EU Steering Committee

Purpose

The EU Steering Committee brings together CFA Institute and CFA Societies across Europe to align and advance a cohesive regional policy advocacy strategy. Its mission is to ensure that the perspectives of European investment professionals are reflected in CFA Institute’s advocacy priorities and to help shape a regulatory and market environment that upholds the highest standards of market integrity and investor protection.

The Committee facilitates structured information sharing, provides guidance on emerging policy topics, and helps identify research and advocacy initiatives that support EU capital market deepening and integration.

The agenda focuses on EU policy, though reflects national market structures and challenges. Concerns of European countries and financial centers outside the EU are integral to the discussions in an effort to support the integration of capital pools, linkages of market infrastructure and an exchange of ideas.

Through collaboration, insight gathering, and focused advocacy, the EU committee strengthens the influence and impact of CFA Institute and its member societies with policymakers and key institutional stakeholders.

Access our EU Policy section

Members

CFA Society France

Alejandro Hiniesto, CFA, has served as Executive Director of CFA Society France since 2020. Prior to this role, he worked in the FinTech sector as General Manager and Sales Director at Deecision, a data pooling platform, and Active Asset Allocation, a robo-advisor. 

Before transitioning to FinTech, Alejandro spent more than 15 years in traditional asset management, focusing on business and strategic development roles at J.P. Morgan Asset Management and BNP Paribas Asset Management.  He has been a CFA Charterholder since 2011 and holds a degree from CUNEF Business School in Madrid.

Alejandro previously served on the Board of CFA Society France, including as Treasurer. He launched the Society’s Technology Committee in 2018 and has been actively involved in the Mentoring Committee since 2016, both as a mentor and as a committee member. 

In addition to his professional activities, Alejandro sits on the Advisory Board of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity France, an NGO providing high-quality educational, training, and mentoring support to young people from low socioeconomic and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Director, Capital Markets Policy, EU | CFA Institute

Alexander Lehmann is the Director for EU capital markets policy at the CFA Institute. Alex has held senior roles in international financial organisations, including the International Monetary Fund and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), working on a wide range of macroeconomic and financial policy issues. This has been the basis for more recent roles in private and public sector consultancy and in academia, most recently at Bruegel, the EU’s preeminent economics think tank.

In numerous advisory roles Alex has worked with EU institutions and emerging market policymakers on capital market development, financial stability and sustainability. He holds graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and the College of Europe, and a D.Phil. in Economics from Oxford University.

CFA Society Slovakia

Senior investment professional with over 25 years of experience in quantitative research, portfolio management, and risk management across global financial markets. Former Head of Quantitative Research and CIO, with deep expertise in pricing and valuation of debt and equity instruments, private assets, and development of systematic investment and asset allocation frameworks. Proven background in ESG integration, ALM, regulatory and institutional advisory, and applied research, complemented by leadership roles in professional organizations and academic experience in finance and monetary policy.

CFA Society Cyprus

Andreas Spyrides, CFA, is currently the Vice President of the CFA Society Cyprus and a board member. Professionally, Andreas leads the Risk Advisory / Quantitative Risk Department at Grant Thornton Cyprus. Prior to joining Grant Thornton Cyprus, his most recent role was within the Wholesale Credit Risk Department at Barclays International in London, where he held the position of Vice President and led a team of analysts.

He is a finance professional with over 10 years of experience and has been a CFA charterholder since 2018. He holds an M.Sc. in Banking and Risk from the University of Edinburgh and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Surrey.

Andreas has been a member of the Board of Directors of CFA Society Cyprus since July 2024 and serves as Chair of the Advocacy Committee.

“As Chair of the Advocacy Committee, I believe it is critical to promote transparency, accountability, and investor protection within the financial environment. We focus on continuous education and awareness for professionals, as well as on improving regulatory frameworks to ensure financial stability and market integrity,” he notes.

CFA Society Portugal

Carla Fonseca, CFA, is a senior buy-side investment professional and fund manager with over two decades of experience in multi-asset portfolio management and investment analysis. She holds a degree in Economics from Nova School of Business & Economics and is a CFA Charterholder and Certified ESG Analyst (CESGA). Carla is also a finance educator and serves as an advocacy representative for CFA Society Portugal.

Presidents Council Representative, Central & Eastern Europe

Loukas Dedes, CFA, works in Banking Supervision at Bank of Greece. A member of CFA Society Greece, he previously served as its President from 2017 to 2021. Now, as a returning Presidents Council Representative for Central & Eastern Europe, Loukas is dedicated to continuing representing the needs of the Societies in his region. He is excited about the passion for excellence demonstrated by the Societies leaders and is continuously advocating for their support and empowerment. Loukas enjoys traveling and reading in his free time.

CFA Society Poland

As the Managing Director of CFA Society Poland, she is currently spearheading the new brand strategy for the prestigious CFA designation in the Polish market.

Before taking the helm at CFA Society Poland, Magda dedicated two decades to building one of Poland's most respected training brands, EY Academy of Business. There, she managed a large team of trainers and staff, cementing the Academy's reputation as a top-tier partner for management and finance certification.

With deep expertise in instructional design, large-scale project management, and digital marketing, Magda has a proven track record of innovation. Throughout her career, she has remained a passionate advocate for the next generation of finance leaders, consistently supporting the growth of young professionals.

CFA Society Croatia

Maja Bešević Vlajo, CFA, graduated in Finance in 2007 from the Zagreb School of Economics and Management in Croatia and earned the CFA designation in 2015. She is currently in the final year of her PhD studies at the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia and holds licenses in brokerage services, investment advisory, and pension fund management.

She began her career as a financial analyst and later worked as a portfolio manager, managing domestic and international equity investments. She subsequently served as a Management Board member at N3 Capital Partners and as a member of the Supervisory Board of the Central Depository & Clearing Company in Croatia. Since 2019, she has held executive roles in investment banking and development, and in January 2025 she was appointed President of the Management Bord and CEO of ZB Invest, the largest UCITS asset management company in Croatia.

She has been a member of the CFA Society Croatia Board since 2018, served as its President from 2021 to 2025, and currently holds the position of Vice President.

CFA Society Luxembourg

Marc Labat, CFA, is a seasoned financial executive and risk management leader with over 25 years of experience across banking, consulting, and regulatory institutions.

Currently Risk Director at UBS Europe SE, Marc oversees cross-functional teams covering all major risk categories in inveszment Banking, Wealth Management and Asset Servicing — including counterparty credit, operational, conduct, ESG, and strategic risks. He plays a key role in ICAAP/ILAAP, EBA guideline implementation, and risk appetite frameworks, and serves as a committee leader across all risk types.

Before joining UBS, Marc served as Group Chief Risk Officer at Bitstamp, where he built the CRO function from the ground up, establishing the firm’s risk appetite, governance, and regulatory dialogue with the CSSF. Earlier in his career, he led Avantage Reply’s Luxembourg business unit turnaround, significantly scaling operations and profitability while delivering major projects on stress testing, ICAAP/ILAAP, and IFRS 9.

Marc also held influential positions at ESMA, PwC, KPMG, Dexia, and Deloitte, contributing to IFRS and Basel II implementations, financial reporting reform, and strategic risk advisory across Europe. His work at ESMA included coordinating European comment letters to the IASB and leading the European Single Electronic Reporting initiative.

A CFA charterholder and Certified Internal Auditor, Marc holds a Master’s in Finance and Economics from Audencia Business School. He is currently Advocacy Chair and Board Member of CFA Society Luxembourg, where he leads engagement with regulators and contributes to EU-level advocacy initiatives.

Marc is also co-author of a Risk.net article (August 2024) analyzing IFRS 9 transition challenges.

CFA Society Belgium

Marie Lambert, CFA, has a joint Ph.D. in Finance from the Universities of Liège and Luxembourg. She is Full Professor at HEC Liège, Management School of the University of Liège where she leads the track "Banking and Asset Management" of the Master in Management. Marie’s current research relates to investments in general, and more specifically to private market investments, mutual funds and sustainable finance. Her work has been published in international peer-reviewed journals and has been presented to leading academic and professional conferences.

Marie teaches at EDHEC Business School and Paris-Dauphine Université. She is an Associate Editor of Global Finance Journal, Applied Finance Letters and of the Revue “Finance” of the French Finance Association. She serves in the eligibility commission of the Belgian fund label “Towards Sustainability”, as a board member of the CFA Society Belgium, as a board member of the University of Liège.

CFA Society Italy

Marin Gueorguiev, CFA, is a Board Member of FinecoBank and Co-Chair of the Advocacy Committee at CFA Society Italy. He has more than twenty-five years of experience advising financial institutions across Europe on risk management, internal control systems, and structured finance.

Marin began his career in capital markets and audit at Deloitte and subsequently held senior leadership roles at Protiviti as Managing Director for Risk & Compliance. He also contributed to the Finance & Risk practice at Oliver Wyman, supporting European financial institutions on regulatory and risk transformation initiatives.

Marin graduated in Economics and Business from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and became a CFA Charterholder in 2002.

CFA Society Liechtenstein

Mathias Eggenberger, CFA, is a Partner at Grant Thornton Switzerland/Liechtenstein in the service line Audit Financial Services. Mathias is a chartered financial analyst (CFA) and a certified accountant. He is lead auditor for several financial intermediaries including banks and insurance companies in Liechtenstein. He is a member of the board of the CFA Society Liechtenstein.

CFA Society Germany

Dr. Matthias Meitner, CFA, is a Professor of Finance & Accounting at the International School of Management (ISM) and Managing Partner at VALUESQUE, a boutique specializing in corporate valuation. He is a member of the Supervisory Board of CFA Society Germany, the EFRAG Financial Reporting Technical Expert Group, and the Capital Market Advisory Committee of the IFRS Foundation. He also serves as Chair of the German Advocacy Committee of CFA Society Germany.

CFA Society Denmark

With more than 30 years of executive and board-level experience, Michael has built, scaled, and led prominent investment platforms while driving strategic transformation across the financial sector. His background includes founding both a venture capital firm and a digital wealth management company, as well as developing leading investment products. Across these roles, His career has been shaped by strategic foresight, innovation, and a deep understanding of global financial markets.

As CEO of a top-ranked European asset manager, he led major transformation programs, strengthened organizational capabilities, and drove innovative product development that positioned the firm as an industry frontrunner. His board career spans banking, hedge funds, payments, asset management, insurance, and leasing, where he has consistently delivered governance excellence, strategic clarity, and long-term value creation. Michael has advised and led financial institutions, pension funds, and wealth managers through complex transitions, always with a focus on sustainability, stakeholder alignment, and robust risk management.

In addition to multiple board positions, Michael currently serve as CEO of Finansforeningen/CFA Society Denmark, a role that reflects both professional recognition and strong engagement in a respected network of industry peers. Through this and other leadership roles, he brings experience, integrity, and a strategic perspective to environments where thoughtful, forward-looking leadership drives meaningful impact. Michael holds a BA in Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.

CFA Society Romania

Mihai Purcarea is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BRD Asset Management, one of Romania’s leading investment management companies. Previously, he served as Chief Investment Officer at Erste Asset Management. Over the past 20 years, Mihai has been involved in managing some of the largest investment funds in Romania, with investments across dozens of local and international companies both from Developed and Emerging Markets. He holds an MBA from City University of Seattle, is a CFA charterholder and financial analyst, and has obtained a certification in sustainable investing, as well as a postgraduate diploma from Henley Business School in board practice.

Mihai is a member of the board of CFA Society Romania and of the Romanian Association of Fund Administrators, and a lecturer in the Effective Board Director programmes delivered by Envisia.

CFA Society Switzerland

Mirjana is Chief Executive Officer for the CFA Society Switzerland, one of the largest CFA Institute societies globally. She is responsible for implementing the Society's overall strategy and management. Core to her mandate is continuing to deliver outstanding member value, providing quality, independent and reliable content and resources for multiple key stakeholders and promoting high ethical standards in the investment industry.

CFA Society United Kingdom

Dr Natalie Schoon, CFA, LLM, is a results driven professional with a broad background across the financial industry covering risk, regulations, strategy, and access to finance. She has lived and worked in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and Asia working with both small and large organisations in the financial services industry.

Among others, Natalie has successfully completed a regulatory change project in the UK covering the submission of permission extensions for the application of IRB Credit Risk models to 2 additional entities of the bank, as well as a full Enterprise Wide Risk wide review of CRR articles related to the risk modelling framework, and assessed the implications of changing regulaitons on banks.

She has advised on mortgage standards for secondary market development in Pakistan, written regulations for he Bangladesh Securities Exchange and the fianancial services regulator in Azerbaijan. She has designed and implemented the Bank Operating Model, and engaged with the regulator to complete the application for the banking license for a UK based bank.

CFA Society Serbia

Natasa Djorovic Bijanic, CFA, is a senior central banking professional with extensive experience in financial markets, monetary policy, foreign exchange operations, international economy and macroeconomic analysis. She currently serves as Deputy General Manager of the Monetary and FX Operations Department at the National Bank of Serbia, where she is responsible for the implementation of monetary policy and management of the country’s foreign exchange reserves. Previously, she led the FX Market Division, overseeing exchange rate policy operations in the domestic foreign exchange market. Before that, she worked in the Open Market Operations Division. She holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Financial Management from the University of Belgrade, is a CFA charterholder, and actively contributes to the profession as a Board Member of CFA Society Serbia.

Head of Advocacy and Capital Markets Policy Research, EMEA | CFA Institute

Olivier Fines, CFA, is head of advocacy and capital markets policy research for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region at CFA Institute. With teams based in London and Brussels, he leads the effort in researching and commenting on the major trends that affect the investment management industry, changes to the profession, and policy and regulatory developments. The positions taken on these issues and the research pieces that are published are meant to promote the fundamental principles upheld by CFA Institute: investor protection, professional ethics, and market integrity. Previously, Mr. Fines spent 15 years in investment management—spanning research, portfolio management, product management, and regulatory compliance work—at firms based in Paris and London. Prior to joining CFA Institute, he was head of risk and compliance at Rothschild & Co for the private equity and private debt division.

Past EU Steering Committee Chair 2019-2025 (CFA Society Germany)

Susan Spinner, CFA, is CEO of CFA Society Germany, the largest professional association for investment professionals in Germany.

Susan looks back on over 25 years of professional experience in the investment industry with a focus on capital markets, credit portfolio management and structured securities analysis. In Germany, she has worked in senior roles for well-known financial institutions such as Commerz International Capital Management, Nord LB, and Dresdner Bank. In addition, she worked in Chicago for the Bank of Montreal, on the interest rate derivatives desk, as Director, Global Financial Products.

Before Susan Spinner took over the full-time management of CFA Society Germany in 2011, she was a founding board member of the Society in late 2000. She has also been an active volunteer at CFA Institute, including having been a member of the Annual Conference Advisory Board, the Chair of the EMEA Society Advocacy Advisory Council and currently is serving as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the CFA Institute Research Foundation.

In addition, Susan gives regular lectures and trainings on topics such as capital market ethics at several universities in Germany and lectured for eight years as adjunct faculty the award-winning master-in-finance class "Ethics in Finance" at the Goethe Business School of the University of Frankfurt. She currently serves on the jury to award the Diversity+ academic scholarship at Goethe Business School, in addition to being in the jury for the DVFA Financial Journalism Prize.

Global Senior Head, Inclusion | CFA Institute

Sarah Maynard, ASIP, is Global Senior Head, Inclusion at CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals. She leads a globally recognized portfolio of human capital initiatives that embed inclusion and drive collective intelligence across the full talent lifecycle – from recruitment and retention, to promotion and leadership development. Sarah reports directly to the President and CEO.

Sarah joined CFA Institute in 2019 from Majedie Asset Management (now part of Liontrust), where she was Head of Stewardship and Client Communications Director, with a focus on ESG and governance. Earlier in her career, she managed a USD 3.3bn equities portfolio for the British Coal pension schemes – then representing around 1% of the UK All-Share Index.

Sarah holds an MA from Trinity College, Oxford, and the ASIP credential. She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development and serves on the advisory boards of Girls Who Invest, the National Association of Securities Professionals, and Collaborative WIM. She has also served as a state school governor and a charity trustee, working with underserved communities.

CFA Society Finland

Tuomas Hillukkala, CFA, is a seasoned investment professional with over fifteen years of experience across the financial services industry, specializing in equity investment analysis, portfolio management, and client engagement. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager at Investors House Funds Oy, where he leads the firm’s strategic direction while managing dividend-growth equity portfolios focused on long-term value creation. Tuomas earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation in 2021, and the Certificate in ESG Investing in 2023. He also contributes to the profession as a board member and the current President of CFA Society Finland. 

Presidents Council Representative, Western Europe

Weiyen Hung, CFA, CIPM, works for the Prudential Regulation Authority at the Bank of England in the UK. A member of CFA Society UK, he previously served as its board member (2019-2025) and Treasurer (2023-2025). Now, as the Presidents Council Representative for Western Europe, Weiyen is motivated by his dedication to representing the needs of the societies in his region.

He is excited about the passion for excellence demonstrated by society leaders and is committed to supporting societies and advancing collaboration across the region. He also holds various designations including IMC, CMA, CAIA, FRM, Chartered FCSI, and MAAT.

CFA Society Greece

Yiannis Ritsios, CFA, is an experienced investment professional with over 25 years of experience in Greece and Luxembourg. He is the Head of Pension Funds Investment Management at EUROBANK Asset Management MFMC, where he manages and oversees Global Multi-Asset Mandates. Prior to this role, Yiannis was the Head of Discretionary Asset Management at NBG Asset Management MFMC and Managing Director and Board Member at NBG Asset Management Luxembourg.

Yiannis has extensive experience across a range of asset classes, including Multi-Assets, Equities, Fixed Income, and Alternative Investments. He specializes in managing portfolios for institutional clients such as pension funds, insurance companies, and endowments. He has also extensive experience in the Governance of financial institutions, having served in Boards as both Executive Director and Independent Non-Executive Director (INED).

He holds an MBA from Imperial College Business School, an MSc in Telecommunications and Signal Processing from Imperial College, and a Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Yiannis is a CFA Charterholder and holds the CFA institute Certificate in ESG Investing.

In academia, he has served as adjunct Professor of Finance in the MSc of ALBA Business School in Athens Greece, the MBA and MSc of American College of Greece (Deree). He has also taught CFA preparatory courses across Greece, Europe, and the Middle East.

Yiannis is a founding member of CFA Society Greece, where he served as President and Board Member for more than 15 years, while he remains an active volunteer with CFA Institute and the CFA Program.

EU Steering Committee Chair 2025-Present (CFA Society Spain)

Zaira Melero, CFA, chairs the CFA Institute EU Steering Committee, coordinating advocacy efforts across 28 European societies.

She currently serves as Managing Director and Head of Transformation COO at Santander Corporate & Investment Banking. Previously, she was a member of the Management Committee of Santander Group’s e-money institution in Spain.

Before joining Santander, she co-founded an advisory firm where she guided Spain’s leading financial institutions through €15B+ debt restructurings and critical financial sector forensic investigations.

CFA Society Czech Republic

Zuzana Michalíková is expansion expert at CzechInvest, Czech governmental agency, focusing on SME finance, startup ecosystem development, and international partnerships. She works at the intersection of public policy and private capital, supporting technology startups and scale-ups in accessing investment, strategic partners, and international growth opportunities.

Prior to her current role, she worked in banking, where she was involved in supporting foreign investments into the Czech Republic and advising companies on market entry. She is currently Society manager for CFA Society Czech Republic.

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