The European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training turns high-quality, customized project implementation services turning innovative ideas into funded projects. This ranges from EU grants to private investments identification, including consortium building, application writing, selection of experts, negotiation, budgeting, quality control, and evaluation of projects.
SECRETARY-GENERAL
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”.
PROJECT MANAGER
Sonia Degroote has a double master’s in political science- European studies and Human Rights. She is the EU project manager for EVBB with a long-standing experience in EU project design and management including drafting, implementation, financial and administrative monitoring and evaluation of Erasmus+, AMIF, Interreg, Horizon 2020, AFD (French development agency) & MEAE (French Foreign Ministry) projects and programs. With over 6 years of experience in the field of education, training, integration of disadvantaged groups and mobilities of over 200 participants. Besides, Mrs Degroote has experience as a trainer for females, migrants, refugees and youth entrepreneurs. Her professional interests cover a range of activities such as equal opportunities, inclusion, gender equality, and the fight against discrimination at school, at work and in society. She is also fluent in English, French and Arabic.
PROJECT MANAGER
Sotiria Tsalamani holds a master’s degree in Educational Sciences. Her experience revolves around Project Management in the non-profit and private sectors, where she has been involved in the management of educational projects funded by various donors. She is strongly interested in developing innovative educational material and training for youth and adults in the EU and Africa that aims to foster personal and professional development. Her expertise is based mainly on the broader field of education and lifelong learning, including media and digital literacy, social inclusion of marginalised groups and active citizenship.
EU Project Manager
Sara Malosmani holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and a second Master’s in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe. She has a demonstrated track record in the civic and social organization sector, with a strong focus on project management. Her core areas of expertise include transparency, freedom of information, media literacy, EU policy, and human rights. Sara has held various roles within NGOs and European institutions, where she has led and contributed to numerous EU-funded projects, with a focus on stakeholder engagement, consortium coordination, event management, and strategic implementation.
EU Project Manager
Dr. Amanda Tambuyser is a Project Manager with over 10 years of experience in managing complex, international, and EU-funded initiatives. Holding a PhD in Systems Biochemistry from Royal Holloway, University of London, she combines strong technical expertise with certified PMP and Agile methodologies to lead cross-functional teams. Dr. Tambuyser has extensive experience across various funding frameworks, including Horizon 2020, Life+, and Erasmus+, where she has successfully secured funding and coordinated diverse consortia of over 20 stakeholders. Her core competencies include EU funding compliance, strategic digitalization, and ensuring stakeholder alignment to achieve high-impact research and innovation objectives.
EU Project Manager
Ana holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Education and Linguistics with a Master’s Degree in International Education. She possesses significant international experience, primarily overseeing the full cycle of EU funded projects. She is highly skilled in coordinating multicultural teams and fostering collaborative partnerships across and outside Europe, ensuring projects align with EU values and strategic goals. Her work has included designing and implementing international projects in the fields of education, Human Rights, youth, and social inclusion, and organizing international trainings, seminars, and conferences. Her international focus is reinforced by her experience working with different European Institutions while also leveraging her expertise in policy influence and advocacy within European frameworks.
EU Project Manager Assistant
Sara is an EU Project Manager Assistant at EVBB. She has academic and field experience across Europe, Africa, and Latin America. She holds a double master’s degree in Public Policy and Human Development from UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University, where she specialized in global governance for development and conducted extensive research on AI governance and human rights, poverty and distributional outcomes, and conflict dynamics. Having lived, studied, and worked internationally, she brings strong intercultural communication skills and fluency in Italian, English, and Spanish. Her career is driven by a commitment to evidence-based humanitarian action, strategic policy coherence, and the advancement of human-centered development.
EU Project Manager Assistant
Aigerim is an EU Project Manager Assistant and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing. Her professional experience includes marketing strategy development and accounting practices for small organizations. She has a strong interest in creative and strategic communication and is particularly motivated by developing engaging and meaningful ways to share knowledge and convey messages. Fluent in Russian, Kazakh, English, and French, she brings a strong international and intercultural perspective to her work.
EU Project Manager Assistant
Ana Filipa Cândido is an EU Project Manager Assistant at EVBB. She is a PhD candidate in Sociology at Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon and a PhD Fellow at UNU-Merit and Maastricht University. Her research focuses on migration, transnational networks, and development, with particular attention to skills circulation, mobility, and cross-border flows. Additionally, she has over six years of experience as a research assistant, working on projects that address education pathways, social inequalities, and the inclusion of learners with migrant backgrounds. At EVBB, she brings a research-driven, evidence-based perspective to European projects in vocational education and training.
EU Project Manager Assistant
Mariam Schacht is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Economic Sociology, building on her academic background in Sociology and Politics. She brings experience in the field of education and continuing education through her work in teaching coordination and personnel development. As an EU Project Manager Assistant at EVBB, she supports the Project Management team across various projects.
HEAD OF FINANCE
Andreas holds a BA in Business Administration MSc in International and European Economics studies. He is working as a Financial Manager of EU Funded Projects. Ηe is fluent in Greek (mother tongue) and English. From an early age, he played volleyball in his neighbourhood team. His love for volleyball triggered him to become a coach in his neighbourhood team and impart all his knowledge to young children. As a volunteer in the post-graduate years, he was a member of AISEC and he tried to find free accommodation in hostels and hotels for European youth exchange programs. He wants to inspire young people to get engaged in volunteering for a greener planet. He is a food lover, an expert in Italian cuisine and he wants to taste different cuisines around the world. Also, he is charmed by black Rhum. His favourite colour is blue and the sea view gives him more power to imagine, travel to magic places, and continue being creative.
Financial Officer
Danai Laskaratou is the Financial Manager at EVBB, where she is responsible for the financial planning, tracking, and reporting of the association’s EU-funded projects. With a background in international business and accounting and a BSc in Management Science and Technology, she brings robust experience in budget monitoring, cost-efficiency analysis, and multi-currency financial operations. She is also fluent in Greek and English and has an intermediate working proficiency in German.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Daiana has been working as a graphic designer for over six years. Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Premiere Pro and After Effects are some of the editing programmes that she is an expert on. When it comes to her job, she aims for perfection and is satisfied with nothing less. She adores fat cats, nice food and anything that involves creation. She is passionate about every form of art and she loves making new experiences. Her restless spirit led her to take up dancing & drawing lessons. She usually finds herself engaged in reading a new book, enjoying nature or doing research on her work field. She prefers face-to-face communication over computer or mobile screens. If you do not know where to find her, she is probably cleaning her desk or sanitizing her hands. She speaks Greek and English.
