The term of the Board is scheduled to end on December 31, 2023. The announcement for the new board is expected to be released in December 2023. The presentation of the new Board of Directors will take place in February 2024.
Founder, Chairman of the Board of Directors: Panayiotis Neufelt
Accountable for: (ACCEI Researcher Public Relations, Fundraising, Lobbying, Performing Arts)
Curriculum vitae: Panayiotis is also the Founder and Chairman of the International Independent, a consortium of Cultural and Creative Industries research, economy and policy organisations, and the Chairman of the Arts Council Greece. He has a dual background both technical and creative, as a theatre director, curator and producer, and as an aviation specialist and entrepreneur, and has worked also as a political advisor, consultant, researcher and public speaker. Panayiotis holds an Aviation Management degree (BSc), studied theatre and worked in the performing arts and in the cultural policy and creative sectors internationally.
Vice Chairman: Marco Valente
Accountable for: (Cultural Heritage, Project Management, Public Relations)
Curriculum vitae: Marco is an Archaeologist, Fundraiser and an International Marketing Consultant. Marco is a Cooperating Member of the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Archaeologies (CTA-IPT), and worked in Portugal, Spain and Mozambique, coordinating Projects related to Archaeology, Tourism, Theatre, Music, Patrimony, Biological Agriculture, HIV-AIDS, Education, Citizenship, Empowering Women, Science Labs Establishment, and Ecosystems Protection. He has a special interest in Cultural and Physical Anthropology, Ethnographic Studies, Ecosystem Protection and the Islamic Culture. Master on “Islamic Portugal and the Mediterranean” – Ual, Post-graduate Studies in Archaeology – UFP, Degree on World History – Educational – FLUP.
Vice Chairman: Ferdinand Richard
Accountable for: Western Africa, Fundraising and Mobility,
Curriculum vitae: Ferdinand Richard has been the Founder/Director of A.M.I./Marseille, founding member of La Friche Belle-de-Mai/Marseille, first coordinator/expert of the International Fund for Cultural Diversity/UNESCO experts panel, President of The Roberto Cimetta Fund and founding member/executive supervisor of The Fanak Fund (Euro-Arab-Middle East area), expert for the french Cour des Comptes on the international cultural actions of the French Governement, expert for Asia-Europe Foundation/”Mobility First” programme, Board member of the Observatoire des Politiques Culturelles/France, Founder-member and president of Global Grand Central, global internet platform for artists and cultural activists for projects, archives, and narratives, member of the governing instance of the Institut du Monde Arabe in the Hauts-de-France Region/France, Lecturer for the Diploma in Cultural management of the Leopold Senghor University/ Alexandria/Egypt, President of the Orientation Board of the European Certificate of Cultural Management/Marcel Hicter Foundation Brussels, and the European Forum for the Arts and Heritage, re-named today Culture Action Europe, expert for Agenda 21 United Cities and Local Governments, distinguished Knight for Arts and Literature of the French Republic, musician and producer.
General Secretary: Waheeda AlHadhrami
Accountable for: International Programme Development, Middle East Area Advisor, Special Advisor to the Chairman
Curriculum vitae: Waheeda studied Creative Industries and Art Management and Marketing and works within the Cultural and Creative Industries Sector at the Ministry of Culture and Youth, United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the Head of Funding and Support section. Waheeda’s work consists of developing and leading the UAE’s first 10-year federal Cultural and Creative Industries Strategy, working on studies to support initiating policy research for the improvement of our local creative ecosystem, and establishing partnerships with stakeholders from the government, private, and non-profit sectors to support the overall growth of the UAE’s creative economy.
Board Member: Alushca Ritchie
Accountable for: Tourism, Public Relations and Cultural Heritage
Curriculum vitae: Alushca is the elected President of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations – WFTGA and a member of the Board of Directors of Cape Town Tourism. Specialising in public relations, cultural heritage, policy and tourism, she is involved in several initiatives worldwide, including the WFTGA conferences, supporting tourist guides unions and associations’ initiatives worldwide as well as life learning programmes and seminars.
Board Member: Siti Suriawati Isa
Accountable for: Academia, Cultural Heritage and Climate Change
Curriculum vitae: Siti is the Deputy Director and Associate Professor at the University Putra Malaysia. Her interest in cultural economy and development led her to explore the links between the culture and heritage, creativity, climate change, ecology and environment (specified in Forestry). The diversity of her work experience includes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia, and the Middle East Market Tourists to Malaysia (Malaysia Ministry of Tourism).
Board Member: Amadou Sow
Accountable for: African Countries Liaisons, Environment and Health.
Curriculum vitae: Amadou is an Environmental Geographer, researcher with practical experience in the management of cultural projects; and environmental and social study, also in the assessment of hygiene and environmental health (EHS); Environmental Quality, Health and Safety Assessment (QSSE), Rural Economy Development Project; Founding member of the Senegalese Association for Cultural Development (ASDC) in charge of cultural projects; delegate of the NGO Terre D’Avenir, OTA for the Indian Ocean and Africa, he was President of the Association des jeunes Espoirs du Fouladou (Management of amateur theater projects, fundraising, project development, theater organization); worked as a facilitator of theater workshops for people with disabilities; specializing in mediation with college students and supervision of cultural associations.
The Board of Directors is responsible to jointly supervise the activities and for the management of ICCIRA.
