EU Funds Management. Fostering Cohesion for Impactful EU Investments

Myles has extensive experience of the audit, control and management of the cohesion funds, having worked for 6 years in DG EMPL's audit directorate, and for 2 years in the joint audit directorate for DGs EMPL and REGIO, as team leader for the budget discharge process. Prior to this, he worked as an administrator in the Commission's Secretariat General, in charge of interinstitutional relations with COREPER II (EU Council). Myles holds a Msc degree in European Politics from the LSE.

As the Head of the Interact Managing Authority and Secretariat, Petra ensures the seamless implementation of the programme. She represents Interact in interactions with Member States, the European Commission, and various external stakeholders, fostering collaboration and driving programme success. With a rich background in governance, Petra previously worked at the Office of the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic and served as a Member of the Slovak Parliament, bringing extensive experience in public administration and policy-making to her current role. She graduated at Comenius University in Bratislava, gaining her degree in translation and interpretation and later on in management

Chiara Frencia is the Director of the Policy Support department at Inova+, a Portuguese consultancy in Innovation Management and EU funding support. She has over 15 years of experience in European and international cooperation projects in the field of innovation. Chiara is a recognized expert in the field of European policies in research & development, societal challenges, SME development, entrepreneurship, regional innovation ecosystems and financial instruments.

Jo Kremers is a chartered accountant and a certified IT auditor with extensive experience in auditing, fraud investigation, and internal control. He holds the position of Senior Audit Manager at the Audit Authority for ESI Funds in the Netherlands since 2007 and has had a distinguished career spanning more than three decades. Jo is recognised for his expertise in anti-fraud and corruption, and in particular, for his Anti-Fraud and Corruption games which have received awards from the European Commission. He is also a sought-after lecturer, trainer, and speaker for national and international institutions, including the International Anti-Corruption Academy (endorsed by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, OLAF, INTERPOL, and the Republic of Austria). Jo has also worked as an expert in various international, EU, and World Bank funded projects, contributing to the internal control and audit functions in the public sector in several (candidate) EU Member States.

Austin Kilroy is Founder of the product Whispers.tech, a copilot for better meetings. Previously for 12 years he was a private sector development specialist at the World Bank Group, focusing on competitive cities and regional economic development. His degree in Economics and Politics is from the University of Cambridge, his Ph.D. in urban and regional economics is from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.