EDFI MC Corporate Day:
A Decade of Impact, A Future in Focus
This event took place on 28 September 2026 at The Merode in Brussels. Thank you to everyone who joined us, in the room and online.
TheMerode, Brussels, Belgium
28 September 2026
09:00h - 21:00h (CET)
How the day went
On 28 September 2026, more than 35 speakers from the European Commission, European development finance institutions, industry and research joined us in Brussels to mark EDFI MC’s first ten years. The morning looked back at how the company was built. The afternoon turned to Ukraine’s recovery, critical raw materials, Africa’s hunger gap and the next decade of development finance.
Read more:
- We didn’t create a company, we created a way of working together, by Rodrigo Madrazo, CEO of EDFI MC
- Ten years, two clocks, one platform: lessons from EDFI MC’s first decade, by Jean-Denis Collin, Chief Investment Officer of EDFI MC
- Securing critical raw materials: in discussion with the EU Commission, industry and development financiers, by Juliette Bulté, Investment Officer at EDFI MC
- Moving beyond self-sufficiency or trade: how to close Africa’s hunger gap, by Coen van Genderen, FMO, Chair of AgriFI
- To travel far, we travel together: what the next decade asks of development finance, by Linda Broekhuizen, Chair of the Board of EDFI MC
Speakers
Agenda
9.30 - 10.30 - Registration
10.30 - 10.45 - Official opening
Rodrigo Madrazo Garcia de Lomana, Chief Executive Officer, EDFI Management Company
Linda Broekhuizen, Chair of the board, EDFI Management Company
Koen Doens, Director-General, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), European Commission
Linda Broekhuizen, Chair of the board, EDFI Management Company
Koen Doens, Director-General, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), European Commission
10.45 - 11.45 - Our First Decade: A Timeline
Moderated by Rodrigo Madrazo Garcia de Lomana, Chief Executive Officer, EDFI Management Company
Nanno Kleiterp, Honorary Chair, EDFI Association
Søren Peter Andreasen, Deputy CEO, Impact Fund Denmark
Georgios Pantoulis, Resident Policy Analyst, European Comission Services in Greece
Régis Meritan, Head of Sector, Agricultural Growth, DG INTPA F3, European Commission
Karin Kronhöffer, Chief Strategy and Communications Officer, Swedfund
Paul Buysens, Co-CEO, Incofin
Pere Joan Ribas, Investment Facilitation & Business Engagement Expert (Key Expert), DG INTPA, European Commission
Fadila Hamdane, Regional Director Europe, Proparco
Luuk Zonneveld, Chairman of the Board of Directors, EDFI Association
Markus Gabbert, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft
Nanno Kleiterp, Honorary Chair, EDFI Association
Søren Peter Andreasen, Deputy CEO, Impact Fund Denmark
Georgios Pantoulis, Resident Policy Analyst, European Comission Services in Greece
Régis Meritan, Head of Sector, Agricultural Growth, DG INTPA F3, European Commission
Karin Kronhöffer, Chief Strategy and Communications Officer, Swedfund
Paul Buysens, Co-CEO, Incofin
Pere Joan Ribas, Investment Facilitation & Business Engagement Expert (Key Expert), DG INTPA, European Commission
Fadila Hamdane, Regional Director Europe, Proparco
Luuk Zonneveld, Chairman of the Board of Directors, EDFI Association
Markus Gabbert, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft
11.45 - 12.30 - Our First Decade: Lessons Learned
Moderator:
Jean-Denis Collin, Chief Investment Officer, EDFI Management Company
Panellists:
Bruno Wenn, former Chairperson of EDFI
Carole Maman, Chief Investment Officer, BIO Invest
Laurent Sillano, Head of Unit A2, Regional and Multi-country Programmes for Africa, DG INTPA, European Commission
Francoise Lombard, Chief Executive Officer, Proparco
Jean-Denis Collin, Chief Investment Officer, EDFI Management Company
Panellists:
Bruno Wenn, former Chairperson of EDFI
Carole Maman, Chief Investment Officer, BIO Invest
Laurent Sillano, Head of Unit A2, Regional and Multi-country Programmes for Africa, DG INTPA, European Commission
Francoise Lombard, Chief Executive Officer, Proparco
12.30 - 14.00 - Lunch
14.00 - 14.30 - EDFI Ukraine Guarantee: A Partnership for Recovery and Resilience
Speeches from:
Anna Jarosz-Friis Director, Ukraine Service, Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), European Commission
Oksana Diakun, Acting Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the EU
Joris Totte, Chief Executive Officer, BIO Invest
Dietske Simons, Chief Partnerships officer, EDFI Management Company
Anna Jarosz-Friis Director, Ukraine Service, Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), European Commission
Oksana Diakun, Acting Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the EU
Joris Totte, Chief Executive Officer, BIO Invest
Dietske Simons, Chief Partnerships officer, EDFI Management Company
14.30 – 15.30 - Securing critical raw materials: can Europe do it differently?
Moderator:
Juliette Bulté, Investment Officer, EDFI MC
introductory remarks:
Taneli Lahti, Director for Sustainable Finance, Investment and Jobs, DG INTPA, European Commission
Jaakko Kangasniemi, Chief Executive Officer, Finnfund
Panellists:
Felix Fernandez-Shaw, Director for Decarbonisation, Mobility, Raw Materials, DG GROW - Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission
Thomas Richter, Vice President, Global Government & Public Affairs, Solvay
Isabelle Magne, Deputy Head of Unit, Trade, Investment Climate, Entrepreneurship and Value Chains, DG INTPA, European Commission
Vasileios Tsianos, Senior Vice President, Neo Performance Materials
Loic Perret, Head of infrastructure, PROPARCO
introductory remarks:
Taneli Lahti, Director for Sustainable Finance, Investment and Jobs, DG INTPA, European Commission
Jaakko Kangasniemi, Chief Executive Officer, Finnfund
Panellists:
Felix Fernandez-Shaw, Director for Decarbonisation, Mobility, Raw Materials, DG GROW - Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission
Thomas Richter, Vice President, Global Government & Public Affairs, Solvay
Isabelle Magne, Deputy Head of Unit, Trade, Investment Climate, Entrepreneurship and Value Chains, DG INTPA, European Commission
Vasileios Tsianos, Senior Vice President, Neo Performance Materials
Loic Perret, Head of infrastructure, PROPARCO
14.30 – 15.30 - Closing Africa’s hunger gap: what can Team Europe really do?
Moderator:
Coen Van Genderen, Manager, Agribusiness Africa, FMO
Panellists:
Cristina Miranda Gozalvez, Head of Unit, Sustainable Agri-Food Systems and Fisheries (INTPA.F.3), DG INTPA, EC
Nuno Santos, Deputy Director, FAO Investment Centre
Mike Velings, Founder and CEO of AquaSpark
Niek Streefkerk, Mergers and Acquisitions & Business Development Advisor
Coen Van Genderen, Manager, Agribusiness Africa, FMO
Panellists:
Cristina Miranda Gozalvez, Head of Unit, Sustainable Agri-Food Systems and Fisheries (INTPA.F.3), DG INTPA, EC
Nuno Santos, Deputy Director, FAO Investment Centre
Mike Velings, Founder and CEO of AquaSpark
Niek Streefkerk, Mergers and Acquisitions & Business Development Advisor
16.00 – 17.00 - Future Outlook - The next decade: global shifts, development finance and strategic partnerships
Moderator:
Linda Broekhuizen, EDFI MC Chair of the Board
Introductory remarks:
Francisco Joaquín Gaztelu Mezquiriz, Director for North Africa, Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA), European Commission
Panellists:
Angela Perez, Chief Executive Officer, Cofides
San Bilal, Executive Director of ECDPM
Francisco Joaquín Gaztelu Mezquiriz, Director for North Africa, Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA), European Commission
Rodrigo Madrazo Garcia de Lomana, Chief Executive Officer, EDFI Management Company
Linda Broekhuizen, EDFI MC Chair of the Board
Introductory remarks:
Francisco Joaquín Gaztelu Mezquiriz, Director for North Africa, Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA), European Commission
Panellists:
Angela Perez, Chief Executive Officer, Cofides
San Bilal, Executive Director of ECDPM
Francisco Joaquín Gaztelu Mezquiriz, Director for North Africa, Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA), European Commission
Rodrigo Madrazo Garcia de Lomana, Chief Executive Officer, EDFI Management Company
17.00 - Official Closing
Linda Broekhuizen, EDFI MC Chair of the Board
17.30 - 21.00 - Networking dinner and cocktail
About previous events
On 28 September 2026, the tenth-anniversary edition of the EDFI MC Corporate Day took stock of a decade of work and asked how development finance can keep leading in a more complex world. It followed two earlier editions. “At the Crossroads, 2024“, looked at the combined pressures of geopolitical tension, climate vulnerability and rising capital needs in frontier markets. “Beyond the Crossroads, 2025”, moved from naming those pressures to concrete ways of mobilising more capital, building resilience and increasing impact.
Highlights from EDFI MC Corporate Day 2026, 28 September, Brussels
Numbers
Attendees
283
Online attendees
112
Organisations
133
Contact details
EDFI Management Company
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