Elaine Cruikshanks has over 27 years of agency experience with Hill & Knowlton (H&K) and now with Acumen. She grew H&K’s Brussels office from 1994-2010 to the largest in the PA/PR arena, and in addition had the role of global public affairs director. Assignments have ranged across various sectors with a focus on public affairs and communications, healthcare, food, consumer, trade, ICT, environmental issues and energy. Her background is public affairs (having worked for the UK Foreign Office). Elaine has worked with a range of blue chip companies as well as trade associations, ad hoc coalitions, governments, NGOs and international institutions. Over the years, she has run Brussels, EU- wide and international campaigns for a range of clients. Past and current clients include: AstraZeneca, ABPI, NICE, Baxter, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Boots, Bristol Myers Squibb, Coca-Cola, Daikin, Debswana/DeBeers, European Breakfast Cereal Association (CEEREAL), European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations (EFPIA), European Natural Soya Association (ENSA), European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Global Fund, government of Turkey, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, Lundbeck, LEO Pharma, Merck, Sharpe & Dohme (MSD), Mitsubishi, Novartis, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Roche, Rosneft, Stop TB, Syngenta and Wrigley’s.
Giles Keane has more than fifteen years’ experience in EU public affairs consultancy. Prior to joining acumen public affairs as a founding partner, he was a Director of International Corporate Communications at Hill & Knowlton in Brussels. He has worked across numerous sectors and policy areas including digital policy, healthcare, environment & energy, and food and agriculture. Giles has been supporting the GSK Consumer Health Government Affairs team since 2018 on issues relating pharmaceuticals in the environment
Current and recent clients of Giles since the creation of Acumen include Cargill Europe, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, Heineken, LEO Pharma, PlasticsEurope, Procter & Gamble and Syngenta. Previous clients of relevance include the British Poultry Council and US national renderers association for whom he monitored and advised on EU veterinary legislation, the European Sugar Manufacturers Association, Kellogg’s, and the European Whey Producers Association. Giles is an Irish national and in addition to his native English, he speaks fluent French and Spanish, as well as conversational Italian.
Nikos is a Partner. He has over 12 years experience in public policy, EU public affairs, communications and academia. He is a health and pharmaceuticals policy expert with in-depth knowledge in areas such as vaccines, IP, pricing and access, HTA, AMR.
He has advised the company’s healthcare clients on public affairs issues and has led assignments on strategy development, advocacy, in-depth policy analysis, media relations and communication, disease awareness, stakeholder engagement and outreach.
Before joining Acumen, Nikos worked for a medical association in Brussels, where he set up and ran the EU Affairs and Media department. He has also worked in academia and for another Brussels consultancy.
Former and current clients at Acumen include Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, MSD, Roche, Sanofi, LEO Pharma, Vifor Pharma, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). He is a native Greek speaker, is fluent in English and an intermediate level French speaker.
Max has over 20 years of experience in EU public affairs, communications, interest representation and law at EU and national level. Max is a German qualified lawyer specialising in European and international law. From 2007 to 2019 he worked at Novartis where he held positions of increasing responsibility in corporate as well as business positions. He worked across different therapeutic areas, public policy issues as well as crisis management, patient advocacy, pricing and reimbursement (EU and in-market level), coalition building, competition issues, disease awareness, regulatory changes, patients’ rights, medical liability, intellectual property, EU litigations, pharmacovigilance, medical devices, OTC products, compliance and industry guidelines. Most recently he was the Head of the Brussels Office of Novartis leading a team of experienced in-house lobbyists.
Max speaks English and French in addition to his native German.
Maëlle Quintart is the acumen public affairs office manager. She has over 15 years administrative experience in the EU, Trade Association and Consultancy world. Prior to joining acumen public affairs as Office Manager in 2011, Maëlle was New Business and Marketing coordinator at Hill & Knowlton Brussels, where she had started as personal assistant to Elaine Cruikshanks. At Acumen, Maëlle is in charge of the day-to-day running of the office (accounting, HR, travel organisation, website, suppliers, translations…) and provides client support where her skills are needed. Maëlle is a native French speaker and holds a translation degree in English and Spanish.
Journalist since 1968. Former German Correspondent, Industrial Editor and European Business Editor, The Guardian. Senior adviser CabinetDN 2009-17. Now: editor, Social Europe and sceptical.scot. Graduate of Oxford University (BA) and King's College London (MA); studied at Saarbrücken and Strasbourg Universities; fluent French and German.
Jon has worked in the energy industry for more than 40 years of which half has been as a Brussels-based energy and environmental consultant. He has represented several large companies internationally including, British Energy, NEK Bulgaria, ESI-Energy Consultants (USA), TVO (Finland), HR Wallingford (UK), Mott MacDonald and others. In parallel with his support to energy companies, Jon has also been a consultant to several MEPs regarding the development and amendment of the Parliamentary Reports on draft energy/environment Directives and Legislation.Jon is a British Mechanical Engineer and can also work in French with a working ability in Bulgarian.
Ana-Maria works on public affairs and communications for clients in the fields of public and global health. She is involved in policy research and analysis, strategy development and advocacy, but also communication activities such as drafting press releases and blogs, or developing social media strategies for clients around policy milestones or disease awareness campaigns.
Prior to joining acumen, Ana-Maria worked for FleishmanHillard Paris, as well as with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the European Institute of Romania, where she helped national experts provide input to the Romanian Government on several key European policy areas. Ana-Maria holds a Master’s degree in European Affairs from Sciences Po Paris, and is fluent in Romanian, French, English, Greek and has a basic understanding of Spanish and Italian.
A German-Brazilian national, Melanie is a public affairs and strategic communications expert with over 15 years of experience in roles across consultancies, government, international organizations and academia in Europe, Latin and North America.
She was Country Manager for Brazil at a global emerging-markets consultancy for public affairs, where she advised over 50 multinational corporations on market access, policy and regulatory affairs, advocacy, community relations, and reputation management in highly regulated sectors such as Healthcare, Energy, Mining and Technology. On multi-market mandates, she worked closely with colleagues across Latin America, Europe and Africa. Prior to that, she worked for the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and the Competition Commission (CADE). She moved on to international roles working on External Relations for the World Trade Organization, and for defense & trade think tanks in Geneva.
At Acumen, she advises clients on global and regional healthcare projects. Current and prior clients include IFPMA, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi and Vifor. She earned a PhD in international law in Geneva, complemented by a fellowship at the Yale Law School. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Brasilia and is fluent Portuguese, English, German, French and Spanish.
George is an Associate Director. He joined the Acumen team in April 2016 and since then has worked on a range of clients including Uber, EuroCloud, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Mastercard.
He previously worked as a Policy Advisor for EUROCITIES, the network of major cities in Europe, where he focused on issues such as citizen digital inclusion, open data and innovation policy. Prior to this he worked for a public affairs consultancy as a policy officer for EDiMA, the European Digital Media Association. Through this work George acquired in depth knowledge on issues such as innovation policy, digital transformation and data issues.
He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from University College Dublin. In addition to his native English George speaks Italian.
Brendan Moran is an Account Manager in the healthcare team with over five years of experience in EU affairs. Prior to joining acumen public affairs, Brendan was a Senior Policy Adviser to the CEO at the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU, where he advised the Board and senior leadership on implementing public affairs and communication strategies and was responsible for briefing the CEO on European and international affairs. Before this, Brendan worked in the healthcare team at a Brussels-based public affairs consultancy and in the EU affairs office of a multinational pharmaceutical company. Brendan holds an MA in European Political and Administrative Studies from the College of Europe and a BA in European Studies from King’s College London. Brendan is a British national, and speaks fluent French.
Alex is a Senior Account Manager at acumen public affairs. He joined Acumen in 2016, having previously been an intern in late 2015, a trainee and Consultant until 2018.
Since joining Acumen, Alex has worked on a broad range of projects for clients in the healthcare, transport, industrial and agriculture sectors. Alex has particular expertise on antimicrobial resistance, vaccines and Brexit, and also has a flair for creative work within the Acumen team. Alex has been recognised for his work at Acumen, winning the award for the public affairs industry’s Promising Newcomer at the 2017 EuroPAwards.
Outside of his work at Acumen, Alex is also a member of the Executive Committee of the young public affairs professionals organisation ECPA 2.0, and Alex is actively involved pro-EU movements in UK politics. Alex has previously worked at the central office of a major UK political party, including during a General Election, and has a background working on a variety of creative projects.
Alex holds a BSc in Government from the London School of Economics. He is a native English speaker and is proficient in Spanish.
Iveta Kazlauskaite is a Senior Account Manager at Acumen. Iveta was previously a trainee at the company, and prior to that she completed a Blue Book traineeship at the European Commission, where she worked in the Cabinet of Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis for Health and Food Safety.
Iveta holds a Master’s Degree in Development Policy from KDI School in Public Policy and Management, in addition she holds MA in European Studies from KU Leuven and BA in International Relations from Lancaster University. Iveta is a native Lithuanian speaker, fluent in English and proficient in Russian.
Alexandra is a Senior Account Manager at acumen public affairs. She currently provides support for clients with focus on the environment and healthcare. In addition she ensures the good conduct of the office in terms of accounting, human resources, travel organization, external visibility, and there where she can make the team’s job easier.
She has previously worked as Project Assistant for an association focusing on sustainable resource management for more than a year. She is a native Romanian and speaks fluent English, Italian, and has an intermediate level of French.
Prior to joining Acumen in October 2018, Giorgos developed the outreach of a Washington-based NGO establishing its presence in US Congress, got an insider’s view on EU policymaking during his work at the European Commission, and helped to shape the advocacy strategy of a large multinational company on innovation. His policy experience includes working with trade associations, diplomatic missions, and NGOs in Europe and the United States. At Acumen, he supports clients on mobility, innovation and circular economy.
Giorgos has a Master’s in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, graduating at the top of his class with a Fulbright Fellowship. He speaks English, French, Greek, and Russian.
Alastair Crooks is an Account Manager in the healthcare team and joined acumen public affairs in January 2020. Prior to joining the team, Alastair served as the Engagement & Communication Manager at the European Medicines Verification Organisation (EMVO), where he worked closely with the key stakeholders of the pharmaceutical supply chain. While working at EMVO, Alastair was responsible for external communication during the launch and initial period of the European Medicines Verification System.
Before his time in Brussels, Alastair spent over 3 years working in the British Parliament as a researcher and assistant to a senior backbench MP.
Alastair holds an MSc in Crisis and Security Management from Leiden University and a BA in Politics from the University of Lancaster. He is a native English speaker and is proficient in Spanish.
Matthew Hogarth is an Account Manager at Acumen, having previously worked as a Policy Advisor to British S&D MEPs. During his time in the Parliament he worked primarily across the JURI and IMCO committees, specialising in consumer protection, digital regulation and intellectual property. He holds an MA in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe, and a BA in Modern Languages from the University of Durham. Aside from his native English, he is able to work in French, Spanish, Italian and Polish.
Lana joined Acumen in October 2020 as an Account Manager, following her diplomatic posting at the Permanent Representation of Croatia to the European Union. She worked for the COREPER I coordination team during the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Previously, she worked as an EU public affairs consultant for a PA agency in Brussels and as trainee at the Croatian Government, European Commission and the Croatian Parliament. Lana completed her MA studies at the College of Europe in Bruges, Catholic University of Louvain and University of Zagreb. Apart from her native Croatian, Lana is fluent in English, French and Italian, and has intermediate knowledge of Russian.
Anne-Sophie is an Account Manager supporting the EU and Global Health client portfolio. Prior to joining, Anne-Sophie completed traineeships at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the French Ministry of Health and the Assistance Publique – Hopitaux de Paris. She has also gained experience in public health research at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.
Anne-Sophie holds a Master of Public Policy with a major in Global Health from Sciences Po Paris, as well as a BA in Social Sciences. Anne-Sophie is a native French speaker, fluent in English and has a basic knowledge of German.
Prior to joining Acumen, she worked in a consultancy firm where she was in charge of the administrative coordination of public tenders, translation, proofreading, travel coordination and meeting arrangements. She has also gained experience in law firms dealing with accounting, invoicing and credit control. Anne previously spent time working as a production and import-export assistant for a wholesale textile company. Additionally, she worked for seven years as an administrative assistant in the claims department of a shipowners’ mutual (P&I Club), and spent some of this time in the UK.
She graduated as Management Assistant from ECSEDI Brussels. Anne is a native French speaker and she is fluent in English. She has a very good command of Dutch.
Daan is a Consultant supporting Acumen’s global health client portfolio. Prior to joining acumen public affairs, he participated as research assistant in several biomedical research projects in the fields of HIV, cardiology, multiple sclerosis and oncology. Daan holds both a MSc in Governance and Leadership in European Public Health and a MSc in Biomedical Sciences from Maastricht University as well as a BSc in Agriculture & Biotechnology from University College PXL.
Daan is a Belgian national. In addition to his native Dutch, he is fluent in English and has intermediate knowledge of Spanish, German and French.
Anna is a Consultant. She joined acumen public affairs to support the EU Health team and the growing portfolio of clients focusing on the health sector. Prior to this, she completed a traineeship in DG Health and Safety at the European Commission where she gained experience in health systems and performance. Anna holds a MSc in Governance and Leadership in European Public Health and a BSc in European Public Health from Maastricht University. Anna is native in English and speaks intermediate German. She has a basic knowledge of Dutch and French.
Laura is an Office Manager Assistant supporting the daily running of the office. Prior to joining acumen, she completed a traineeship as a personal assistant of a MEP where she gained experience in EU public affairs, communication and administration. Laura holds a LLM in European and International law from Vrije University Amsterdam and a BS in International Relations with a minor in European Institutions from Milan University. Laura is native in Italian and speaks English and Spanish. She has a basic knowledge of German and French.
Sara is a Consultant at acumen public affairs, supporting various accounts in the EU Health portfolio with tasks including day-to-day monitoring, research and advocacy. In addition, she does a significant amount of communications work, and has over the past year helped organise numerous virtual events and roundtables on behalf of clients.
She started at acumen with a five-month internship as part of her studies. During these months she worked with the public affairs teams, while also supporting the office manager with administrative tasks on a daily basis. She holds a BSc in political science oriented towards organisation and management from Malmö University. Before moving to Brussels, Sara worked as a recruiter at Adecco in Sweden. Sara is a native Swedish speaker, fluent in English and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian.
Yae is an EU Health Consultant. Prior to joining Acumen she completed an internship in a European trade association where she worked on EU health-related issues.
Yae obtained a master’s degree in International and European Law at the Catholic University of Leuven, where she wrote her dissertation on the pricing of medicine under EU Law. During this period, she also completed an Erasmus Program at the University of Copenhagen and an exchange program at Venice International University. Being born and raised in Brussels, she speaks Dutch, French, English and has a basic knowledge of Japanese.
Gianluigi is a Consultant supporting Acumen’s environment and mobility client portfolio. Prior to joining acumen public affairs, he worked as an Intern at the EU Regional Office of Regione Campania in Brussels, where he was in charge of monitoring all the developments related to the EU environmental policies.
Gianluigi obtained a Master's degree in Law at the Federico II University of Naples, graduating cum laude with a dissertation on EU State Aid and tax rulings. During this period, he also completed an Erasmus Program at the Université Catholique de Louvain.
Gianluigi is an Italian national. In addition to his native Italian, he is fluent in English and has intermediate knowledge of Spanish and French.
Luca is an EU Health Consultant at acumen public affairs.
Prior to joining Acumen, Luca worked for an European healthcare organization and at the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority).
Luca obtained a double-bachelor degree in International Studies at the University of Trento and at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. In addition, he holds a research M.A. degree in European Studies with focus on sociology completed at the Free University of Berlin.
Luca is an Italian native speaker, fluent in German, French and English, and he has a conversational level of Spanish.
Louise is a Junior Consultant supporting the EU Health client portfolio at acumen public affairs. Prior to joining, Louise worked at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the EU during their Council Presidency and at INBAS GmbH as well as completed an internship at the DG Health and Food Safety of the European Commission.
Louise holds a Master from SciencesPo Paris in European Affairs with a major in Global Health and a Bachelor in European Public Affairs from Maastricht University. Louise is a native German and French speaker, fluent in English and has a good knowledge of Spanish.
Zachary McGuinness is a Consultant working on the health care team at Acumen, supporting clients both in EU affairs and global public health.
Zachary studied international relations both at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Bologna, Italy, before going on to obtain a Masters degree at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna in Austria.
Zachary brings a wide range of experiences to Acumen. Prior to joining the team, Zachary worked in communications at the Friends of Europe think tank in Brussels. Before moving to the European capital and gravitating towards the public affairs field, Zachary worked in the media industry in New York City.
Marta Provencio is an EU Health Consultant at Acumen Public Affaris. Prior to joining the team, Marta worked as a Market Access Consultant in Spain, where she gave support to pharmaceutical companies during the Market Access process in Spain. She collaborated with relevant Spanish stakeholders, scientific societies and patients’ associations.
Marta holds an MBA of Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological companies from Ephos Pharmaceutical School in Madrid, a MSc in Assessment and Market Access from Carlos III University in Madrid and a BA in International Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid. She is a native Spanish speaker, proficient in English and has a basic knowledge of French and Arabic
Carlotta is a Global Health Consultant at Acumen Public Affairs.
Prior to joining Acumen, Carlotta worked as a Team & Event Coordinator in an events agency based in Milan and as a PR and Communications Assistant at a public relations and marketing communications firm in New York City, gaining experience in drafting communication strategies, media plans and in managing clients’ needs. During her studies she has also worked as a Research Assistant conducting policy research on European issues.
Carlotta holds a B.S. in Political Science and International Relations from the Catholic University of Milan and a M.S. in Crisis and Security Management – Public Administration from Leiden University. She is an Italian native speaker, also fluent in English and Spanish.
Jack Matthijnssens is a Trainee Consultant in the Healthcare team at acumen public affairs. Prior to joining the team at Acumen, Jack served as a Press Advisor to the Irish MEP’s in the EPP Group in the European Parliament in 2019 following an internship in the group’s ITRE (Industry, Technology, Research and Energy) policy team. He has previously worked as a freelance social media manager.
Jack successfully completed a Bachelor of Arts in History and English in University College Dublin before going on to complete his Masters in European Studies at the Catholic University of Leuven.
Jack is a native English speaker and a dual citizen of Ireland and Belgium. He also speaks Dutch.
Maxime is a Trainee Consultant supporting the Sustainability team. Prior to joining acumen public affairs, Maxime completed various internships focused on a multitude of social and environmental subjects including plastic pollution, gender in artisanal fisheries, and farmland biodiversity. Her most recent internship at EurEau allowed her to take part in studying EU water policy and waste-water management.
Maxime holds a bachelor’s degree in Human and Social Sciences with a minor in Public Health from the Free University of Brussels (ULB). She also obtained a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences and Management from the same institution in 2019. Passionate about environmental matters and circular economics in particular, her master’s thesis was a life cycle analysis (LCA) of a cosmetic-grade essential oil.
Maxime was born in Atlanta, Georgia and holds dual citizenship for Belgium and the United States. She is fluent in English and French and has a beginner’s level of Spanish and Dutch.
Felix Sames is an EU Health Trainee Consultant at acumen public affairs. Prior to joining the team, he completed an internship at a European trade association, where he worked on international issues related to the innovative pharmaceutical industry.
Felix holds an LL.M. in European and European Legal Studies from the University of Hamburg, an LL.M. in International and a European Law from Tilburg University, and a Bachelor of Laws from Universitas Pelita Harapan in Indonesia. Felix is native in English, speaks intermediate German and Indonesian, as well as conversational Mandarin.
Theofilos is a Trainee Consultant supporting the Sustainability team.
Prior to joining acumen public affairs, Theofilos worked as a Trainee at the European Parliament where he was in charge of monitoring developments related to the International Trade, Industry, Internal Market and Environment. He has previously also worked as economic researcher and analyst in healthcare projects. He is expected to receive his qualification from the Athens Bar Association in 2021.
Theofilos holds an LLM in International Business Law from Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), a law degree from the University of Athens and a bachelor’s in Health Management and Economics from the Technological Institute of Kalamata. He speaks Greek, French and English.
Anthony is a Consultant Trainee in Acumen’s Global Health team, where he works for clients that are improving health equity worldwide. Prior to joining acumen public affairs, he had several years of experience in consulting and working for international organizations. He holds an MBA from Vlerick and also studied political affairs at the bachelor and master’s degree levels.
Anthony is Italian-American, but has also become an Etterbeekois. In addition to his native English, he is fluent in Italian and French.
Raphaëlle is a Global Health Trainee Consultant at Acumen Public Affairs.
Prior to joining Acumen, Raphaëlle worked as an Academic and Scientific Cooperation Assistant at the Scientific and Higher Education department of the French Embassy in London where she gained experience in public governance and diplomacy. She also worked in the field of press relations as an Assistant Press Officer in Paris, where she strengthened her communications and organisation skills.
Raphaëlle holds a B.A in Politics and International Relations from Sciences Po Grenoble, France and studied International Relations for a year at the University of Warwick (UK). She also holds a M.A in Media Studies from Sciences Po Grenoble. She is a French native speaker, also fluent in English.
Silvia is a Trainee Consultant providing support across teams for clients in the area of Global and EU Health, as well as Energy and Environment.
Prior to joining Acumen Public Affairs, Silvia worked as a Digital Organizer at the pan-European citizen movement WeMove Europe where she helped with the campaigns in Spanish and Portuguese. She has also done internships at the DEMOSPAZ human rights institute in Madrid and the Spanish Consulate in Rio de Janeiro where she developed her communications knowledge.
Silvia holds a double B.A in Law and Political Science and Public Administration from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. While studying this double degree, she studied in the Utrecht School of Governance for a year and in the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro for a semester. Currently, she is studying a M.A in European Public Affairs (Maastricht University). She speaks Spanish, Basque, Portuguese and English.
The acumen public affairs team members all have a background in managing complex international assignments in senior positions in large agencies. At Acumen we bring the benefits of this experience to working in close partnership with our clients.
We are all public affairs experts – but in the broadest sense. We are just as comfortable interacting with decision-makers, communicating to the press and developing integrated communications strategies. Similarly, while we are Brussels-based EU experts, we are equally at home in other major policy-making and business centres around the world. Our philosophy is to act as “sparring partners” to our clients and be responsive but also challenging when appropriate. We excel in providing objective, no-nonsense advice that leads to tangible and sustainable results. Most of all we love to roll up our sleeves, get to grips with issues and provide hands-on support.
We have been ranked at #10 in the TOP 25 BEST EMPLOYERS IN EU AFFAIRS and received EUROPEAN LABEL FOR BEST INTERNSHIPS.
We are proud to have been named as the top consultancy to work for in Brussels as rated by interns themselves in January 2019 and to have been awarded the "Champion" European Label for Quality Internship by InternsGoPro. Did you know that 80% of Acumen trainees are offered a permanent contract at the end of their Traineeship? To know more about our commitment to offering high quality internships, please check our employer profile on their website.
Read what it's like to intern with us for a summer in this article.