David Carpintero
Director General
David joined ePURE as Director General in June 2022. Previously he worked as Director General for a Brussels-based food trade association and has a long international experience with a multinational in the agricultural sector with postings in Europe and America. He started his career as a management consultant with A.T. Kearney. David earned an MBA at IESE Business School and a Master’s in Agronomic Engineering at Polytechnic University of Madrid.
Simona Vackeová
Director of Government Affairs
Simona joined ePURE in October 2020 and is responsible for energy, environment and trade issues. She spent nearly a decade working on horizontal trade issues affecting the European ceramic industry and assumed the role of Trade Policy Director at the European Ceramic Industry Association (Cerame-Unie). From 2017 to 2020, she also represented the refractory sector as Secretary-General of the European Refractory Producers Federation (PRE) and the World Refractories Association (WRA). Simona holds a Master’s degree in Politics & International Relations from the University of Aberdeen and in EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies from the College of Europe. She speaks English, French, Slovak and Spanish.
Craig Winneker
Director of Communications
Craig has worked as a communications professional and journalist for more than 30 years in Brussels and Washington. He joined ePURE in December 2016 after having been news editor at Politico. Before that, he was Director of Public Affairs at the European Crop Protection Association and has also worked as Director of Political Communications for the European Photovoltaic Industry Association. His journalism career included top editorial positions with the Wall Street Journal Europe and European Voice in Brussels. He was also managing editor of Roll Call in Washington. He holds a BA in political science from Texas Christian University. A native of the U.S. whose mother tongue is English, Craig also speaks French.
Maya Halaoui
Office Manager
Maya is responsible for the office management of ePURE, focusing particularly on accounting, financials and administrative issues. She joined the ePURE office in Brussels in February 2015. Prior to that, she was an EU Affairs Associate with Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and also worked for DG Research & Innovation at the European Commission as well as at the International Law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel (GLN). Maya is Belgian and Lebanese. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management/Secretarial Studies and has 8 years’ experience in that field.
Carlo Alberto Miani
Technical Policy & Sustainability Senior Manager
Carlo is responsible for files related to technical policy, sustainability and statistics, as well as standardisation, introduction and mainstreaming of fuels and biofuel blends containing ethanol. Before joining ePURE in September 2023, he worked as Fuels & Transportation Analyst for Stratas Advisors, where he covered Europe and the CIS region. Carlo’s previous professional experiences include, among others, years of consultancy work on EU-funded transport infrastructure, energy, business climate, private sector support and development cooperation projects. He speaks fluent English, Italian, French, Russian and Dutch.
Vincenzo Viola
Advocacy & EP Relations Senior Manager
Vincenzo has been involved in expert roles on EU public affairs since 2014. He is responsible for advocacy and institutional relations on energy, environment, agriculture, trade, climate, sustainability, and nutrition issues. Before joining ePURE in July 2024, he worked as Advocacy & EP Relations Manager at the EU vegetable oil and protein meal industry association (FEDIOL). Among other professional experiences, Vincenzo worked as EU Affairs Manager for a Brussels-based trade association in the agriculture sector and as Political Adviser at the President’s Cabinet of the S&D political group. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Palermo, a Master’s degree in Management from University la Sapienza in Rome, and an advanced Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Brussels (ULB). He speaks English, Italian, French, and Spanish.
Aleksy Fichot
Government Affairs Manager
Aleksy joined ePURE in July 2024. With considerable experience in EU policy monitoring and public affairs, he previously worked as an Executive Consultant for a Brussels-based consultancy, collaborating with European and global companies involved in the agri-food, energy, and environment sectors. He also has a strong background in the agricultural sector, having served as a Policy Advisor for the Bureau Européen de l’Agriculture Française (BEAF) from 2019 to 2023. Aleksy holds a Master’s degree in European Affairs from Sciences Po Lille and speaks fluent English, French, and Polish.