Elizabeth Hammer-Kjellberg arrived in Brussels in 1974 to establish the offices of Swedish Enterprise. During her career Elizabeth has continuously worked with Swedish related companies and organizations; among others as Project Manager for Stockholm Region Office; as a representative in Brussels for Svenska Handelsbanken, Luxembourg and as a representative in Belgium and in the Netherlands for Invest in Sweden Agency. Between the years 2002-2005, Elizabeth was also the President of Professional Women International, PWI.
She has recently joined Corporate Development International as an independent consultant in Business Development, advising on business opportunities in Sweden, assisting in formation of business structures and establishment of companies in Sweden and also marketing Swedish projects/innovations towards the EU. Due to the different jobs throughout her career and her many years living in Brussels, Elizabeth has established wide ranging networks, both within the international and the Belgian communities.
Experiencing the lack of connection between Belgian and Swedish young professionals, she initiated and founded in 2008 the Junior Chamber of Commerce Belgium-Sweden, JCCBS, for which she is also the President. The idea behind it was to enhance business relations between the two countries as well as for the members to develop their knowledge of their respective business cultures.
Elizabeth is Swedish, she holds a BA from Stockholm University, is married and has three sons. She enjoys the multicultural richness of Brussels and is fluent in several languages.
Cristina Vicini, President
Cristina Vicini is the elected president of the Professional Women International Brussels, since January 2006. Managing Director and Founder of her own Management Consulting practice, Vicini Consulting (www.viciniconsulting.com), Cristina started her career in 1988 and held various international management positions, both in the private sector and within international organizations, including inter alia as former Global Business Development Manager at Microsoft, as Director of Sales at Deutsche Telekom T-Systems-International Public Sector and as Strategic Marketing Manager for the Public Sector in Germany at Siemens Business Services.
She holds a degree with honors in Computer Science from the University of Brussels and a Masters Degree in International Management from Boston University.
Cristina serves on the boards of a number of European technology companies and associations. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Boston University and is an accredited member of the Association of Board Members in Belgium.
Born in Bologna, Italy, Cristina is married, fluent in five languages and is an avid golf and tennis player.
Marie Laure Walrand, Treasurer
Marie Laure is an independent consultant offering management services to entrepreneurs (for assistance in starting or developing their project: business plan, financing, setting up the company, relation with shareholders, board of directors, …), to investors (evaluation of the target company, negotiation, management, representation at the Board, support during crisis) and to individuals in their business environment (coaching through major evolutions of their activity or career).
She spent a long career with IBM where she operated in various fields: expertise in technology as a systems engineer, management, five years with international teams, and then management of investments in small and medium enterprises.
She then joined a private group of venture capital as director and board member during three years.During those last 12 years, she gave support to the managers of companies in which these investments were carried out, in the transformation of their industrial project: in the technical aspects: strategy, technology, finances, legal, corporate governance; in their positioning as managers responsible for companies in phase of transformation with respect to their shareholders, their collaborators and their customers.
After twenty years in management and in organisation of equity investments, she had measured the essential place of the human factor in the success of an enterprise and decided to extend her activity towards coaching of individuals after intensive training in professional coaching programs.
Sonia Busselen, PR and Communications
Sonia’s varied career path covers a wide range of roles in Business Development, Business Analysis, Sales Operations, Customer Service, Project and Process Management in international and different company cultures.
Sonia holds a Master’s degree in Archaeology and Art History from the KUL (Catholic University of Leuven) and a degree in Business Management from VLEKHO (Flemish University in Brussels). She is a Certified Six Sigma Consultant and Certified in Lean by the University of Michigan.
Through extensive additional training in Leadership, Teambuilding and Culture Change she increased results driven the business performance of companies by applying the latest state-of-the-art methodologies in a coaching way. She managed change processes and developed business strategies in companies active in the field of medical equipment, water treatment, international courier services, automotive, banking and consultancy. Constantly aware of the powerful human forces and processes that really influence the success of a company she specialised on the human side of management. After additional professional training she obtained the International Certificate in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Being prepared through continuous self-development and all her experiences Sonia is now focussing on Communication, Leadership Development, Project Monitoring & Coaching and Personal Coaching.
She is a member of the OMPP (Organisation Mondiale de la Presse Périodique) and fluent in five languages. Fitness is her favourite sport, writing her passion. She finds guiding people to interesting spots fantastic and culinary specialities a delight.
Sonia Neefs, Associate Board Member
Sonia Neefs is Belgian and an event organiser. She used to work for the Tourism Information of Brussels and now runs an event organising company, specialized in Belgian folklore and theme evenings. She is the Award Winner of the "2002 Brussels Ambassador of Tourism", category "Incentives".
Silvia Cambie, Associate Board Member
Silvia Cambié has 15 years of experience in journalism and communication. In the 1990s she traveled extensively throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia, from a base in Prague, writing about post-Soviet economic reforms and investments for leading British and German publications. Silvia also worked for nine years in Brussels managing public affairs and PR for international trade associations. She is currently based in London where she runs Chanda Communications (www.chandacom.com), a consultancy specialized in communication strategies, stakeholder relations, network management and training. Silvia is the President of the Europe-Middle East Region of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). She has a degree in Social Sciences and Business Administration from the University of Innsbruck (Austria), as well as being a certified coach and an accredited journalist. Silvia speaks five languages.
