5) Heritage Champions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.