YPFP Brussels

YPFP in the heart of Europe
In Spring 2008, YPFP launched its Brussels branch, effectively extending the highly successful Washington-based organization into the center of European policy making. Hosting EU institutions and NATO HQ, Brussels is one of the world's most important centers of people, institutions and ideas shaping global affairs. YPFP Brussels will continue the organization's broader mission to foster the next generation of foreign policy leaders by building a sense of community, common understanding, and a shared sense of purpose in the heart of Europe.
Activities
Speaker Events The work of YPFP Brussels is focused on providing members with unique opportunities to hear presentations by and speak with high-profile individuals involved in international affairs. Speakers are able to reach an audience of knowledgeable and enthusiastic future leaders. These roundtable events are kept intimate in order to foster real discussion and productive debate. For more information on attending or speaking at a YPFP Brussels event, please contact marcel.pieper@ypfp.org.
Networking Events YPFP Brussels holds a number of receptions throughout the year, so that members can better get to know one another. These may or may not be tied to policy discussion events, but help to maintain the vibrancy of the YPFP community in Brussels.
Staff and Leadership
 
Marcel Pieper - Executive Director
Marcel works as a public affairs consultant for Burson Marsteller, mainly in charge of communication campaigns for clients from the energy, ICT and consumer sector. Before Marcel was a journalist for the EU online policy portal EurActiv, covering EU foreign-, neighbourhood-, enlargement- and security policy.
Prior to this, he did a traineeship in the European Parliament, working for the secretariat of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, where he researched on the US plans for setting up anti-missile sites in Eastern Europe and NATO-EU relations. He also worked two years for German TV and interned in the Trade Department of the German Foreign Office and the US General Consulate.
Marcel studied international relations, economics and international public and EU law in Münster, Germany, Richmond, Virginia, and Berlin. He speaks Germany as mother tongue, fluently English and has a good understanding of French.
 
Renata Zaleska - Managerial Director
Renata came to Brussels to intern at NATO's Public Diplomacy Division and currently works in the Defence Policy and Planning Division.  Her experience also includes an internship at the UN Headquarters in New York and assistance to the Polish delegation to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. Renata hold as MSc in Comparative Politics (Conflict Studies) from the London School of Economics and a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. She is bilingual in Polish and English, and is proficient in French.

Nicolas Le Polain- Speaker Events Coordinator

Nicolas works as an communication consultant at Mostra, mainly in charge of communication campaigns for the European institutions. Before Nicolas worked for 4 years in marketing & communication for the international brewer AB InBev in Asia and Europe. Prior to that, he was a research student at the Center for European Studies at Fudan University in China where he published various papers on the EU's trade diplomacy towards China. 

Nicolas studied International Relations & Economics in the UK, Germany, Belgium and China. He speaks fluent French, English, Chinese, Spanish and Dutch and has a good understanding of German.
 

Lefteris Coroyannakis - Outreach Coordinator
After completing his law degree at the King's College in London, Lefteris spent a year in Madrid teaching business English. During his graduate studies at the College of Europe, he specialized in European interest representation, focusing on stem cell research policy in the field of advanced therapies.
Lefteris has since completed a traineeship at the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission, working on bilateral trade relations with the Americas, and is currently an intern at Mayer Brown International LLP, dealing mainly with competition and regulatory issues. He is fluent in English, French, Greek, Spanish and Italian. His other interests include corporate social responsibility, sports and travel.
 
Smiri Zied - Social Events Coordinator
Zied works as a Senior Financial Analyst for MasterCard Worldwide, mainly in charge of new ventures and technology initiatives. Before that Zied worked as a Project Manager for MasterCard International interacting with European banks regarding cards and technology implementations. Prior to this, Zied held various business, planning, accounting and financial analysis roles with Motorola Ltd and Citibank N.A. in the United Kingdom and in Tunisia.
Zied holds a university degree in Finance, the intermediate level of the CImA qualification and an MBA (Master of Science in Management) from Boston University. He speaks Arabic and French as mother tongues, English fluently and has a good understanding of Italian and Spanish.
 
Membership and Support
Benefits of Membership
In a word, YPFP membership offers access - access to top-level current leaders, access to a network of intelligent, energetic future leaders, and access to other organizations shaping foreign policy throughout the city. YPFP Brussels will follow the successful model pioneered in Washington, D.C, New York City and London through three primary modes:

• Organizing enriching events with the "best in the business" from the financial sector, media outlets, academic institutions, and international and nongovernmental organizations. In these small, private, off-the-record discussions, members have the opportunity to engage leaders and experts in an intimate setting. Brussels Members help set the agenda for these events.
• Providing the opportunity for members to connect with their peers speaking events, social gatherings and online forums. YPFP offers unparalleled opportunities to develop a deep, broad, and valuable professional network at the start of one's career.
• Establishing partnerships with other organizations throughout Brussels engaged in international relations. Through these partnerships, YPFP members gain special access to events sponsored by these institutions.

Apply for YPFP membership at www.ypfp.org. 
Volunteer Opportunities
YPFP Brussels is run solely by a team of dedicated volunteers who are shaping the future of foreign policy leadership and building the Brussels branch of YPFP. We are always seeking talented, energetic young people who can contribute to our mission. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact Marcel Pieper at marcel.pieper@ypfp.org. The Brussels team members have the opportunity to assist with:

• Planning events with leaders and experts in international affairs
• Recruiting new members and building partnerships with the leading international institutions in Brussels
• Organizing social events and unique opportunities for members
• Working with YPFP leaders in Washington, New York City and London to set the strategic direction for YPFP help to build organizational resources and capacity