This event has now taken place. Keep an eye out here for updates on a future event!
The European E-Commerce Conference, now in its 11th year, is the premier gathering for policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, and stakeholders from across Europe. This conference provides a platform for discussing the latest e-commerce policies, regulations, and practices in the EU and beyond.
The conference, which will take place on the 23rd May in Brussels, will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions on a range of topics related to e-commerce policy.
We are pleased to announce that Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice, will open this year’s conference.
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in discussions, share insights, and network with peers from a range of sectors, including government, industry, and civil society. The conference will also provide a platform for policymakers to exchange best practices and lessons learned in the development and implementation of e-commerce policies and regulations across Europe.
Join us at Europe’s most vibrant and dynamic e-commerce policy conference. Register now and be a part of the future of e-commerce policy in the EU!
Didier Reynders is European Commissioner for justice responsible for rule of law, data protection and other fundamental rights, as well as consumer protection, a position he has held since December 2019. Previously, he held several high-level political positions in Belgium including minister of defense, minister of foreign affairs, foreign trade and European affairs, minister of finance and deputy prime minister. From 2004 to 2011, he served as chairman of the Mouvement Réformateur (liberal party alliance). He was elected member of the Belgian Parliament in 1992. Prior to this, he was president of the National Railway Company of Belgium and the National Society of Airways. Reynders has been a guest lecturer at the universities of Liège, Brussels and Louvain until he became European Commissioner. He holds a degree in law from the University of Liège.
Consumer protection and empowerment
Cross-border e-commerce
SMEs and the digital single market
E-Commerce, sustainability and the European Green Deal
All times are CEST time zone
Agenda coming soon!
Check back here for regular updates.
Didier Reynders is European Commissioner for justice responsible for rule of law, data protection and other fundamental rights, as well as consumer protection, a position he has held since December 2019. Previously, he held several high-level political positions in Belgium including minister of defense, minister of foreign affairs, foreign trade and European affairs, minister of finance and deputy prime minister. From 2004 to 2011, he served as chairman of the Mouvement Réformateur (liberal party alliance). He was elected member of the Belgian Parliament in 1992. Prior to this, he was president of the National Railway Company of Belgium and the National Society of Airways. Reynders has been a guest lecturer at the universities of Liège, Brussels and Louvain until he became European Commissioner. He holds a degree in law from the University of Liège.
Alexia Bertrand is Federal Secretary of State for Budget and Consumer Protection. She obtained her law degree at the UCL and then a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School. After a career as a lawyer in commercial and corporate law, she turned her expertise to politics. First as an advisor, then as head of cabinet in the Cabinet of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders, a position she held until June 2019. Thereafter, and until her appointment as Secretary of State, she also served in the Brussels-Capital Parliament. She is also a local councillor in Woluwe- Saint-Pierre.
The European Commission, as part of its New Consumer Agenda, is currently analysing existing EU consumer laws to ensure they are fit for the digital age. The fitness check, launched earlier this year, will focus on updates made by the Omnibus Directive (including the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Unfair Contract Terms Directive, and the Consumer Rights Directive). It will also consider other consumer legislation, such as the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, Artificial Intelligence Act, and the Data Act. In the context of the digital fairness public consultation and the broader development of the consumer acquis, this session will focus on the latest developments in consumer policy in Europe and how this relates to the successful growth of the single digital single market in the EU.
Blanca Rodriguez is currently Deputy Director-Head of Unit responsible for
Consumer and Marketing Law in the Directorate General (DG) for Justice and
Consumers (JUST) of the European Commission.
Blanca started her professional career in the Directorate General for
Competition as an antitrust enforcer and prior to her current job, worked in
other departments of the European Commission. She was a member of its
Legal Service and represented the European Commission in litigation cases
before the European Court of Justice. She was also advisor on Competition and Legal matters to President Jacques Santer and to Commissioner Mario Monti on State Aid matters. Back in DG Competition, Blanca was in charge of
International Cooperation.
Blanca graduated in Law for the University of Barcelona and has a Diploma of
Advanced European Studies (Law) by the College of Europe, Bruges. She was
Emil Noel Fellow at Harvard Law School Harvard University (2001-2002).
Ms. Pachl is the Deputy Director General of BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, representing 46 independent national consumer associations from 32 European countries.
Before this, she has held different positions at BEUC, starting as Legal Advisor, then working as Senior Policy and Institutional Affairs Advisor.
In her current role Ms. Pachl leads BEUC’s work on digital policies, consumer rights, redress and enforcement. She leads BEUC’s coordinated enforcement activities with its member
organisations as well as the horizontal policy work on EU governance and Better Regulation.
She represents BEUC in High Level Expert Groups, for example in the European Commission’s “Fit 4 Future” platform, the stakeholder group of the EU’s Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and previously in the European Commission’s High Level Group for Artificial Intelligence.
James Waterworth is Director of EU Public Policy at Amazon where he is responsible for the company’s interactions with the European Union institutions.
James has been active in policy for more than twenty years in London and Brussels, initially in the telecoms sector for Cable & Wireless, Telefonica and Nokia before joining Amazon.
Luca Cassetti is the Secretary General of Ecommerce Europe, the European digital commerce association. He is responsible for leading and coordinating the public affairs team and activities of the association. Luca Cassetti advises the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee with respect to policy challenges and ensures that the association acts accordingly at EU level. He is also responsible for maintaining and developing relations with EU official bodies and policymakers, in close cooperation with the team. Before becoming Secretary General in July 2020, Luca Cassetti was Ecommerce Europe’s Director of EU Public Affairs. Luca graduated at the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve in 2013. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, with a focus on European Policies and Management. Luca speaks Italian, French and English fluently.
About Ecommerce Europe: Ecommerce Europe is the sole voice of the European Digital Commerce sector. It represents, via its national associations, more than 150,000 companies selling goods and services online to consumers in Europe. Ecommerce Europe acts at European level to help legislators create a better framework for online merchants, so that their sales can grow further.
With SMEs employing more than two-thirds of the European workforce, the EU is working to increase the resilience of SMEs, particularly in the current financial and geopolitical context. However, ensuring the single market provides a level-playing field for SMEs in Europe is an ongoing and evolving project. For SMEs wishing to expand beyond their national borders into other EU markets, the associated potential administrative burden can present a barrier to economic growth, for example, in the case of VAT, where companies must grapple with 27 disparate sets of rules, depending on their geographical footprint. The European Commission seeks to address this issue, and VAT fraud, through the VAT in the Digital Age package and to simplify and tighten the reporting requirements for SMEs within the Union. Additionally, several other areas are subject to current activity, including SMEs and IP protection through the new 2023 SME Fund and continuing work to reduce barriers to trade in goods and services. This session will assess the current state of play regarding SMEs and their essential role in the EU economy. It will seek to identify what is working and what continues to require attention to optimise the ability for SMEs to trade online as freely as possible throughout the Union.
Amaryllis Verhoeven is Head of Unit for Digital Transformation of Industry – Ecosystems II: Tourism & Proximity – in the Directorate General (DG) for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) at the European Commission (EU Commission). Before her current position, Dr. Verhoeven held different functions in the EU Commission related to Intellectual Property, Single Market and Energy files. She has also worked as an attorney with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. Dr. Verhoeven holds a Ph.D. in law and political philosophy from the University of Leuven, where she is also lecturing on a regular basis.
Stefan Moritz has a long years’ experience in EU-funded economic development projects with international partner networks all over the continent.
A son of a craftsman and small entrepreneur in the construction sector, he used to work each school and university holidays on the constructions sites and in the workshop of his father’s company. After his civil service at an old people’s home, he studied Sociology at the Goethe University in Frankfurt (Main)/Germany, graduating with Prof. Ullrich Oevermann, a former Habermas Fellow Researcher that founded the Institute for Objective Hermeneutics. After his studies in Germany, already enriched by a year as visiting student in 1989-90 at the University of Bologna/Italy, Faculty of Political Sciences, he moved in 1995 definitely to live in Bologna.
There he started immediately to work with EU-project planning and management as a free-lance consultant, and founded in 1999 together with other 4 partners the Consulting Firm AREA EUROPA scarl. He lead this company as the CEO for 15 years until 2014, and represents it since then in Bruxelles.
He has a vast experience as Project Manager for regional economic development, European Network Promoter and Manager, as Workshop Facilitator (GOPP, OST, World Café), Trainer for Project Management and as Strategic Business Development Advisor.
Since October 2013 he started to cooperate with European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME and has been nominated the Head of the Brussels Liaison Office of Der Mittelstand.BVMW e.V. from Germany in August 2014, as well as Managing Director of European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME in September 2014.
In July 2022 the Executive Board of the Confederation nominated him Secretary General of European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME, following up on his mentor Walter G. Grupp. Mr. Moritz represents the confederation in several European institutional working groups, advisory boards and international networks.
Stefan Moritz is mother-tongue German and speaks fluently Italian, English, Spanish and French, plus some Portuguese and Dutch.
Stephan Tromp is Managing Director of IFS Management GmbH (IFS) and Deputy Chief Executive of the German Retail Association (HDE).
IFS (www.ifs-certification.com) has been developing globally recognised supplier assessment standards for the retail and industrial sectors since 2002. Stephan Tromp has developed the company’s business from the very beginning and the focus has always been on the high quality and trustworthiness of the standards as well as on international networking and digitalisation. IFS is a subsidiary of HDE and the French trade association FCD.
His responsibilities at HDE revolve around the association’s organisation and finances as well as the topic of digitalisation in retail.
Stephan Tromp holds a diploma in business administration from the Berlin School of Economics and Law. He was a member of the Berlin House of Representatives from 2003 to 2006 and is well versed in political processes and business management. He is a native speaker of German and fluent in English and Dutch.
Biography will be included shortly.
From product design and manufacture to packing and delivery, e-commerce can enable more sustainable production processes and consumption patterns, driving increased circularity within the EU economy. But how can legislators, businesses, and consumers cooperate to ensure that e-commerce contributes its full potential to the European Green Deal? As the number of SMEs trading online increases, how can they be supported to navigate the complex legislative environment and avoid becoming the weak links in the sustainability chain? What are the large online marketplaces and retail platforms’ roles and responsibilities in this greening process? How should product information be provided to consumers to enable them to make more sustainable choices?
Karen Ghysels is responsible for the European Consumer Centre in Belgium. ECC Belgium is part of a European network with colleagues in all the member states, Norway, Iceland and the UK. These centres work closely together on a day to day basis to help consumers find a solution for their cross border
consumer query. ECC’s are therefore the face of Europe for consumers. Their service is free of charge.
The ECC Belgium team, that she is leading, consists of 4 lawyers, 1 communication officer and 1 case handler.
She obtained a law degree at the university of Namur, Antwerp and Hull. She became director of the center after working for 5 years as legal adviser at ECC Belgium and working for 6 years at the Belgian Embassy in Spain. She speaks Dutch, French, English and Spanish.
Dr Pierre Hausemer is the Managing Director of VVA. He has a wide experience advising the European institutions on a range of topics including, consumer protection, digital platforms, the single market, industrial policy and the green transition. Pierre’s speciality lies in impact assessment and evaluation of public policy and, in particular, the importance of taking into account market impacts in such assessments. He recently completed a study for the European Parliament on e-commerce and the Green Deal.
Before moving to London and Brussels, Pierre worked as an economic consultant in Washington, DC on issues surrounding the liberalisation of telecoms markets, copyright and international trade. He has published papers and spoken at conferences in the UK and abroad. In addition to English, he is fluent in French and German, and he speaks basic Spanish and Italian. At the London School of Economics, he has taught quantitative research methods for postgraduate students, and he has lectured on European Politics and Policy. Pierre holds a PhD from the London School of Economics as well as a BSc in Economics from Miami University in the United States and a Master of Science in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics.
Mr. Leendert Jan de Olde is Director EcoDesign & Sustainability for Philips. He joined Philips in April 2008, and currently is ecodesign lead and business partner for the consumer product portfolio. On sustainability this includes topics like circular economy, ecodesign and life cycle assessments. In addition Leendert Jan represents Philips in Brussels, and is chair of the working group Circular Economy in industry organization APPLiA, and vice chair for Digital Sustainability Policy Group in industry organization Digital Europe. Before joining Philips, Leendert Jan studied Land- & Watermanagement and Environmental Management, and worked as sustainability lead for a major Amsterdam based international retailer.
Juliette Beaulaton is Public Affairs Advisor for Ecommerce Europe. She joined Ecommerce Europe in October 2017, and leads the work of the Sustainability Working Committee and the Payments Working Committee of the association. As a representative of the digital commerce sector, her work entails advocating for the best regulatory framework possible for retailers. On sustainability, this covers topics such as packaging and packaging waste, sustainable products, sustainable consumption, green claims, right to repair, due diligence… Before joining Ecommerce Europe, Juliette studied political science and European politics in France before starting her career in European public affairs consultancies working on digital and sustainability policy.
Dustin Wisotzky is a Partner with top management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. He advises leading retail (both eCom as well as brick & mortar businesses) and consumer goods companies on a broad range of strategic questions, incl. large scale transformations, business model redesign and efficiency step change programs. Outside his retail industry focus, his functional expertise spans across operations, mainly concentrated on supply chain and sourcing – often linked to carbon footprint optimization.
Didier Reynders is European Commissioner for justice responsible for rule of law, data protection and other fundamental rights, as well as consumer protection, a position he has held since December 2019. Previously, he held several high-level political positions in Belgium including minister of defense, minister of foreign affairs, foreign trade and European affairs, minister of finance and deputy prime minister. From 2004 to 2011, he served as chairman of the Mouvement Réformateur (liberal party alliance). He was elected member of the Belgian Parliament in 1992. Prior to this, he was president of the National Railway Company of Belgium and the National Society of Airways. Reynders has been a guest lecturer at the universities of Liège, Brussels and Louvain until he became European Commissioner. He holds a degree in law from the University of Liège.
Alexia Bertrand is Federal Secretary of State for Budget and Consumer Protection. She obtained her law degree at the UCL and then a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School. After a career as a lawyer in commercial and corporate law, she turned her expertise to politics. First as an advisor, then as head of cabinet in the Cabinet of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders, a position she held until June 2019. Thereafter, and until her appointment as Secretary of State, she also served in the Brussels-Capital Parliament. She is also a local councillor in Woluwe- Saint-Pierre.
The European Commission, as part of its New Consumer Agenda, is currently analysing existing EU consumer laws to ensure they are fit for the digital age. The fitness check, launched earlier this year, will focus on updates made by the Omnibus Directive (including the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Unfair Contract Terms Directive, and the Consumer Rights Directive). It will also consider other consumer legislation, such as the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, Artificial Intelligence Act, and the Data Act. In the context of the digital fairness public consultation and the broader development of the consumer acquis, this session will focus on the latest developments in consumer policy in Europe and how this relates to the successful growth of the single digital single market in the EU.
Blanca Rodriguez is currently Deputy Director-Head of Unit responsible for
Consumer and Marketing Law in the Directorate General (DG) for Justice and
Consumers (JUST) of the European Commission.
Blanca started her professional career in the Directorate General for
Competition as an antitrust enforcer and prior to her current job, worked in
other departments of the European Commission. She was a member of its
Legal Service and represented the European Commission in litigation cases
before the European Court of Justice. She was also advisor on Competition and Legal matters to President Jacques Santer and to Commissioner Mario Monti on State Aid matters. Back in DG Competition, Blanca was in charge of
International Cooperation.
Blanca graduated in Law for the University of Barcelona and has a Diploma of
Advanced European Studies (Law) by the College of Europe, Bruges. She was
Emil Noel Fellow at Harvard Law School Harvard University (2001-2002).
Ms. Pachl is the Deputy Director General of BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, representing 46 independent national consumer associations from 32 European countries.
Before this, she has held different positions at BEUC, starting as Legal Advisor, then working as Senior Policy and Institutional Affairs Advisor.
In her current role Ms. Pachl leads BEUC’s work on digital policies, consumer rights, redress and enforcement. She leads BEUC’s coordinated enforcement activities with its member
organisations as well as the horizontal policy work on EU governance and Better Regulation.
She represents BEUC in High Level Expert Groups, for example in the European Commission’s “Fit 4 Future” platform, the stakeholder group of the EU’s Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and previously in the European Commission’s High Level Group for Artificial Intelligence.
James Waterworth is Director of EU Public Policy at Amazon where he is responsible for the company’s interactions with the European Union institutions.
James has been active in policy for more than twenty years in London and Brussels, initially in the telecoms sector for Cable & Wireless, Telefonica and Nokia before joining Amazon.
Luca Cassetti is the Secretary General of Ecommerce Europe, the European digital commerce association. He is responsible for leading and coordinating the public affairs team and activities of the association. Luca Cassetti advises the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee with respect to policy challenges and ensures that the association acts accordingly at EU level. He is also responsible for maintaining and developing relations with EU official bodies and policymakers, in close cooperation with the team. Before becoming Secretary General in July 2020, Luca Cassetti was Ecommerce Europe’s Director of EU Public Affairs. Luca graduated at the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve in 2013. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, with a focus on European Policies and Management. Luca speaks Italian, French and English fluently.
About Ecommerce Europe: Ecommerce Europe is the sole voice of the European Digital Commerce sector. It represents, via its national associations, more than 150,000 companies selling goods and services online to consumers in Europe. Ecommerce Europe acts at European level to help legislators create a better framework for online merchants, so that their sales can grow further.
With SMEs employing more than two-thirds of the European workforce, the EU is working to increase the resilience of SMEs, particularly in the current financial and geopolitical context. However, ensuring the single market provides a level-playing field for SMEs in Europe is an ongoing and evolving project. For SMEs wishing to expand beyond their national borders into other EU markets, the associated potential administrative burden can present a barrier to economic growth, for example, in the case of VAT, where companies must grapple with 27 disparate sets of rules, depending on their geographical footprint. The European Commission seeks to address this issue, and VAT fraud, through the VAT in the Digital Age package and to simplify and tighten the reporting requirements for SMEs within the Union. Additionally, several other areas are subject to current activity, including SMEs and IP protection through the new 2023 SME Fund and continuing work to reduce barriers to trade in goods and services. This session will assess the current state of play regarding SMEs and their essential role in the EU economy. It will seek to identify what is working and what continues to require attention to optimise the ability for SMEs to trade online as freely as possible throughout the Union.
Amaryllis Verhoeven is Head of Unit for Digital Transformation of Industry – Ecosystems II: Tourism & Proximity – in the Directorate General (DG) for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) at the European Commission (EU Commission). Before her current position, Dr. Verhoeven held different functions in the EU Commission related to Intellectual Property, Single Market and Energy files. She has also worked as an attorney with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. Dr. Verhoeven holds a Ph.D. in law and political philosophy from the University of Leuven, where she is also lecturing on a regular basis.
Stefan Moritz has a long years’ experience in EU-funded economic development projects with international partner networks all over the continent.
A son of a craftsman and small entrepreneur in the construction sector, he used to work each school and university holidays on the constructions sites and in the workshop of his father’s company. After his civil service at an old people’s home, he studied Sociology at the Goethe University in Frankfurt (Main)/Germany, graduating with Prof. Ullrich Oevermann, a former Habermas Fellow Researcher that founded the Institute for Objective Hermeneutics. After his studies in Germany, already enriched by a year as visiting student in 1989-90 at the University of Bologna/Italy, Faculty of Political Sciences, he moved in 1995 definitely to live in Bologna.
There he started immediately to work with EU-project planning and management as a free-lance consultant, and founded in 1999 together with other 4 partners the Consulting Firm AREA EUROPA scarl. He lead this company as the CEO for 15 years until 2014, and represents it since then in Bruxelles.
He has a vast experience as Project Manager for regional economic development, European Network Promoter and Manager, as Workshop Facilitator (GOPP, OST, World Café), Trainer for Project Management and as Strategic Business Development Advisor.
Since October 2013 he started to cooperate with European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME and has been nominated the Head of the Brussels Liaison Office of Der Mittelstand.BVMW e.V. from Germany in August 2014, as well as Managing Director of European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME in September 2014.
In July 2022 the Executive Board of the Confederation nominated him Secretary General of European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME, following up on his mentor Walter G. Grupp. Mr. Moritz represents the confederation in several European institutional working groups, advisory boards and international networks.
Stefan Moritz is mother-tongue German and speaks fluently Italian, English, Spanish and French, plus some Portuguese and Dutch.
Stephan Tromp is Managing Director of IFS Management GmbH (IFS) and Deputy Chief Executive of the German Retail Association (HDE).
IFS (www.ifs-certification.com) has been developing globally recognised supplier assessment standards for the retail and industrial sectors since 2002. Stephan Tromp has developed the company’s business from the very beginning and the focus has always been on the high quality and trustworthiness of the standards as well as on international networking and digitalisation. IFS is a subsidiary of HDE and the French trade association FCD.
His responsibilities at HDE revolve around the association’s organisation and finances as well as the topic of digitalisation in retail.
Stephan Tromp holds a diploma in business administration from the Berlin School of Economics and Law. He was a member of the Berlin House of Representatives from 2003 to 2006 and is well versed in political processes and business management. He is a native speaker of German and fluent in English and Dutch.
Biography will be included shortly.
From product design and manufacture to packing and delivery, e-commerce can enable more sustainable production processes and consumption patterns, driving increased circularity within the EU economy. But how can legislators, businesses, and consumers cooperate to ensure that e-commerce contributes its full potential to the European Green Deal? As the number of SMEs trading online increases, how can they be supported to navigate the complex legislative environment and avoid becoming the weak links in the sustainability chain? What are the large online marketplaces and retail platforms’ roles and responsibilities in this greening process? How should product information be provided to consumers to enable them to make more sustainable choices?
Karen Ghysels is responsible for the European Consumer Centre in Belgium. ECC Belgium is part of a European network with colleagues in all the member states, Norway, Iceland and the UK. These centres work closely together on a day to day basis to help consumers find a solution for their cross border
consumer query. ECC’s are therefore the face of Europe for consumers. Their service is free of charge.
The ECC Belgium team, that she is leading, consists of 4 lawyers, 1 communication officer and 1 case handler.
She obtained a law degree at the university of Namur, Antwerp and Hull. She became director of the center after working for 5 years as legal adviser at ECC Belgium and working for 6 years at the Belgian Embassy in Spain. She speaks Dutch, French, English and Spanish.
Dr Pierre Hausemer is the Managing Director of VVA. He has a wide experience advising the European institutions on a range of topics including, consumer protection, digital platforms, the single market, industrial policy and the green transition. Pierre’s speciality lies in impact assessment and evaluation of public policy and, in particular, the importance of taking into account market impacts in such assessments. He recently completed a study for the European Parliament on e-commerce and the Green Deal.
Before moving to London and Brussels, Pierre worked as an economic consultant in Washington, DC on issues surrounding the liberalisation of telecoms markets, copyright and international trade. He has published papers and spoken at conferences in the UK and abroad. In addition to English, he is fluent in French and German, and he speaks basic Spanish and Italian. At the London School of Economics, he has taught quantitative research methods for postgraduate students, and he has lectured on European Politics and Policy. Pierre holds a PhD from the London School of Economics as well as a BSc in Economics from Miami University in the United States and a Master of Science in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics.
Mr. Leendert Jan de Olde is Director EcoDesign & Sustainability for Philips. He joined Philips in April 2008, and currently is ecodesign lead and business partner for the consumer product portfolio. On sustainability this includes topics like circular economy, ecodesign and life cycle assessments. In addition Leendert Jan represents Philips in Brussels, and is chair of the working group Circular Economy in industry organization APPLiA, and vice chair for Digital Sustainability Policy Group in industry organization Digital Europe. Before joining Philips, Leendert Jan studied Land- & Watermanagement and Environmental Management, and worked as sustainability lead for a major Amsterdam based international retailer.
Juliette Beaulaton is Public Affairs Advisor for Ecommerce Europe. She joined Ecommerce Europe in October 2017, and leads the work of the Sustainability Working Committee and the Payments Working Committee of the association. As a representative of the digital commerce sector, her work entails advocating for the best regulatory framework possible for retailers. On sustainability, this covers topics such as packaging and packaging waste, sustainable products, sustainable consumption, green claims, right to repair, due diligence… Before joining Ecommerce Europe, Juliette studied political science and European politics in France before starting her career in European public affairs consultancies working on digital and sustainability policy.
Dustin Wisotzky is a Partner with top management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. He advises leading retail (both eCom as well as brick & mortar businesses) and consumer goods companies on a broad range of strategic questions, incl. large scale transformations, business model redesign and efficiency step change programs. Outside his retail industry focus, his functional expertise spans across operations, mainly concentrated on supply chain and sourcing – often linked to carbon footprint optimization.
First confirmed speakers include:
Didier Reynders has been EU Commissioner for Justice since 2019. Previously, he was Deputy Prime Minister for Belgium, having been Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Minister of Defence, and Minister of Finance prior to this. His responsibilities include contributing to legislation towards a coordinated approach on the human and ethical implications of artificial intelligence; leading on consumer empowerment and protection and protecting citizens’ rights; and maximising the potential of new digital technologies to improve the EU’s justice systems, amongst others. He is a graduate in Law from the University of Liège and a Lecturer/Visiting Professor (Liège, Louvain, Bruxelles).
Commissioner for Justice, European Commission
Alexia Bertrand is Federal Secretary of State for Budget and Consumer Protection. She obtained her law degree at the UCL and then a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School. After a career as a lawyer in commercial and corporate law, she turned her expertise to politics. First as an advisor, then as head of cabinet in the Cabinet of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders, a position she held until June 2019. Thereafter, and until her appointment as Secretary of State, she also served in the Brussels-Capital Parliament. She is also a local councillor in Woluwe- Saint-Pierre.
Secretary of State for Budget and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Justice, Belgium
Biography will be included shortly.
Country Manager, Belgium, Amazon
Blanca Rodriguez is currently Deputy Director-Head of Unit responsible for
Consumer and Marketing Law in the Directorate General (DG) for Justice and
Consumers (JUST) of the European Commission.
Blanca started her professional career in the Directorate General for
Competition as an antitrust enforcer and prior to her current job, worked in
other departments of the European Commission. She was a member of its
Legal Service and represented the European Commission in litigation cases
before the European Court of Justice. She was also advisor on Competition and
Legal matters to President Jacques Santer and to Commissioner Mario Monti
on State Aid matters. Back in DG Competition, Blanca was in charge of
International Cooperation.
Blanca graduated in Law for the University of Barcelona and has a Diploma of
Advanced European Studies (Law) by the College of Europe, Bruges. She was
Emil Noel Fellow at Harvard Law School Harvard University (2001-2002).
Acting Director, Unit B2.2, DG JUST, European Commission
Ms. Pachl is the Deputy Director General of BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, representing 46 independent national consumer associations from 32 European countries.
Before this, she has held different positions at BEUC, starting as Legal Advisor, then working as Senior Policy and Institutional Affairs Advisor.
In her current role Ms. Pachl leads BEUC’s work on digital policies, consumer rights, redress and enforcement. She leads BEUC’s coordinated enforcement activities with its member
organisations as well as the horizontal policy work on EU governance and Better Regulation.
She represents BEUC in High Level Expert Groups, for example in the European Commission’s “Fit 4 Future” platform, the stakeholder group of the EU’s Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and previously in the European Commission’s High Level Group for Artificial Intelligence.
Deputy Director General, BEUC
Stefan Moritz has a long years’ experience in EU-funded economic development projects with international partner networks all over the continent.
A son of a craftsman and small entrepreneur in the construction sector, he used to work each school and university holidays on the constructions sites and in the workshop of his father’s company. After his civil service at an old people’s home, he studied Sociology at the Goethe University in Frankfurt (Main)/Germany, graduating with Prof. Ullrich Oevermann, a former Habermas Fellow Researcher that founded the Institute for Objective Hermeneutics. After his studies in Germany, already enriched by a year as visiting student in 1989-90 at the University of Bologna/Italy, Faculty of Political Sciences, he moved in 1995 definitely to live in Bologna.
There he started immediately to work with EU-project planning and management as a free-lance consultant, and founded in 1999 together with other 4 partners the Consulting Firm AREA EUROPA scarl. He lead this company as the CEO for 15 years until 2014, and represents it since then in Bruxelles.
He has a vast experience as Project Manager for regional economic development, European Network Promoter and Manager, as Workshop Facilitator (GOPP, OST, World Café), Trainer for Project Management and as Strategic Business Development Advisor.
Since October 2013 he started to cooperate with European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME and has been nominated the Head of the Brussels Liaison Office of Der Mittelstand.BVMW e.V. from Germany in August 2014, as well as Managing Director of European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME in September 2014.
In July 2022 the Executive Board of the Confederation nominated him Secretary General of European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME, following up on his mentor Walter G. Grupp. Mr. Moritz represents the confederation in several European institutional working groups, advisory boards and international networks.
Stefan Moritz is mother-tongue German and speaks fluently Italian, English, Spanish and French, plus some Portuguese and Dutch.
Secretary General, European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME
Amaryllis Verhoeven is Head of Unit for Digital Transformation of Industry – Ecosystems II: Tourism & Proximity – in the Directorate General (DG) for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) at the European Commission (EU Commission). Before her current position, Dr. Verhoeven held different functions in the EU Commission related to Intellectual Property, Single Market and Energy files. She has also worked as an attorney with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. Dr. Verhoeven holds a Ph.D. in law and political philosophy from the University of Leuven, where she is also lecturing on a regular basis.
Head of Unit, Digital Transformation of Industry, DG GROW, European Commission
James Waterworth is Director of EU Public Policy at Amazon where he is responsible for the company’s interactions with the European Union institutions.
James has been active in policy for more than twenty years in London and Brussels, initially in the telecoms sector for Cable & Wireless, Telefonica and Nokia before joining Amazon.
Director, EU Public Policy, Amazon
Management GmbH (IFS) and Deputy Chief Executive of the German Retail Association (HDE).
IFS (www.ifs-certification.com) has been developing globally recognised supplier assessment standards for the retail and industrial sectors since 2002. Stephan Tromp has developed the company’s business from the very beginning and the focus has always been on the high quality and trustworthiness of the standards as well as on international networking and digitalisation. IFS is a subsidiary of HDE and the French trade association FCD.
His responsibilities at HDE revolve around the association’s organisation and finances as well as the topic of digitalisation in retail.
Stephan Tromp holds a diploma in business administration from the Berlin School of Economics and Law. He was a member of the Berlin House of Representatives from 2003 to 2006 and is well versed in political processes and business management. He is a native speaker of German and fluent in English and Dutch.
Managing Director, IFS Management GmbH (IFS) and Deputy Chief Executive, German Retail Association (HDE)
Luca Cassetti is the Secretary General of Ecommerce Europe, the European digital commerce association. He is responsible for leading and coordinating the public affairs team and activities of the association. Luca Cassetti advises the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee with respect to policy challenges and ensures that the association acts accordingly at EU level. He is also responsible for maintaining and developing relations with EU official bodies and policymakers, in close cooperation with the team. Before becoming Secretary General in July 2020, Luca Cassetti was Ecommerce Europe’s Director of EU Public Affairs. Luca graduated at the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve in 2013. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, with a focus on European Policies and Management. Luca speaks Italian, French and English fluently.
Secretary General, Ecommerce Europe
Kostas Rossoglou leads Shopify’s public policy and government affairs efforts internationally, with a particular focus on Europe and the Asia Pacific. Prior to Shopify, Kostas held various public policy positions in Brussels and Singapore, Yelp, Grab and the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC). He is an expert in digital markets competition, data protection and privacy (CIPP/E, CIPM certified) and consumer protection.
Shopify is the leading global commerce company providing essential internet infrastructure for commerce, offering trusted tools to start, scale, market, and run a retail business of any size. Shopify makes commerce better for everyone with a platform and services that are engineered for speed, customization, reliability, and security, while delivering a better shopping experience for consumers online, in store, and everywhere in between. Shopify powers millions of businesses in more than 175 countries and is trusted by brands such as Mattel, Gymshark, Heinz, FTD, Netflix, Kylie Cosmetics, SKIMS, Supreme, and many more. For more information, visit www.shopify.com.
Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, EMEA & International, Shopify
Karen Ghysels is responsible for the European Consumer Centre in Belgium. ECC Belgium is part of a European network with colleagues in all the member states, Norway, Iceland and the UK. These centres work closely together on a day to day basis to help consumers find a solution for their cross border consumer query. ECC’s are therefore the face of Europe for consumers. Their service is free of charge.
The ECC Belgium team, that she is leading, consists of 4 lawyers, 1 communication officer and 1 case handler.
She obtained a law degree at the university of Namur, Antwerp and Hull. She became director of the center after working for 5 years as legal adviser at ECC Belgium and working for 6 years at the Belgian Embassy in Spain. She speaks Dutch, French, English and Spanish.
Director, EEC NET Belgium
Mr. Leendert Jan de Olde is Director EcoDesign & Sustainability for Philips. He joined Philips in April 2008, and currently is ecodesign lead and business partner for the consumer product portfolio. On sustainability this includes topics like circular economy, ecodesign and life cycle assessments. In addition Leendert Jan represents Philips in Brussels, and is chair of the working group Circular Economy in industry organization APPLiA, and vice chair for Digital Sustainability Policy Group in industry organization Digital Europe. Before joining Philips, Leendert Jan studied Land- & Watermanagement and Environmental Management, and worked as sustainability lead for a major Amsterdam based international retailer.
Director Ecodesign & Sustainability, Philips
Juliette Beaulaton is Public Affairs Advisor for Ecommerce Europe. She joined Ecommerce Europe in October 2017, and leads the work of the Sustainability Working Committee and the Payments Working Committee of the association. As a representative of the digital commerce sector, her work entails advocating for the best regulatory framework possible for retailers. On sustainability, this covers topics such as packaging and packaging waste, sustainable products, sustainable consumption, green claims, right to repair, due diligence… Before joining Ecommerce Europe, Juliette studied political science and European politics in France before starting her career in European public affairs consultancies working on digital and sustainability policy.
Public Affairs Advisor, Ecommerce Europe
Dr Pierre Hausemer is the Managing Director of VVA. He has a wide experience advising the European institutions on a range of topics including, consumer protection, digital platforms, the single market, industrial policy and the green transition. Pierre’s speciality lies in impact assessment and evaluation of public policy and, in particular, the importance of taking into account market impacts in such assessments. He recently completed a study for the European Parliament on e-commerce and the Green Deal.
Before moving to London and Brussels, Pierre worked as an economic consultant in Washington, DC on issues surrounding the liberalisation of telecoms markets, copyright and international trade. He has published papers and spoken at conferences in the UK and abroad. In addition to English, he is fluent in French and German, and he speaks basic Spanish and Italian. At the London School of Economics, he has taught quantitative research methods for postgraduate students, and he has lectured on European Politics and Policy. Pierre holds a PhD from the London School of Economics as well as a BSc in Economics from Miami University in the United States and a Master of Science in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics.
Managing Director, VVA Group
Dustin Wisotzky is a Partner with top management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. He advises leading retail (both eCom as well as brick & mortar businesses) and consumer goods companies on a broad range of strategic questions, incl. large scale transformations, business model redesign and efficiency step change programs. Outside his retail industry focus, his functional expertise spans across operations, mainly concentrated on supply chain and sourcing – often linked to carbon footprint optimization.
Partner, Oliver Wyman
Biography will be included shortly.
Freelance Journalist and Moderator
More confirmed speakers will be added here shortly.
The event will be the eleventh edition of the E-Commerce Conference, and will see it return to Brussels for the first time since 2019.
Some images from pervious editions can be found below.
Should you have any questions about this event, please contact Forum Europe using the details below:
Tel: +44 (0) 2920 783 025
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