Jury & Selection Committee

Dedicated to championing better cultural heritage policy to drive positive change, Léa Guillemant is a young cultural heritage professional. She earned her master’s degree in International Cooperation on Human Rights and Intercultural Heritage from the University of Bologna. She focuses on cultural heritage programs, with proficiency in project cycle management, policy development, and advocacy.

She had studied at the University of Florence receiving a master’s degree in architecture. After that, she studied urban conservation at the International Centre ICCROM in Rome and she continued her studies at the School of Architecture of the University of Rome, from where she received a specialisation diploma in the restoration of monuments and sites

She continued her studies at the University of UWE Bristol UK from where she received a master’s degree in Town Planning. For 38 years she has worked for the Μunicipality of Nicosia and she has been the leader of the Nicosia Μaster Plan. The NMP bi-communal team, supported by international institutions, was working on the definition of a common planning strategy for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the divided city of Nicosia. Four of these projects carried out by our NMP team were awarded by Europa Nostra and for their overall effort for preservation they received The Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Later, having the position of the director of the Technical Services of Nicosia Municipality, she acquired remarkable experience in urban rehabilitation and the management of large-scale conservation projects. During the last six years, she has coordinated the Zaha Hadid project for Eleftheria Square, a major urban design project in the moat of the Venetian walls. Agni is working on a voluntary basis for the Bi-communal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and for the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Nicosia.

Since 2006, Sadi Petrela has served as the Executive Director of the Gjirokastra Foundation, steering its mission to safeguard and enhance cultural heritage within the UNESCO World Heritage site of Gjirokastra, Albania. Drawing upon a rich background in journalism, media ethics, and history education, Petrela has successfully directed more than 50 pioneering initiatives. These endeavours encompass heritage restoration, the preservation of traditional arts, the creation of museums, and the development of cultural tourism.
The Foundation employs a participatory, community-centric model of cultural management, fostering connections between Gjirokastra and other historic centres while navigating complex political and economic landscapes. Its notable achievements include the restoration of traditional architecture, the preservation of artisanal crafts, the establishment of a historic museum, and the transformation of a Communist-era tunnel into a tourist attraction for the first time in the country.
In 2021, the Foundation was honoured with the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Award for Dedicated Service to Heritage, affirming its standing as a trailblazer in heritage conservation on both national and regional stages.

Ole Rikard Høisæther is a seasoned leader in Norway’s arts, heritage, and publishing sectors, known for his extensive experience, diplomatic skills, and strong network across cultural, public, and media circles. With a PhD in Art History and Classical Archaeology from the University of Oslo, he combines a deep scholarly background with decades of practical leadership in high-impact roles.
Currently, Ole serves as General Manager of The Foundation Militærhospitalet at Grev Wedels Plass and Secretary General of The Oslo Society (Selskabet for Oslo Byes Vel), where he champions Oslo’s cultural legacy. His career also includes leadership roles at prestigious publishing houses, such as Head of Publishing at Cappelen Damm and CEO of Orfeus Publishing, where he managed large-scale projects including significant works on Norwegian art, cultural heritage, and biographies. His professional focus includes managing mergers, acquisitions, and high-profile publications like the Edvard Munch Catalogue Raisonné.
He has held governing roles, such as Vice Chair of The Foundation of Edvard Munch’s Studio and Chair of the Norwegian Archaeological Association. Ole’s literary contributions include authoring over ten books on Norwegian art and history, alongside numerous articles in national publications.
His honours include being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London and receiving multiple awards from the Norwegian Non-fiction Writers and Translators Association.

Gaianè Casnati is a conservator architect, Director of the Cultural Heritage department of the Centro Studi e Documentazione della Cultura Armena (CSDCA) and Research Fellow in Architectural conservation at Politecnico di Milano. Casnati is the author of several preservation projects in Italy and abroad (i.e. the preservation of the Roman amphitheatre of Milan, the safeguarding of the entrance tower of Shayzar castle in Syria, the structural repair of the katoghiké church of Marmashen in Armenia) and is editor/author of a number of publications on Armenian heritage conservation (several articles and 3 books). She has organised three exhibits on Armenian themes (that travelled in Armenia and in Europe) and has spoken at international congresses (in Italy, Armenia, France, Belgium, Austria, etc.). She has been working for CSDCA and Politecnico di Milano on projects in Armenia for organisations such as UNESCO, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Europa Nostra and the World Bank.
She has been a project manager for the project Restoration Training in Armenia, awarded by Europa Nostra in 2015 in the category Education, Training and Awareness Raising. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the 7 Most Endangered programme of Europa Nostra.

Graduated in 1978 with a Master’s degree in Architecture from l’Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne – EPFL, with a thesis on the revitalisation of an industrial quarter in the city of Geneva. Over the course of her professional career, she has participated in several studies on the improvement and assessment of historical urban quarters, mainly in Geneva. After working as an architect and city planner for the Regional Service for Monuments and Historical Sites, in the Department of Public Works in the state of Geneva, she was its director from 2002-2008. This was followed by the position of Director of the General Office for Heritage and Historical Sites for the state of Geneva from 2008-2019. This agency comprises three services: the service for Archaeology, the service for Monuments and Historical Sites, and the service for the Inventory of monuments. As part of her duties, she has served on several architectural competition juries, organized lecture series, edited publications on cultural heritage and written articles, most notably on the urban and architectural development of Geneva, the legal framework of urban development and Geneva heritage. From 1999 to 2011, she was a member of the Federal Commission for the Conservation of Nature and Landscape. From 2012 to 2023, she was a member and vice-president of the Federal Commission for the Preservation of Historic Monuments. Since May 2024, she has been President of ICOMOS Switzerland.

Petr graduated from the Pharmaceutical Department of Charles University followed by a doctoral degree in pharmacology (1985). In 1989, he started developing business for ICI Pharmaceuticals in Czechoslovakia and moved to the UK for ICI/Zeneca in 1992, where he worked in various positions for the UK as well as for a number of European and Asian markets. In 1998 he became the Managing Director for Zeneca in Finland. Consequently, he acted as the Managing Director for AstraZeneca, Novartis and Baxter in CZ/Slovakia. When completing the restitution process of inherited estate at the turn of the century, he gradually moved to its management. He joined the Czech Association of Castle and Manor Houses Owners (AMHZ), was elected to the Board and consequently as Vice-President in 2013. He served as Vice-President for four terms till spring 2024. Petr has been actively representing AMHZ at the European Historic Houses Association (EHHA) meetings, as well as at other national Association meetings e.g. Austria, UK, NextGen. He was also present at the International Cultural Heritage Conference in Dublin in June 2017. In 2018 he was elected to Europa Nostra Council. He initiated and consequently completed the establishment of Europa Nostra Representation in the Czech Republic in 2019 of which he is the Head. In 2022 he was elected as Vice-President of Europa Nostra. He is also a Chairman of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society since 2021.

Irene Reyes is a young professional specialising in International and European Law passionate about fostering connections between citizens and policymakers. Through her work at prestigious institutions like INTERPOL and UNESCO, she has gained valuable experience in public policy, project management, and international cooperation, focusing on the European and global landscape. Irene’s commitment to civic engagement extends beyond her professional roles—she actively contributes as an Editor at the European Students’ Association for Cultural Heritage (ESACH), where she empowers young voices in the field of cultural heritage.

Simon O’Connor is a composer and the first Director of the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), a collaboration between University College Dublin and the National Library of Ireland. Since 2019, MoLI has won the Business to Arts Best Philanthropic Support of the Arts Award 2021, Red Dot Best Exhibition Design 2020, IDEA Exhibition Design Gold Award 2021 & shortlisted for the European Mies Van Der Rohe Architecture Award 2022 and the European Museum of the Year Awards 2022. It won the European Heritage Award/Europa Nostra Award in the category Citizens’ Engagement and Awareness Raising in 2023 and was also recognised with the Grand Prix. Simon was the founding curator of the Little Museum of Dublin, a winner of the European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award in 2016.

Davida de Hond is a member of the management team of Museum Arnhem, a museum located in the eastern part of the Netherlands. As head of public and program, de Hond is responsible for education, marketing, communication, programming and exhibitions. Previously she has worked as an entrepreneur in the cultural field, focusing on heritage and community building. She has a focus on participation and education through heritage and art. She also worked for Erfgoed Nederland, the national heritage agency, with a role in the team that focussed on heritage from an international perspective. For the Reinwardt Academy, she has worked on international cooperation projects that focussed on new museology, eco museology, community building and innovation in heritage education.

Besides her different employments, she is also active as an advisor on committees regarding culture and heritage subsidies. In the recent past, she has worked for the Mondriaan Fund, for the municipality of Rotterdam through the RRKC, the Provincial Committee on Culture and Heritage in Gelderland and the fund for Cultural Participation.

Árpád Bőczén has been the founding president of the Association of Cultural Heritage Managers (KÖME), since 2012. He graduated as an architect at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and as a cultural heritage expert at the Corvinus University of Budapest. His main interest is the human and especially the socio-cultural aspects of our living environment. Encouraging people and communities to take an active part in shaping their environment and living spaces whilst developing existing heritage based on value has played a significant role in his practice. Building spaces and structures are equally as important to him as building communities. He is a certified interpretive writer and a certified interpretive guide and trainer. He has been the initiator, manager and evaluator of many international projects dealing with a wide range of cultural and natural heritage including built assets, archaeological values, landscapes, memories, objects, digital works, music and many more. He always attaches high importance to the establishment and follow-up of good cooperation among different disciplines and cultures. He was the manager of Interpret Europe’s 2018 conference “Heritage and Identity”. This event was part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage programme.

Flora Bacquelaine Vidal de Llobatera SPAIN She holds a PhD in Humanities, Heritage and Cultural Studies and her professional activity combines cultural management, project evaluation, university teaching and scientific research focused on cultural studies. She has been the coordinator of the Culture and Tourism Commissions in the European Association for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) Euroregió Pirineus-Mediterrània until November 2024. She currently takes part as a team member of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya’s research project “Franco’s regionalism from Catalonia: centripetal practices and discourses” (PID2021-125227NB-I00), an activity that she combines with the task of collaborating lecturer in the Master’s Degree in Cultural Management at the UOC-UdG.

Dr. Natalia Moussienko is Europa Nostra Vice-President. She served as a member of the jury for the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards in the category Dedicated Service to Heritage (2019-2020) and later as a member of the Selection Committee in the category Citizens Engagement and Awareness Raising (2021-2022). Furthermore, she was on the Selection Committee for the European Heritage Hub Competition (2024).

Natalia Moussienko is a leading research fellow at the Modern Art Research Institute of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine in Kyiv. She studied philosophy at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and subsequently at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine where she received her doctorate. She is the author of numerous articles and books on the theory and history of culture, cultural diplomacy, urbanism, and cinema.

Dr. Moussienko pays special attention to the issues of art and cultural heritage at war: she lectures internationally and speaks on radio, television, and other mass media. In 2022–24 she presented her lectures in Ukraine, USA, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Cyprus, Serbia, Germany, and Italy. She was a coordinator of the International Heritage Solidarity Fellowship for the Ukrainian Defenders of the Cultural Heritage, launched by Europa Nostra (2022-2023).

Natalia Moussienko is the author of the research on the strategy and institutional development of cultural diplomacy and an educational course for Ph.D. students “Cultural Heritage as a Vector of Cultural Diplomacy”. She initiated and organized four Cultural Diplomacy Forums in Kyiv, notably “Cultural Heritage Matters to Cultural Diplomacy” in the framework of the European Year of Cultural Heritage (2018).

Pavlos Chatzigrigoriou is a Civil Engineer with a Master’s in Protection, Conservation, and Restoration of Monuments, a Master’s in Environmental Planning, a PhD in Architecture (digital cultural heritage), and a postdoc in Digital Heritage at the University of the Aegean. In 2015, his research project HERMeS earned him the prestigious European Heritage Award/Europa Nostra Award. The Council of Europe has recognised HERMeS as part of the Best Practices for Strategy 2021 and is currently being expanded to several historic cities. He has been invited as a guest speaker at international events, including the EU Cultural Forum, Best in Heritage, EU Best Practices in Public Administration, Digital Heritage, and Strategy 2021. Pavlos was a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the UNESCO Chair for Digital Heritage at the Cyprus University of Technology. Currently, he teaches digital cultural heritage at the University of the Aegean, serves as Chairman of the Jury for the European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards in the category Citizens’ Engagement and Awareness Raising, and is the Co-founder of the non-profit NGO Heritage Management e-Society (HERMeS) for the digital management of heritage. He is also Chairman of the Syros Institute’s board of directors and Project Officer for EU Funding in the South Aegean Region. Since June 2024, he has been appointed Managing Director and Scientific Responsible for the Historical Museum of Hermoupolis, a collaborative initiative of HERMeS NGO and the Lyceum of Greek Women of Syros. In this role, he oversees the development of innovative, inclusive activities, positioning the museum as a centre for Syros’s knowledge and cultural heritage.

Lorenzo Venezia was born in Vibo Valentia, Italy on 17 August 1992. He studied law at the University of Milano Bicocca and wrote his final dissertation on the role of Interpol in the operations of cultural objects restitutions when illegally exported. He then completed a one-year master’s programme in “Cultural Property Protection in Crisis Response” at the University of Turin with a final project on the use of QR codes inside cultural institutions to raise awareness in the public about illicit art trafficking. Lorenzo is currently working on a research project at C-Ship of the ICHEC Brussels Management School which is focusing on the relationship between local communities, environmental issues and cultural centres in the Region of Brussels. In December 2024, he will start a PhD on corporate financial management and crisis prevention at Universitas Mercatorum with a focus on digital transition in European non-profit cultural organisations as a tool for crisis prevention and the case study of ENCATC.
He has been a member of ESACH since June 2023 and in May 2024 he started to collaborate as Editor.

She has been working as an architect for 40 years, running her own studio since 1997 and has been teaching at different universities since 1999 with a professor’s post from 2006. She has been working internationally as well, for almost 10 years in Bosnia Herzegovina with the restoration of war-damaged monuments and with the establishment of The Commission to Preserve National Monuments, as stipulated in the Dayton Peace Agreement.
At the moment, she is teaching both at Dalarna University where she also participates in some applied research projects, as well as at Chalmers University in Gothenburg. Otherwise, she runs her architect’s studio where she has mainly occupied with restoration projects of listed buildings, state monuments such as Örebr castle and all buildings on Skeppsholmen, the island in front of the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

Charles Personnaz is a historian and civil servant, having spent most of his career in the field of cultural heritage both at the French Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Culture. He has been the Director of the National Heritage Institute (INP – Institut National du Patrimoine) since 2019.
Charles Personnaz has a special interest and commitment to the preservation of Christian heritage in the Middle East. He has authored several books published in France about Byzantine and Greek history and cultural policy.

Dr. Marine Mizandari has been co-chairing the National Trust of Georgia since 2017.
With 30 years of professional experience, her career spans scientific research in cultural heritage and the implementation of projects across Georgia and Europe.
Her extensive background includes high-level management roles, such as ministerial management and policy development. She has advised the Georgian government on strategic documents and served as the first Deputy Minister of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia from 2012 to 2014.

Victor Boye Julebæk, Ph.D., is an accomplished architect and academic who combines a deep theoretical foundation with practical experience. He studied architecture at both the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, grounding his approach in the rigorous architectural traditions of Denmark and Switzerland. He serves as an assistant professor at the Royal Danish Academy and is head of the Master’s Programme for Cultural Heritage, Transformation, and Conservation. In his teaching, research and practice, there is a focus on both the theoretical and the hands-on, applied perspectives of the conservation and transformation of architectural heritage with an emphasis on material practices, cultures, and ecologies.

Jermina Stanojev, PhD, is an independent expert in the field of cultural heritage and international cultural relations. She is a postdoctoral researcher at Uppsala University with a focus on circular economy and cultural heritage and holds a PhD in participatory and integrated governance of cultural heritage in the Western Balkans. She is currently appointed as an individual expert by the European Commission to the “Commission’s expert group on cultural heritage”. Her work focuses on culture-led, sustainable, regional development, policy design and evaluation for trans-disciplinary challenges through different governance frameworks and geopolitical levels. Since 2009 she is an advisor on the role of cultural heritage in international cultural relations within the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and since 2016 supports the European Union in engaging in international cultural relations within the framework of the EU strategy for international cultural relations through Cultural Diplomacy/Relations Platform of the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, with a global geographical mandate, under which, among others, developed recommendations “European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018: International Perspectives”. She has established competences and wide experience in fields of international cultural relations and cultural heritage working with different international organisations and institutions (UNESCO, European Commission, Goethe-Institut Brussels, European Cultural Centre Foundation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia etc.). She has an extensive experience in research, policies and numerous projects such as the EU Horizon 2020 project, “Circular models Leveraging Investments in Cultural Heritage Adaptive Reuse”, Erasmus + HERITAGE-PRO, the report of the Structured Dialogue with the EC on “Skills, Training and Knowledge-transfer in the Traditional and Emerging Heritage”, the OMC working group of Member States’ experts report on “Fostering cooperation in the EU on skills, training and knowledge transfer in cultural heritage professions” etc.

Sara originally trained as an architect and holds an MSc in Architectural Conservation. She began her professional career working for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) where she undertook various roles including running the casework and education teams and leading the Europa Nostra award-winning Faith in Maintenance training project.
She then spent time with the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), where she was Head of Historic Environment – providing advice and strategic direction to the Board and Executive on grant giving, and policy issues and building strategic relationships with historic environment organisations across the UK – before moving on to become CEO of Icon (the Institute of Conservation) and leading the organisation through a digital transformation as well as publishing a new long-term strategy with a renewed focus on skills and accreditation.
Sara is currently CEO of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting but retains her passion for heritage. She is a trustee of the National Heritage Science Forum, the Chair of the BEFS Places of Worship Forum, the Chair of Historic Buildings and Places, and the Chair of Europa Nostra UK.

Jasna Popović graduated from Law in Belgrade and holds two Masters – one in International public law and another in Human Rights, and now is a PhD candidate at UC3M, Madrid, researching the link between cultural heritage and sustainable tourism.
She has experience in the administration (working in the Serbian Embassy in Spain), cultural heritage NGO sector (collaborating with Hispania Nostra), and private sector collaborating with tourist agencies.
Currently, she is a freelance cultural practitioner and she is collaborating with Hispania Nostra, where she oversees youth involvement, and digital transformation in heritage and EU-funded projects. She is also working as the Coordinator of youth activities for the European Heritage Hub pilot project. She is also very active in ESACH where she has volunteered as Secretary since September 2022.

Professor Alex Torpiano is currently Dean of the Faculty for the Built Environment of the University of Malta, a position he has held for the last 16 years; he has served as Head of the Department of Building and Civil Engineering, 1988-1999, 2007-2011, as Head of the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, 2011-2016, as Head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Design, 2016-2020, and Acting Head of the Department of Visual Arts, 2021-2022. Het set up and served as Director of the Institute for Masonry and Construction Research between 1994 – 2009. He is currently a member of the University Senate, (since 2008), and has served as a member of the Council of the University between 2009-2021. He is a member of the Board of the Institute of Sustainable Energy and of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development. He has served as Chairperson of San Anton School, between 2000 and 2009; as President of the Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers, 1994-1996, 2017-2019, as Chairman of the Valletta Rehabilitation Committee 1995-1996, 2000-2001, as member of the Periti Warranting Board between 1999-2001 and since 2009. He has also served on the Eurocodes National Implementation Committee since 2002. He is currently the Executive President of the National Trust of Malta, Din l-Art Helwa.

Prof. Dr. Christian Hanus, born in 1974, is the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Arts, and Architecture at Danube University Krems (DUK), where he also leads the Department of Building and Environment. After completing his studies and doctoral work at ETH Zürich, specialising in monument preservation and sustainable architecture, he joined DUK in 2007 and became a professor in 2013.
At DUK, Prof. Hanus developed the “Refurbishment and Revitalization” program, focusing on restoring historical buildings with a sustainable and multifaceted approach. He has organised annual summer schools on heritage conservation and led various national and international research projects, including the European Heritage Awards Archive. He is actively involved with Europa Nostra Austria, contributing to its conferences and publications, and serves on the Industrial and Engineering Heritage Committee.
His expertise extends to advising UNESCO and the Austrian government on World Heritage properties, including assessments for sites like the Historic Centre of Salzburg. He also founded the “Center for Architectural Heritage and Infrastructure” and the “Center for Cultural Property Protection,” emphasising heritage conservation, reconstruction of earthquake-damaged historical towns, and international collaboration on cultural property protection.