate justice advocacy, which is why she has been volunteering in NGOs for the past two years. Haguar also loves reading, writing articles and am interested in deepening my knowledge in languages and linguistics. As a trilingual, she is very sociable and community-oriented person, Haguar is deeply passionate about communication as a field and also as an effective tool in our day-to-day life. All the listed reasons are precisely why she is intrigued by communication strategies in NGO’s as they require certain skills to cater to the right audience and thereby raise their awareness regarding relevant causes.
Mateusz Kobylec
Communications Officer
Having been born the year before Mateusz’s country of birth (Poland) joined the EU, he has been blessed to reap the benefits of being a true European citizen and his life trajectory simply would not have been the same.Whilst growing up in Poland Mateusz felt immense pride to be living in Europe and at the age of 11, his family immigrated to London to pursue better life opportunities. However, since the outcome of the Brexit referendum, Mateusz has observed the negative consequences of isolationism and realised how the European Union is a powerful institution which unifies nations and is open to collaboration helping to drive economic progress, development as well as one which seeks to uplift and take care of its people. Now aged 20, Mateusz is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Business and Management Studies at the University of Sussex. At YEL, he is a part of and supports the Communications team. In this role, Mateusz manages YEL’s social media, writes content, and shares exciting events which are open for young people in Europe.Looking ahead, he sincerely hopes that with this role he is able to give back to the European community for the opportunities and the life he was able to live and empower other young people in reaching their true potential and be an inspiration for others.