Speakers and Moderators

The Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark

Jacob Jensen was appointed Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries in December 2022. He was elected to the Danish Parliament in 2005 as a member of the Liberal Party, and between 2019 and 2022 he was the party’s spokesman for the environment

Jacob works to strengthen a secure and sustainable Danish food system — from agriculture and veterinary services to food safety and innovation — with a focus on greater resilience to future crises. Key initiatives include Denmark’s first national animal welfare agreement, “Together for the Animals” (2024), which aims to ensure better animal welfare for production animals and pets. Another key initiative is the Danish Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods (2023), which supports research, development and promotion of plant-based food solutions.

Global Food Lead Scientist, World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Brent's work focuses on using food as a lever for improving human health and environmental sustainability.

He has made significant contributions in various fields that include helping to lead the landmark EAT-Lancet report, rediscovering lost species, and protecting some of the most biologically important places on the planet.

His current work focuses on amplifying and accelerating action on food system transformation by identifying high-impact, place-based solutions for countries, businesses, and practitioners.

Director, One Health, The European Commission

Roser Domenech Amado currently holds the position of Director for One Health within the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE). Her responsibilities encompass various areas, including AMR, Inter-institutional Relations and International Relations.

Throughout her career, she has dedicated significant time to the Commission’s political communication, worked in the Humanitarian Aid area and served as a member of the Cabinets for Neil Kinnock, Vice-President for administrative reform, and Manuel Marin, Vice-President for external relations.

Before her tenure at the Commission, she gained experience in both the public sector and academia in Spain. She possesses degrees in Political Science and in Contemporary History.

Director, The Danish PFAS Research Center, Professor, in risk assessment of chemicals, DTU Sustain

Anders is an internationally recognized research leader in risk assessment of nanomaterials. He has +25 years of experience in risk assessment of chemicals, emerging contaminants, and complex environmental mixtures.

He works at the interface between science and regulation and frequently acts as scientific advisor for national and international authorities and organizations like the European Commission and OECD. In 2023-24 he was chairperson for the Danish Government's PFAS Taskforce.

Director, Zoonoses and Antimicrobial Resistance, The Public Health Agency of Sweden

Dr. Alma Brolund, M.Pharm, PhD, earned her doctorate in the Molecular Epidemiology of Antibiotic Resistance in 2013. She has extensive experience in the field of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the Public Health Agency of Sweden (PHAS), where she has served for many years—most recently as Head of the Unit for Zoonoses and Antibiotic Resistance for the past three years.

PHAS co-chair the Intersectoral Coordination Mechanism (ICM) in Sweden, together with the Swedish Board of Agriculture.

Director, Communicable Diseases, Environment and Health and Special Representative on Climate and Health, WHO Regional Office for Europe

Robb Butler is a social scientist who began his career in Afghanistan in 1992 and has since worked on public health, social protection, and humanitarian assistance across three continents.

Between 2020 and 2023, Robb served as Executive Director at WHO/Europe and in September 2023, he took up the position as Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases, Environment and Health.  

Chief Veterinary Officer of Denmark, Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA).

Educated in Veterinary Medicine and Public Governance, and with a vast and dedicated career in the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Charlotte brings extensive experience in the field of animal health, animal welfare, food, feed and more.

As Chief Veterinary Officer, Charlotte oversees targeted and strategic efforts in furthering the health and wellbeing of animals on a national level, and abroad through the EU and other multilateral fora.

One Health Coordinator, WOAH Sub-Regional Representation in Brussels

Valeria is a veterinarian working at WOAH on topics related to One Health and wildlife health, based in Brussels, Belgium. She participates in technical workshops, including National Bridging Workshops, which support the implementation of the One Health approach at the country level.

Prior to joining WOAH, she worked as a researcher focusing on the ecology of zoonotic diseases and tick-borne diseases in wildlife in South America and Europe.

UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance

Dame Sally Davies was appointed the UK Government’s Special Envoy on AMR in 2019. She is also the 40th Master of Trinity College, Cambridge University. She served as Chief Medical Officer for England and Senior Medical Advisor to the UK Government from 2011 to 2019.

She was a member of the WHO Executive Board (2014 - 2016) and co-convener of the UN IACG on AMR, reporting in 2019. In 2020, she joined the UN Global Leaders Group on AMR. In 2020, she became the second woman awarded Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath for services to public health and research, having received her DBE in 2009. 

President, The European One Health Association (EOHA)

Since 2015 Arjen is head of the Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology at RIVM. Over the past 30 years his research activities have focused on microbiological food safety, zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance at the interface of humans, animals and the environment.

In 2018-2023, he was leader of the Strategic Integrative Research Agenda of the One Health European Joint Programme and he currently holds the position of President of the European One Health Association.

Assistant Director-General, Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Viorel Gutu, a national of the Republic of Moldova and Romania, was appointed FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia in February 2024.

He previously served as FAO Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia and Representative for Türkiye and Uzbekistan, and earlier led the FAO Tajikistan office. With rich experience in the private and public sectors, before joining FAO in 2014, he was Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry in Moldova, as well as Economic Affairs Officer with the UN in Timor-Leste. He holds a Doctor degree in economics.

Head of Unit Disease Programmes (DPR), European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC)

Dr. Heuer is a Veterinarian (DVM) and holds a PhD in Epidemiology. He is Head of Unit for One Health Related Diseases at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), where he leads work on One Health, surveillance, and scientific advice across a broad range of infectious diseases.

He chairs the EU Cross-Agency One Health Task Force involving five EU Agencies (ECDC, EFSA, EMA, ECHA and EEA) and leads the implementation of the ECDC One Health Framework. His main field of expertise is AMR, zoonotic diseases, epidemiology, surveillance, and One Health. His work is characterized by strong commitment to advancing public health through interdisciplinary and cross sectoral collaboration.

Technical Officer, Food Safety & Zoonotic Diseases, WHO Regional Office for Europe

Peter works as a Technical Officer for Food Safety and Zoonotic Diseases at the WHO Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark. He provides technical assistance and strategic guidance to Member States to operationalize the One Health approach for managing foodborne and zoonotic diseases.

Prior to joining the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Mr Hoejskov served in various duty stations across the Asia-Pacific region, working for both WHO and FAO. He holds a master’s degree in public health and a master’s degree in agriculture and natural resource management.

Associate One Health Officer, The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Pablo Sagredo Martín serves as One Health Specialist at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. Based in Brussels, he leads UNEP’s engagement on One Health, working to strengthen the integration of environmental dimensions into health policies and systems.

With a background in law and international cooperation, he collaborates closely with the Quadripartite and the European Union to promote cross-sectoral action addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, and ecosystem health.

Chairman, The Danish Council on Ethics

Christine Nellemann is provost at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Prior to this role, she served as dean of sustainability and as Director of the DTU National Food Institute. She holds an MSc in human Biology, a PhD in medicine and an Executive MBA in Management of Technology and Innovation.

Christine  serves in several boards, including as chair of the Danish Council on Ethics and as member of The Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy. She contributed as an expert in an EU high-level advisory group, supporting the EU commission on science-policy interfaces in the green transition of food systems.

Chief Scientist, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

Prof. Dr. Carlos das Neves, Chief Scientist of the European Food Safety Authority since 2022, is a Portuguese-Norwegian veterinarian with a PhD in veterinary sciences and further certifications in Public Health and Public Policy Analysis.

Former Director of Research and Internationalisation at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute and Professor at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway (2012–2025), he became co-chair of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) in 2024 that advises WHO, FAO, UNEP and WOAH. His expertise spans animal health, food safety, wildlife, emerging diseases, and One Health, with numerous publications and leadership in international research projects.

Secretary General, Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade in the EU Countries (AVEC)

Since 2017, Birthe Steenberg has been Secretary General of AVEC, The Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade in the EU countries, leading the association’s strategic direction and advocacy for the European poultry sector.

Based in Brussels, she bridges the gap between industry and policymakers, shaping future legislation. With over 20 years of experience in European public affairs and food policy, she previously served as Manager of the Danish Poultry Meat Federation and Chief Consultant at the Danish Agriculture & Food Council. A veterinarian by training, she is an active member of key EU and international committees.

European Commissioner, Health and Animal Welfare, The European Commission

Olivér is the European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare since December 2024. He previously served as the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement from 2019 to 2024. 

Before his tenure as Commissioner, Várhelyi served as Hungary's ambassador to the European Union (2015-2019) and as Deputy Permanent Representative of Hungary to the EU (2011-2015).He was also head of the EU law department at the Hungarian Ministry of Justice (2009-2010) and served as head of unit at the European Commission, in charge of industrial property rights at the Directorate General Internal Market and Services (2008-2011). Olivér Várhely has a background in law.

Senior Executive Officer and Head of Governmental Advice at the National Food Institute – The Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

Dorte holds a Ph.D. in Veterinary Microbiology, with a focus on salmonella transmission from animal production and the environment to humans. With over 30 years of experience, she has worked at the intersection of research and regulatory authority to strengthen the scientific basis for legislation and policy.

At DTU, Dorte leads the coordination and development of scientific advice to Danish authorities on chemical and microbiological food safety, product safety, and nutrition. She also represents Denmark in the Advisory Forum of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Senior Advisor, WOAH Regional Representation for Europe

Dr. Vasili Basiladze is a veterinarian and Senior Advisor at the WOAH Regional Representation for Europe. Formerly the Deputy Head of the National Food Agency, Chief Veterinary Officer, and WOAH Delegate of Georgia, he oversaw the agency’s veterinary, food safety, and regional departments for six years, contributing significantly to both national and regional animal health initiatives.

In 2021, Dr. Basiladze was elected Secretary General of the WOAH Regional Commission Bureau and subsequently reelected as Vice President in 2023 and 2024. That same year, he was also appointed Vice President of the GF-TADs Regional Steering Committee for Europe.

Executive Vice President, Epidemiological Infectious Disease Preparedness, Statens Serum Institut (SSI)

Tyra is the Executive Vice President of the Epidemiological Infectious Disease Preparedness at Statens Serum Institut and a Professor in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Copenhagen University.

Her interests are in public health, one health, and infectious disease preparedness.

She is a member of the steering committee of the National Coordination Forum for Zoonoses and was the co-chair of the scientific working group who authored the Evidence Review Report on “One Health Governance in the EU” for the Scientific Advice Mechanism for the EC.

Director of Science, International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS)

Kristina Osbjer is a veterinarian (DVM) with a PhD in epidemiology and veterinary public health.

She has worked in clinical practice, research, as well as for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), based in Asia and Africa.

In ICARS she is overseeing the portfolio of over 60 projects that support LMICs with adapted interventions and scalable solutions to tackle AMR across the One Health spectrum.

Policy Officer, DG SANTE – European Commission (Food Contaminants Unit)

Frans Verstraete graduated as agricultural engineer at the University of Ghent (Belgium). He is working for the European Commission in the Directorate General Health and Food Safety since 1997.

He is responsible for the elaboration, development and management of the EU-legislation on certain contaminants in feed and food. The policy on contaminants in feed and food is in the One Health approach an example of the interconnection between environment - feed/food – animal and human health.

Regional Adviser, Control for Antimicrobial Resistance, WHO Regional Office for Europe

Danilo holds a PhD in Veterinary Epidemiology. He has worked for almost 30 years in the areas of food safety and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from a One Health perspective. Since 2011, he is the Regional Adviser for the Control of AMR at WHO/Europe, where he coordinates AMR-related support the 53 Member States of the European Region.

Activity areas include: supporting national AMR action plan development and intersectoral coordination, strengthening surveillance of antimicrobial consumption and resistance, strengthening laboratory capacity and quality management, implementing infection prevention and control programmes, promoting antimicrobial stewardship, mainstreaming behavioural insight methodology, as well as supporting education, advocacy and awareness campaigns.