Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of the European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) consists of at least 5 and at most 15 members who conduct at least two executive committee meetings a year. Together with the secretariat general it is responsible for strategic and operative duties. The general assembly elects the Executive Committee to serve for three years.

CEO of Internationaler Bund, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

Mr. Thiemo Fojkar’s career began at Bundeswehr University in Munich, where he graduated with a degree in education. In 1988 he became managing director of the Bildungswerk der Baden-Württembergischen Wirtschaft, which is an educational institute for Baden-Württemberg´s economy.

Mr. Thiemo Fojkar started his career at Internationaler Bund in 2009 as a member of the Board of Directors. In 2013, he was appointed CEO. His tasks here are the political representation of the entire IB Group, the strategic orientation of the company, corporate organization, quality management, corporate communications and other fields of activity.

In addition to his full-time work, Mr. Thiemo Fojkar works in several honorary functions as an official. He acts as chairman of the Federal Association of Vocational Training Providers (BBB). He is also a member of the Presidium of Europa-Union Germany (EUD) and a board member of the European Movement Germany (EBD). He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, in which he is responsible for education.

Dr. Segard is Vice President and responsible for European Affairs of the European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training. She is an expert and advisor in the European Platform for VET Associations Vocational Education and Training. Dr. Segard has an extensive experience both at the EU level and in Portugal as Director of ISQ Academy, responsible for Tailor-made training solutions for companies, Corporate Academies for Big Companies International projects, European projects, Training products Design and Innovation; Innovative VET solutions and skills for the future in Digital transformation 4.0 and Green transition. So far, she coordinated projects and developed work in more than 35 Countries in Europe, Africa and Asia, in capacity building and training, including CSR, for different sectors. Consultant and project leader in Projects for Development and Innovative Training Services in technological areas for “high-performance work”, for “employment, better jobs and more inclusion” and for youngsters.

Mr. Rodopoulos (1952) holds a B.A. in Economics and an MBA in Management and Marketing
(New York University, 1978). He is the founder and President of AKMI Group of companies. More specifically, he is the President of the Metropolitan College, Managing Director of the AKMI Vocational Training Centre and EEO GROUP S.A. Management Consulting, as well as the co-founder of AKMI Institute of Vocational Training, one of the leading private organizations in education and training in Greece (in Athens, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Crete, Larissa, Rhodos), and of Metropolitan College (in Athens, Marousi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Larissa, Rhodos). He has more than 35 years of professional experience in management, marketing, financing, human resources management and training, as well as in the management of programmes at EU level.

Furthermore, he has been an Economic Advisor at the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE, 1978-1984) and an Expert in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD, 1978-1984) in fields related to economic and social policy. In addition, he has worked as an Executive Consultant in the Hellenic Manpower Organisation (OAED, 1982-1985), in the Social Insurance Institute (IKA, 1985-1987) and in Geniki Bank, as a member of the Board of Directors, responsible for human resource issues (1985-1989). He is the co-author in several studies and scientific articles, related to labour market issues, employment/unemployment, insurance, and policy making in the field of human resource development.

Mr. Marek Nikel was born in the village of Bacuch in Slovakia, married and has three sons. After graduating from the Grammar School, he graduated from high school with a department of business management graduated from Warsaw Management University and obtained an MBA until 2002 he worked for the non-profit sector as a project manager for regional development and rural areas since 2002 procurator and project manager of Euro-Projektservis.

He is currently a representative of the Europäische Bildungswerke für Beruf und Gesellschaft in Slovakia, chairman of the board of Deutsch-Slowakische Akademien a.s. Both companies are the founders of private schools in Slovakia. Schools are for children from 2 years to 18 years. are the most prominent private founders in Slovakia with more than 3,000 students and more than 350 employees. It focuses on vocational training at the national level. He’s a member of the regional council for vocational education and a member of the Board of the Slovak Chamber of Commerce.

In his spare time, he enjoys both winter and summer sports activities.

Dr. Christophe Sadok is Head Director of Engineering for VET and vocational qualifications at Afpa (national Agency for adult vocational training) in France. In close collaboration with the French government representatives, he defines each year the internal strategy and work plan directly related to National public service missions. He also manages several departments of experts teams working on the qualification and certification policy of the Ministry of Labor and supporting the French and the EU policy orientations for VET and qualifications by designing and implementing occupational standards, training and certification programmes, developing surveys on emergent skills and foresight on future needs of the employment sectors, all within an approach committed to vocational integration and social inclusion.

He is DIAN’s E.U. Programmes coordinator working in this field for more than 20 years. He has studied Physics, has a PhD in Meteorology, Research work in Biometeorology, very long experience in teaching students, teachers and adults and he is an author of 10 books for students in physics and mathematics and 7 books on E.U. issues. Mr Milios as EU Project’s Coordinator has contributed to the development of the training material for many European projects and he supervised the training activities. He also worked through the Networks for European training providers in which he is an active member. Finally, he participates in the activities concerning the protection and sustainability of the environment through close collaboration with the Archipelagos Research Institute, organizing training and research activities for students and educators coming to Greece from all over the world.

Mr. Cernei Nicolae, born on March 8, 1950, in the commune of Iecea Mare, Timis County, Romania, at the age of only one year and 3 months, I was deported by the communist regime on June 18, 1951, together with my parents Cernei Ana and Cernei Grigore, to Baragan, where they lived until September 30, 1955. Returning from Baragan, we settled in the commune of Bakova-Timis, where I also attended the German elementary school for 4 years. After that, I followed in Buzias the high school, in 1969 finished. Since 1970 I attended the Western University in Timișoara, Faculty of Economics, from which I graduated in 1974. After graduating by ministerial assignment, I got a job as an economist at IAEM – Timișoara electric measuring instruments company. Here, between 1974 and 1994, I passed through several stages of my career, from economist to general manager. In 1994, I applied to FRG Timisoara for the position of administrator and since 1995 I have been the director of FRG, which I occupy until today. Since 2007 by participating in more than 60 European projects, 12 of them as applicants we are self-financing. Since 1995 I am a member of EVBB and since 2001 in the presidium. In 2004 I became a member of the association Youth 4 Media Network eV. and since 2021, Ambassador of EU OSHA -VET Romania, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. In 1973 I married Cernei Maria, a business economist by profession, currently retired. We have 2 daughters settled in Germany and three grandchildren, a girl and 2 boys.

I speak German as a mother language and fluent English.

Prof. Dr Dolores Sanchez Bengoa is Vice-president of International Relations at the University of Applied Management Studies in Mannheim, Germany. She is a Professor of International Business and graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University, England. Her responsibilities include the development of international co-operations as well as the internationalization strategy of the university. She lectures at postgraduate and master’s levels and researchers in EU projects. Her professional focus is intercultural management, communication, and knowledge transfer. Over the last 28 years, she has accumulated extensive intercultural experience by working, teaching, researching, and living in seven European countries. This international life has provided her with a deep understanding of how national cultures influence international business, leading her to develop tools and strategies to successfully manage cultural differences. She has published over 35 academic papers and book contributions in this field.

Mr. Sebastian Frank holds an MSc in Strategic Management and a BA in Tourism and Leisure Industry. He has more than 10 years of experience in project management in the fields of IT solutions, educational organisation and EU project planning and management. Mr. Frank has successfully managed a diverse range of projects in the fields of youth, geriatric care, vocational education and training, migration & immigration as well as multiple IT solution projects. He is currently head of the European project department of the Austrian Young Workers Movement ÖJAB in Vienna and a board member of the EU Youth umbrella organisation YES-Forum. For 17 years, Mr. Frank is also a volunteer paramedic at the Austrian Red Cross.

Mrs. Vivian Welker is a Project Manager for international projects and cooperation. Her career in the education sector started when she first got introduced to vocational education and training in Sweden. Before becoming a project manager for international projects, she was in charge of several VET programs and she made sure that both students’ and stakeholders’ needs were met. Her current role allows her to profit from her previous experience and to further influence the development of VET in Sweden and across Europe. Several of her current projects aim to ensure a better match between vocational education and the current and future demand of the labour market.

Mr. Theodor Grassos is Secretary-General of the European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training. He has extensive experience both at the EU level and in Greece, covering a period of over 20 years. His national experience includes reorganising a number of public bodies, while he has been responsible for ex-ante and ongoing evaluation of Human Resources Development Operational Programmes, supporting the design and delivery of restructured and modernised ALMPs in different countries. At the EU level, he has been working in multicultural environments for the past 18 years, for different DG’s and EU Programmes. Fluent in four languages, he has also collaborated with the Structural Reform Support Service (now DG Reform). So far, he has been responsible for over 100 projects of various sizes at the national and EU levels and is currently working with EU institutions and key umbrella organisations in the areas of employment, education and social inclusion. Finally, he is a member of two Working Groups of the European Commission: “Working Group on Vocational Education and Training and the Green Transition” and “Working Group on Adult Learning – Opening Up Opportunities for All”.

Mrs. Monica Verzola has long-standing domain expertise in Vocational Education and Training, lifelong learning and professional guidance, with a focus on up-and re-skilling pathways to foster adult employment.

Her close relationship with the world of VET is fostered also by means of her role as Director of the International area of the ENAIP NET consortium, one of the major actors at the Italian level, and through her active participation in the main umbrella associations at EU level.

She contributes to the international debate on vocational training and the issues related to employment, social inclusion, and sustainable development by engaging with the European Commission (and especially DG EMPL) by means of the VET4EU group and as one of the experts on the Platform of European Associations of VET Providers and of the EEA Working Group on VET and the green transition.

She holds the position of Vice-President and member of the Steering Committee of the LLLP – Lifelong Learning Platform and is one of the delegates of the Diversity Europe Group/Category 3 of the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) in the European Economic and Social Committee.

Holding a Degree in Educational Science with a master’s in career development and career support, she is an expert in the research and validation of skills, social inclusion, assessment and employability analysis of the labour market.

“The EVBB has grown close to my heart after 25 years!”

After training as an industrial clerk, Werner Sigmund first studied business administration and then business education in Frankfurt. During his studies, he concentrated intensively on vocational training, in particular on the promotion of disadvantaged young people in Europe.

It was a stroke of luck that he was able to start his professional career at the Internationaler Bund – one of the largest providers of youth social and educational work (IB) in Germany.

After various upwardly mobile managing director roles in the operational business in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, he was appointed Managing Director of Finance and Controlling in 1996.

From 1998 until 2012 he was Chairman of the IB Executive Board until 2012.

The IB was a co-founder of the EVBB in 1992. Werner Sigmund served on the Executive Committee as Vice President from 1996 and as President from 2013.

He intensified the growth process of our EVBB and, above all, drove forward the process of the European orientation of our network (establishment of an office in Brussels)!

Werner Sigmund was appointed Honorary President in 2016.

He is very happy to continue working on a voluntary basis and is proud of the dynamic development of our EVBB as a recognized partner of the EU Directorates General and the relevant partner networks.

Born in 1949, he was Vice President of the EVBB from 1998 and President from 2005-2012.

His main occupation was as a member of the management and executive board of Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands e. V. (CJD).

After training and successfully completing his studies at the Academy for Business Administration in Ulm, Mr. Kuhn was employed as a teacher and trainer at the CJD vocational training center in Maximiliansau, where he taught business administration and accounting.

As head of the department for commercial training and further training professions, he significantly developed the work of the retraining center and was appointed director in 1988.

In 1992, Mr. Kuhn was appointed to the central management of the CJD in Ebersbach/Fils and was initially responsible for ‘Vocational Training’ and ‘Vocational Rehabilitation’. He later also assumed responsibility for the ‘Economy and Finance’ division of the entire organization until his departure from the CJD Board in 2007. From 2013 to 2022, Mr. Kuhn was involved in the Presidium and was Vice President of the CJD.

Presidency

Executive Comittee

Honorary Presidents

Presidency

Executive Comittee

Honorary Presidents

Executive Committee

Mr. Thiemo Fojkar (BBB)

Dr. Margarida Segard (ISQ)

Mr. Konstantinos Rodopoulos (AKMI SA)

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Beckmann (EBG)

Mr. Marek Nikel (Euro Projektservis s.r.o.)

Dr Christophe Sadok (AFPA)

Dr Panos Milios (DIAN)

Mr. Nicolae Cernei (FRG Timisoara)

Prof. Dr Dolores Sanchez Bengoa (HDWM, University of Applied Management Studies)

Mr. Sebastian Frank (ÖJAB)

Mrs. Vivian Welker (Folkuniversitetet)

Mr. Theodor Grassos

Mrs. Monica Verzola (ENAIP NET)

Mr. Werner Sigmund (IB)

Mr. Berthold Kuhn (CJD Children and Youth Foundation)

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