Erik is Group Chief Economist and Global Head of CIB Research at UniCredit. In these roles, Erik is responsible for forming and communicating the independent research views on macroeconomic and policy issues, markets and asset allocation, under the UniCredit banner.

Prior to joining UniCredit in September 2011, Erik worked for fifteen years as an economist at Goldman Sachs in New York and London, where his most recent role was Chief European Economist overseeing the European and CEE economics teams. Before joining Goldman he spent ten years in Washington DC working as an economist for the IMF and World Bank in various capacities, including as country economist for Russia and Turkey, and as a debt expert working on sovereign debt workouts around the world.

Erik is one of the most frequently quoted economists in the financial media, and appears regularly as guest host and commentator on Bloomberg TV, CNBC, CNN and other channels.

James was appointed Director of Economics at BUSINESSEUROPE, the Confederation of European Business, in June 2011. In this role he is responsible for developing and communicating the organisation’s positions on macroeconomic policies, structural and financial market reforms, economic governance, taxation, the EU budget and EU regional policies.

Prior to joining BUSINESSEUROPE, James worked for 14 years as an economic adviser in the UK Government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (formerly DTI), providing economic advice and analysis on policies to raise the UK’s long-term growth rate. During this period he co-authored a number of research reports on subjects ranging from the role of high-growth firms in the UK economy to the UK’s trade relationship with China and India. He has also worked on secondment to the Cabinet Office in the UK, at the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry and the European Commission’s DG Economics and Financial Affairs.

A graduate of the Cambridge University, James also holds an MSc from the University of York.

Klaus joined the Federation in 2014 in current position. Previously, he was an economist with Deutsche Bank Research in both Frankfurt/M and Berlin from 1996 to 2014. Klaus holds degrees in economics and political science from the Free University of Berlin.

Markus has been Director General of BUSINESSEUROPE since late 2012.

Prior to this he held the positions of CEO of the Austrian Industry Holding ÖIAG, Director General of the Federation of Austrian Industries (IV) and Director for Economic Affairs of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. Before this, Markus served as Chief Economic Advisor to the Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel.

Martin started his career at the French Treasury in the Department of International Monetary and Financial Affairs.

In 1997 he joined the Commission and since then has worked consistently across the various domains of Financial Services including positions in the Commissioner’s Cabinet, as Head of Unit coordinating Financial Services Policy and as Director of Financial Markets until his current position as Director, Banks, Insurance and Financial Crime.

Martin represents the Commission at the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, on the Board of Supervisors of both EBA and EIOPA, in the Financial Stability Board’s Resolution Steering Group and in the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF/GAFI).

Michael previously spent 35 years with BNY Mellon, the last seven as Chairman, Europe, Middle East & Africa. In addition to his role at AFME, Michael is currently Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (CISI), a member and co-chair of the Wholesale Banking Group of the European Financial Services Chairman’s Advisory Council, a member of the Advisory Council and the Financial Services Skills Taskforce of TheCityUK, and member of FICC Markets Standards Board Advisory Council. He is also a member of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum Advisory Board and a Board and Executive Committee Member of the Global Financial Markets Association.

Michael is Trustee of the mental health charity, the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust and of education charity, Engage with China Ltd.

He was recently awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) from Cass Business School.

Michael is Head of AFME’s Prudential Regulation division and also leads our research function.

Michael has spent almost his entire career in the banking sector including nearly 20 years as one of the UK’s leading bank analysts. Before joining AFME in April 2011, he was a partner of Brunswick Group LLP, advising a number of banks and insurance companies on a wide range of financial corporate reputational issues. Prior to that, he spent over 5 years as a Managing Director of Credit Suisse, initially leading its pan-European banking equity research team and latterly as an advisor to a number of major companies in the bank’s Corporate Broking division. Between 1986 and 2002 Michael led banking equity research teams at Smith New Court, Nomura and HSBC. He started his career at the Bank of England where he was engaged in banking supervision and contributing to the formulation of regulatory policy.

Stefano is Managing Director for Advocacy at AFME. Before joining AFME, Stefano has spent two years (2010-2011) as a Policy Advisor at the Institute of International Finance in Washington DC.

Prior to his work at the IIF, for six years Stefano Mazzocchi has worked for Intesa Sanpaolo's International Regulatory and Antitrust Affairs office as a Regulatory Advisor. Stefano spent five years at the European Parliament (1999-2004) as an Economic Advisor in the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. He has also been a regular contributor to a number of Italian newspapers. Stefano is an economist by training.

He has a degree in Economics from the Università Politecnica delle Marche and a Master in Finance from Solvay Business School - Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Tarek leads the EACT’s public affairs and policy advocacy efforts. He represents the interests of corporate treasurers from across the EACT’s 23 member associations on all aspects of European financial regulation.

Prior to this Tarek worked at FleishmanHillard – a public affairs consultancy – advising clients on European financial services regulation. Before joining FleishmanHillard, he worked at Deutsche Bank’s Alfred Herrhausen Society in Berlin.

Tarek holds a dual degree in political Science and law from the University of Münster and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He also holds a Master’s degree in EU political economy and politics from the LSE.

Véronique is Head of Group Prudential Affairs for BNP Paribas since November 2015.

In this role, she is responsible for the definition of BNP Paribas groupwide responses to new prudential regulations, in close liaison with regulatory experts in the various business lines and functions. She is also in charge of orchestrating the group' relationships with regulatory authorities, industry associations and relevant peers, leveraging the various teams within Group Public Affairs, as well as business lines, functions and territories, and in close liaison with top management.

She has been appointed Chair of AFME Prudential Regulatory Board in 2019, she is a member of EBF Banking Supervision Committee and is actively participating to various industry groups and conferences. Since June 2017, she also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of BNP Paribas UK Ltd.

She was previously, since 2009, Global Head of Official Institutions Coverage at BNP Paribas. In this role, she created and led a team of Senior Bankers dedicated to Sovereigns, Central Banks, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Supranationals, delivering the whole range of financial services across geographies and business lines: Primary and Secondary Debt Capital Markets, Hedging instruments, Reserve Management, Implementation of monetary policy, Asset Allocation, Alternative Investments in Real Estate and Infrastructure, Securities Services, Corporate Finance and Advisory,…

She joined Paribas in 1994 after several years as a management consultant in the Finance Division of Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), and held various responsibilities in the bank, as Head of Economic Capital and RAROC project in the Risk Department (1994-1998), as Head of Loan Portfolio Management in Corporate and Investment Banking (1998-2006), and as Head of Financial Information and Investor Relation in the Group’s Finance Division (2006-2009).

Veronique graduated at the “Hautes Etudes Commerciales” business school (HEC) in 1982.