Luiz Gustavo Medeiros Barbosa holds a Ph.D. in Business from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. He is a Professor at Brazilian School for Public and Private Administration (FGV EBAPE) and Executive Manager at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV).

François Balate is an expert in EU affairs and politics, working particularly in the fields of social justice, democracy, human rights and sustainability. He is currently the Policy & Advocacy Director of the European Youth Forum and a former visiting professor at Science Po Lille (Institut d’Etudes Politiques). He also was in the leadership of Civil Society Europe. He is a graduate from the College of Europe and the Universite Libre de Bruxelles, where he also gave various lectures.

Susanna was born in 1955 in Milan, Lombardy, the most industrialised region in Italy. She is the youngest of four sisters in a family committed to progressive values and causes during the 1970s season of protests and mass demonstrations to improve social and labour rights. As a national leader of the FIOM metalworkers union she followed the automotive and steel industries. In 1997 she was elected General Secretary of FLAI-CGIL, the food and agriculture union of Lombardy region. Three years later she became the first woman to be elected General Secretary of CGIL of Lombardy, which is the largest regional organisation of CGIL, with a membership of over one million. In 2008 she moved to Rome as a National Secretary and in 2010 she also became the first woman to be elected General Secretary of CGIL with a majority of over 80 per cent. She was then re-elected in 2014 for a second term. Since January 2019 she is head of Gender and International policies at CGIL. CGIL is the largest national trade union centre in Italy, with a membership of over 5.5 million.

Jacques van den Broek is the CEO and Chair of the Executive Board of Randstad, the global leader in HR services industry. After graduating in law, Jacques held a management position with an international trading company until he joined Randstad as a branch manager. Appointments followed as Regional Director in the Netherlands and, subsequently, as Marketing Director Randstad Europe. In 2002, he moved to Capac Inhouse Services as Managing Director, also taking on responsibility for Randstad in Denmark and Switzerland. Jacques van den Broek is responsible for France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain and Portugal, as well as Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay). In addition, he is responsible for Business Concept Development and Public Affairs.

MEP Pernille Weiss, is a politician from the Conservative People’s Party of Denmark. Hereby she is a member of the European People's Party, EPP. Ms. Weiss holds a seat in the Industry, Research & Energy Committee (ITRE) and is a substitute in The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Ms. Weiss also holds a substitute seat in The Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM) Prior to being a MEP, Ms. Weiss served eight years as a County Council member. Ms. Weiss holds several degrees; she is a nurse (RN), Master of science (health) and additionally holds a Master degree in Innovation and Leadership (LAICS). She is an acknowledged Nordic expert in architecture and health as well as the impact of the build environment on complex institutions. In addition, Ms. Weiss has since 2019 been a board member of SME Europe. Ms. Weiss has been head manager in the public health care sector and the building consultancy industry before establishing her own consultancy firm in 2008.

Rosa Pavanelli is the General Secretary of the global union federation Public Services International (PSI). In March 2016 Pavanelli was nominated as Commissioner on the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth, representing the trade union movement, health workers and public services.