About
Who we are and what we do
The Europe – Asia Center is an independent, not-for-profit organization promoting Asia-Europe relations by means of connecting professionals, institutions, organizations and networks across sectors. Through implementation of projects, including conferences, workshops, cultural events, publications, educational and research programs, Europe – Asia Center is connecting people and knowledge across continents.
The center is providing current and comprehensive research, analysis and information on Europe -Asia relations, raising mutual understanding and bridging gaps between social, cultural, business and political spheres in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Values
➣ Trust
➣ Transparency
➣ Compassion
➣ Tolerance
➣ Prosperity
Vision
“Enlightening the path to civilizational prosperity”
Mission
Empowering relationships between the communities of Europe and Asia through forward-thinking initiatives that consistently deliver tangible and progressive benefits, fostering the prosperity of the world.
Board Members
Management Team
Ambassador Jean De Ruyt – Co-Chair of the Board
Ambassador Jean De Ruyt is a senior career diplomat specialised in the EU, transatlantic relations and United Nations development policy. Jean De Ruyt is acknowledged as an authority on the system and workings of the European Institutions. His successful management of the Presidency of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of Member States in 2010 highlighted De Ruyt’s depth of knowledge and breadth of relationships within the European institutions (Commission, Parliament and Council).
A former Ambassador of Belgium to NATO, UN and the EU, De Ruyt’s experience ranges from negotiating foreign and security policies to shaping agreements, commercial as well as regulatory. He was closely involved in Europe’s response to the financial crisis and the resulting legislation at the European level. Close to the upper echelons of the EU hierarchy, De Ruyt was instrumental in the creation of the European foreign service. He also facilitated the resolution of a variety of state aid and competition policy disputes.
De Ruyt is a skilled strategist and political analyst, known for his insightful and clear thinking of complex issues. His connections are international and wide-ranging with a focus on Europe, the United States, where he spent 12 years, Central Africa and the Middle East. His published references are extensive. He is fluent in French, English, Italian and Dutch. Currently a Senior Advisor for Covington LLP in Brussels and a former member of the Board of Counselors for McLarty Associates, he is also a member of the Belgian Royal Academy and a Senior Associate Fellow of the Egmont Institute.
H.E. Erik Solheim – Co-Chair of the Board
Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
H.E. Erik Solheim is a Norwegian diplomat and former politician. He served in the Norwegian government from 2005 to 2012 as Minister of International Development and Minister of the Environment, and as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme from 2016 to 2018.
In 2005, he was appointed Minister of International Development. In 2007, he additionally became the Minister of the Environment, and he held both offices until 2012. This unique portfolio mixture allowed him to bring a coherent approach to development and the environment. During his time as Minister, Norwegian aid reached 1 per cent, the highest in the world. Solheim also put into place the Nature Diversity Act, which many consider to be Norway’s most important piece of environmental legislation in the last 100 years. The Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative, in which Norway cooperates closely with Brazil, Indonesia, Guyana and other countries to conserve rainforests, was also established under Solheim. This initiative provided critical input to the establishment of UN REDD, the global coalition to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries.
From 2013 to 2016 Solheim was chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee in Paris. In this capacity, Solheim emphasized the role of private sector and tax in development finance, spearheading the Sustainable Development Investment Partnership and the Addis Tax Initiative. Solheim also focused on the need to channel more aid to least-developed countries, and bring new members and partners to the Development Assistance Committee.
Excellency Solheim served as the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme between 2016 to 2018.
Solheim is also an experienced peace negotiator, having acted as the main facilitator of the peace process in Sri Lanka from 1998 to 2005. The peace process led to a ceasefire and the Oslo Declaration in 2002, where parties welcomed a federal state in Sri Lanka. He continued to lead peace efforts in Sri Lanka as Minister, and has contributed to peace processes in Sudan, Nepal, Myanmar and Burundi.
Erik Solheim is one of the greater ambassadors for green transition, both in business and politics. He is the Vice-chair of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, chairman of the advisory board for Afroz Shah Foundation and the chair of the Developments roundtable at the Green Hydrogen Organization.
H.E. Dr. hc. Violeta Bulc – Vice-chair of the Board
Former EU Commissioner for Transport and Mobility.
H.E. Violeta Bulc, born in 1964 in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, features her life and work with science, technology, innovation, economic participation and political empowerment. Her journey through life covers roles as a business woman, member of her national basketball team, IT engineer in Silicon Valley, Deputy Prime Minister of Slovenia and then EU Commissioner for Transport and Mobility.
Bulc earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Informatics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, as well as a master’s degree in Information Technology at the Golden Gate University of San Francisco. She then worked from 1991 to 1994 as an expert for wide area networks performance analyses at DHL Systems of Burlingame, California. In 1994 she returned to the then-independent Slovenia, where she worked as the Manager of Institutional Traffic (until 1997) and then the Director of Carrier Business (till 1999) for Telekom Slovenia.
From 1999 to 2000 she was the vice-president of Telemach Ltd, a major telecommunications provider, and from 2000 to 2014 the CEO of Vibacom Ltd, Sustainable Strategies and Innovation Ecosystems. After holding a post od Deputy-prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia responsible for development, strategic projects and cohesion, excellency Bulc received nomination for the Transport and Mobility Commissioner post at Junker’s Commission (2014 – 2019). As commissioner, Bulc prioritized digitalisation, decarbonisation and innovation in the transport sector. She is also a current #G100 Global Chair for the Women World Economic Forum, member of the board of Joint European Disruptive Initiative (JEDI) and is the curator of Ecocivilisation initiative.
Ambassador Phạm Sanh Châu – Vice-chair of the Board
Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau is Vietnamese diplomat and an educator with distinct international experience in multilateral affairs.
Appointed by President of Socialist Republic of Viêt Nam, Pham Sanh Chau was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of India, the Kingdom of Bhutan, and the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal from 2018 until 2022. Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau also served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and the European Union between 2011 and 2014.
As part of his strong dedication to facilitating Cultural dialogue, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau received the appointment as Viêt Nam’s youngest Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Viêt Nam to UNESCO and the Personal Representative of the President of Viet Nam to the International Organisation of La Francophonie in Paris in 1999. Pham Sanh Chau served as Secretary-General of the Viêt Nam National Commission for UNESCO and a member of Paris-based UNESCO’s Executive Board between 2014 and 2016. He was appointed the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Viêt Nam on UNESCO Affairs in 2016. As the official candidate of the Vietnamese Government, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau ran for the post of Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2017.
Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau also served as Deputy Director-General of the Viêt Nam Secretariat for the APEC Summit Meeting. Combining passion for education and International relations, Pham Sanh Chau served as Vice Rector of the Institute of International Relations, now the Diplomatic Academy of Viêt Nam between 2003 to 2006.
In Brussels, the Ambassador played an instrumental role in concluding the negotiation between the European Union and Viêt Nam on the EU-Viêt Nam Free Trade Agreement. Pham Sanh Chau also advocated for strengthened political and economic cooperation between the EU and Viêt Nam by expediting the ratification of EU-Viêt Nam Framework Cooperation Agreement signed in 2012.
While serving as General Secretary of Viêt Nam’s National Commission for UNESCO, he focused on building an inclusive and sustainable Learning Society, promoting gender equality through intercultural dialogue and international cooperation, and striving to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
During his last post in India, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau deepened Indo-Vietnam relations, including in defense industry, commerce, economic exchange, culture and tourism. Despite the global pandemic, the trade value between the two countries reached record high of 15 billion USD during his posting. He played a pivotal role in securing India-made anti Covid 19 drugs for Vietnam’s patients during the peak of the pandemic. He also secured investments of HCL High Tech and Adani Group in Viêt Nam. As a firm believer in the power of people-to-people exchanges, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau positioned Viêt Nam as the top wedding destination for high-level Indian weddings and facilitated the establishment of numerous direct flight connections between cities in India and Vietnam.
Throughout his distinguished public service career, Pham Sanh Chau has been deeply committed to promoting UN values and ideals through multilateralism, building a strong foundation for sustained peace and understanding among nations.
Born into a diplomatic family, Pham Sanh Chau was raised in an international environment, growing up in the Middle East (Syria and Lebanon), Slavic nations and Southeast Asia. He is married, with two children.
Sheila Arora – Vice-chair of the Board
Sheila Arora is an internationally experienced strategic marketing and communications expert, with over 30 years of experiences in both Europe, Asia and North America. With expertise in leveraging the power of arts in diplomatic projects, she has been developing innovative solutions that have facilitated strengthening of bilateral, multilateral exchanges and corporate partnerships in the field of culture, education and inter-cultural understanding.
With a strong sense of business development, Sheila Arora has worked on initiating and fostering strategic partnerships for leading luxury brands including the re-launch of Piaget in Australia and the China Club in Hong Kong.
As a member of the diplomatic community, Ms Arora managed the cultural programming at the Belgian Mission to the UN in New York between 2001 and 2004, Ms Arora founded the not-for profit organization Europe Society, promoting the EU – US relations. As part of EU-US dialogue she has managed a high-level dialogue series engaging leading European businesses, including LVMH, EasyJet, the Financial Times. During the post in Rome between 2007 and 2011, she managed diplomatic engagement and press relations of the exhibition celebrating 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.
Mrs Arora is a board member of the Advisory Board of VOLTA Fairs and has previously served as a member of the board of the Belgium Hong Kong Society for 15 years, dedicating her time to cultural engagement and high-level dialogue projects. Bridging high-level exchanges from across the fields, from governance, commercial sector, she has specialised in the development of non-traditional context and forums for engagement.
Sheila Arora is British and Belgian citizen, with German-Indian heritage married to Ambassador Jean de Ruyt.
Dr. Wei Shen – Vice-chair of the Board
Professor Wei SHEN PhD LLM MA FRSA FRGS is the Vice-Chair of Europe-Asia Center, holder of Jean Monnet Chair & Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (International Relations) at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.
Prior to Deakin, he was Professor of International Business at Lancaster University (UK), research fellow at Centre Asie of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), research assistant at Loughborough and Oxford Universities. Prof Shen is the founding Co-Chair of Alliance of Chinese and European Business Schools (ACE), Yunshan Chair Professor at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (Guangzhou, China), Board of Directors at Nantien University (Newcastle, Australia) and International Advisory Board member for Beijing Jiaotong University School of Economics and Management, Hong Kong Baptist University Business School, ESC Clermont Business School (France) and Pforzheim University Business School (Germany). He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) and the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and has been an invited professor at Sciences Po de Paris, Institut des Hautes Etudes Européennes (Strasbourg), Bayreuth University, Antwerp Management School and several leading Chinese universities.
He received PhD in Human Geography from Loughborough University (UK), LLM from Stockholms Universitet, European Master in Law and Economics and MA in Urban Management from Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, His academic pursuit also led him to CERI/CNRS Sciences Po Paris, Bocconi (Milan), Linkoping, Hamburg and Warwick universities. He has received numerous scholarships and grants from the Royal Society, Universities Committee in London, Foundation for Urban and Regional Studies, European Commission and University Association of Contemporary European Studies (UACES). He has also worked for a number of international organizations including Council of Europe (Strasbourg), Asia-Europe Foundation (Singapore), International Organisation for Migration (Geneva), UNESCO (Hamburg) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (Rome), as well as a foreign-owned enterprise in Shanghai.
Wei Shen has published widely on the topics of Asia-Europe relations, international education, migration, urbanisation / global city network as well as Chinese economy. He is the Editor in Chief: Asia-Europe Journal (AEJ), an SSCI journal published by Springer and the Series Editor of Routledge Handbook on Europe in the World. His articles and interviews have appeared on Environment and Practices, International Journal of Educational Development, Environment and Planning A, Urban Studies, Chinese Journal of European Studies, Le Monde, L’Atlas des civilisations, Asia-Europe Journal, Le Monde, International Herald Tribune/New York Times, China Daily, Le Tribune, Radio France International, Science Career, UK House of Commons and Xinhua News Agency etc. Wei Shen servd on the editorial board for Journal of Contemporary China, Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies and has reviewed for the Academy of Management and Cambridge Journal of International Affairs among others.
Professor Shen’s recent research has been funded from the French National Research Agency (ANR), European Science Foundation and European Commission Jean Monnet Programme, and he currently coordinates the UACES-funded Collaborative Research Network on EU-China Relations with colleagues from College of Europe and Free University of Berlin. Wei Shen is an independent academic expert for the European Commission and has been chair/vice-chair/assesor for a number of EU FP7, H2020, Horizon Europe as well as Erasmus+ evaluations. He is part of the peer review college for EFMD accreditations. Wei Shen is the recipient of several awards including the Sir Robert Martin University Medal from Loughborough University, Fellowship of Salzburg Seminar and Our Common Future Fellowship from Volkswagen and Mercator Foundations. He has been invited as keynote and plenary speaker at leading universities around the world and international forums such as China-Europe Forum and BMW Foundation Global Table and gave the Lentecyclus Lecture at the Royal Belgian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Brussels (KVAB) in 2010.
Advisory Board
Leon Faber
Leon Faber is a retired Luxembourgish diplomat who has served in various capacities in both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Luxembourg and the European Union Delegation. He possesses extensive expertise in the fields of economic and international relations, international aviation agreements, and international development cooperation. During his career, Faber has held numerous positions within the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the United Nations, dealing with issues related to human rights, health, and humanitarian affairs. He has also served as the ambassador of the European Union Delegation to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and as the Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Luxembourg. Furthermore, Faber opened the Embassy of Luxembourg in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Throughout his career, he has been committed to promoting access to knowledge and fostering studies in the areas of history, philosophy, psychology, and literature.
Grimanesa Amorós
Throughout her career, Peruvian-born American artist Grimanesa Amorós has harnessed the medium of light to create immersive monumental sculptures that engage visitors in contemplation of their cultural heritage, community, and relationship to technology. In the art of Amorós, the past is meeting the future.
Her childhood fascination with light began on the shores of her homeland in Lima. The tumultuous waters of the immense pacific ocean would create iridescent sculptural foam. Amorós sites watching bubbles deflate and inflate, as if breathing, for the formal decisions in her later work.
Describing her work as a “constant romance with the unknown”, Amorós first incorporated light into her practice following a fated trip to Iceland. While there, she saw the northern lights and realized the powerful ephemeral magic light held. She discusses light’s ability to transcend social and geographic boundaries “we all connect to light.”
Drawing upon critical cultural legacies and landscapes, Amorós is inspired by the communities she creates within. Installing and programming each piece on-site, direct interaction with the surrounding architecture is key to creating her work. “Ultimately, the piece connects the viewers, space, and light sculpture, merging them into one.”
Jane Farver writes, “A joyful and generous spirit, Amorós views her art as a gift to others.” Amoros has connected cultures and viewers through the medium of light in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America as a guest speaker at TEDGlobal 2014 and as a part of the Art in Embassies Program of the US.
Amorós has exhibited in the United States, Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America. She was a guest speaker at TEDGlobal 2014, a recipient of the ‘NEA Visual Arts Grants Fellowships 1993 ’, and has the distinction of being part of the ‘Art In Embassies Program of the U.S.’ and the Civita Institute NE Chapter Fellowship Grant.
Liu Xiaosong
Liu Xiaosong is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive officer of A8 New Media Group Limited (00800.HK), and founding partner of Qingsong Fund.
Mr. Liu holds the Bachelor degree from Hunan University in electrical engineering and Masters degree in Electric power systems and automation from the China Electric Power Research Institute, with a master’s degree in electric power systems and automation. In 1991, he studied at Tsinghua University as a PhD research student, focusing on the research of computer vision.
Mr. Liu worked in the Electric Power Research Institute of the Ministry of energy of China in 1987, focus on the construction of national electric energy measurement standards. In 1993 he founder Shenzhen Xinlide Electronics Co., Ltd whose principal business is development of digital systems for banks and securities the construction of smart city. In 2000, Mr. Liu founded A8 New Media Group Limited, with principal business of developing the applications of mobile Internet in the media field, A8 was listed on the Main Board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June 2008.
While engaging in with startups, Mr. Liu has always been an active investor. In 1999, as one of the co-founders he invested Tencent which was listed on the Main Board of Hong Kong in 2004. In 2009, Mr. Liu incubated Lazy Audio which was acquired by Tentcent Music Entertainment (NSYE:TME) in 2022. In 2012 he invested in Shenzhen Sunmoon Microelectronics which was listed in Shenzhen stock exchange in 2020. In 2014, Mr. Liu incubated INKE, the earliest mobile live streaming platform in China, listed on the Main Board of Hong Kong in 2018. In 2016 Mr. Liu and A8 jointly acquired the online literary platform “Zhangwen Group” whose business include online literature, audio novels, creation and distribution of film and television dramas and animation. Zhangwen Group have signed cooperation contracts with over 80,000 authors and owned the copyright of over 150,000 novels along with their audio and video, thus created a literary multimedia portal for the new generation, and was one of the first enterprises to lay out the pan-entertainment ecology in China.
Mr. Liu won the title of the first “China’s Top 10 Angel Investors” in 2010. In 2012, Mr. Liu and two friends co-founded Qingsong Fund, one of the earliest angel investment funds in China, which focuses on fields including Industrial digitization, new energy, pan entertainment, new consumption and other fields. Mr. Liu was awarded as one of the TOP 100 Chinese Investors by Zero2IPO Group from 2016 to 2019. Some of his excellent investment portfolios include BASIC Semiconductor, Zhangmen Education ((NYSE:ZME), HFP(HomeFacialPro), Jiamian Technology, Berxel, FABU.AI.,Ruiyun Cold Chain, J&T Express etc.
Mr. Liu also actively participates and contributes to a number of charitable and social activities. He is a senior member of the Tsinghua Entrepreneur & Executive Club, where he has held various leadership roles since 2010, including the position of Global Chairman. Mr. Liu currently serves as volunteer adviser on the boards of the Paradise International Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.
Currently, Mr. Liu is the non-executive director of INKE Limited and the independent non-executive director of China Dongxiang (Group) Co., Ltd. .
David S. Evangelista
David Evangelista is President & Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia and Senior Advisor for International Development for Special Olympics, Inc. He is responsible for the growth and development of the Special Olympics movement across 58 nations across Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
As Senior Advisor for International Development, David is responsible for the creation and expansion of global partnerships with United Nation agencies, foreign aid agencies, international non-governmental organizations and related philanthropic stakeholders.
David has extensive global experience in the areas of government relations, industry engagement, international development, thought leadership and global partnership building in support of marginalized populations.
David serves on the Advisory Board of the Division of Multilateral Diplomacy for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), a current member of the Centre for Sports and Human Rights and is a member of the international Board of Directors for The Access Challenge. David was a former member of the High-Level Group on Sports Diplomacy for the European Commission and a former member of the Global Partnership for Children with Disabilities for UNICEF.
A Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow of the Lions Clubs International Foundation, David is Founding President of the Washington, DC Special Olympics Lions Club and currently serves as a member of the Centennial 100 Champion Lions Club. An experienced guest speaker, David has delivered keynote speeches at leading universities, including the University of Chicago, Georgetown University as well as at various business institutes in Europe. He has also served as a guest speaker and presenter for the United Nations, European Union, and a range of civil society organizations on issues related to international development, global affairs, disability, and government relations.
David has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the School of International Service of American University in Washington, DC and a Master’s degree in International Business from IESIDE in Vigo, Spain. A native of Rhode Island, USA, David, resides in Vigo, Spain with his wife and their two sons.
Đỗ Thị Hải Yến
Đỗ Thị Hải Yến is a talented and accomplished Vietnamese actress, known for her powerful performances and dedication to promoting the culture and talent of Vietnam on an international stage.
Born in Hanoi, Vietnam, Đỗ Thị Hải Yến developed a passion for acting at a young age. She began her acting career in Vietnam, quickly making a name for herself in the local film and television industry. With her natural talent and hard work, she quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of the most sought-after actresses in Vietnam.
Throughout her career, Đỗ Thị Hải Yến has starred in a number of critically acclaimed and popular films and television shows. Some of her most notable works include “The Quiet American”, “The Scent of Green Papaya”, “The Third Wife” and “The Tailor” which were premiered in many international film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Toronto and many more.
In addition to her acting career, Đỗ Thị Hải Yến is also deeply committed to promoting the culture and talent of Vietnam on an international stage. She has represented Vietnam at various international film festivals and events, showcasing the country’s rich heritage and vibrant contemporary culture.
Thanks to her talent, dedication and international promotion, Đỗ Thị Hải Yến has become a respected and beloved figure in the world of film and entertainment. With her passion and commitment, she continues to inspire and entertain audiences around the world, promoting the culture and talent of Vietnam for generations to come.
Alexander Krichel
Pianist and ECHO Klassik prize winner Alexander Krichel is known for his captivating interpretations of the most demanding works of piano literature. From Beethoven and Liszt to Rachmaninov and Prokofiev. Born in Hamburg in 1989, the keyboard virtuoso fascinates with the contrasts he unites – intellect meets musicality, sense meets sensuality. In his playing, he combines analytical clarity with fiery emotion. Contrasting effective keyboard thunder with soft, luminous cantilenas is one of his trademarks. “Cold fingers, cool head and hot heart” – in keeping with the motto of the Neuhaus Piano School, from which piano legends such as Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels and Radu Lupu originate, the exceptional artist lets his heart guide him on stage.
With his current album Alexander Krichel celebrates his debut with Berlin Classics. He combines Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”, a central work of piano literature, with a rarely heard gem by the Romanian composer George Enescu. Enescu’s 2nd piano suite embeds baroque formal language in romantic-impressionist timbres and enchants with a magnificent palette of colours.
Even during the long Corona lockdown, Alexander Krichel found his way to his audience with unusual actions and streaming concerts. In May 2020, he initiated the world’s first classical music concert in a drive-in cinema, which was broadcast by WDR. A short time later, his audience followed him in a video diary from a Hong Kong hotel suite where he had to observe a 14-day quarantine before a concert. For Beethoven’s 250th birthday, Krichel and the Meiningen Hofkapelle brought Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto to the stage of the Staatstheater and via live stream to viewers from all over the world, and in the Essen Philharmonie he also played a solo recital with Beethoven, Schumann and Liszt for an online-only audience.
After all the performances via live stream, Alexander Krichel is now all the more delighted to be able to communicate live with his audience again, as he did most recently in a concert for BR when he played Mussorgsky’s “Pictures”. Not only the audience was enthusiastic, the Süddeutsche Zeitung attested Krichel “an unerring pianistic feeling for sound. Not all great pianists have that. But the really great ones, they do.”
Zehra Sayin
Zehra Sayin has studied International Marketing in Brussels and has a specialization in Intercultural Management and Psychology of Persuasion.
She has started her career in the private sector as Business Development Executive in the Luxemburg market for Xerox (Leader in Document Management).
After 3 years she has decided to discover new business models and develop her skills in the non-profit sector. She joined Special Olympics – the international Olympic organization for athletes with intellectual disabilities. She was MarCom & Sponsoring Director of the 2014 European Summer Games for 58 countries, she launched the first awareness campaign and raised the record sum of € 11 million in 1 year.
Once her mission successfully accomplished, she joined the International Polar Foundation as Marketing, Communication & Fundraising Director for 4 EU countries for a period of 1 year.
She was promoted to her current role in August 2015 as CEO of Special Olympics Belgium to avoid bankruptcy and guarantee its sustainability with a long-term vision (financial & operational strategy towards 2020 and now 2024). Admirer of Japanese management methodologies, she is overseeing the restructuration and the professionalization of the organization. She is also involved in a Global Fundraising & Strategic Development project for 193 countries for SO International. In 5 years, she had a massive impact on B2B sector and their way to support charities in Belgium, creating a real mind shift.
In addition to her role within Special Olympics, she is Chairwoman of Collectif HUMA – dedicated to bringing an expert vision in the production of reportage and editorial projects. Last but not least, she is Board Member of BOZAR, Vice-Chair of Urban Youth Games, one the 15 global delegates of 2022 Global Sports Mentoring Program led by U.S. Department of State, besides her involvement in the creation of an orphanage in Africa.
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54 National & International Awards – 2014 to 2021
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Gold Effie Awards: 3 Belgian and 4 European + 1 Silver Effie Award (BE) – 2017 to 2020
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1 Grand Effie – First time in Belgium after 10 years
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Marketing Company of the Year, finalist – 2021
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Number 1 Most Effective NGO & number 34 of Most Effective Brands in Global Effie Ranking – 2020
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She showed her agility in a period like Covid-19 by diversifying revenues and developing fully digital alternatives for the organizations she is supporting – 2020 & 2021
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Best Campaign of the Year Award by B2B Awards – 2019
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One of the 5 SUPERWOMEN in Belgium by MediaMarketing – 2018
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Special Olympics Belgium, benchmark for 12 countries by SO Washington – 2018
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Marketeer of the Year, finalist – 2018
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Advertiser Personality of the Year, finalist – 2017
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Today Zehra Sayin is invited as speaker to many forums, panels, conferences to share her vision of social impact, positive change of attitudes & social entrepreneurship.