Federica Marchionni

Chief Executive Officer

Federica Marchionni is the Chief Executive Officer at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). Marchionni is responsible for accelerating the growth of the organisation and building on its solid ten-year foundation based on a collective commitment to make sustainability fashion’s first priority. 

Marchionni leads on elevating the organisation’s prestigious forums including Copenhagen Fashion Summit and CFS+, continuing the publication of reputable thought leadership, and propelling its advocacy efforts. All led with the ultimate vision to foster a thriving fashion industry that creates prosperity for all people and communities by working within planetary boundaries, reversing its impact on climate change, and protecting biodiversity. Before joining GFA, Marchionni attained leadership roles in Europe, USA, and China. Most recently, the role of International CEO of Secoo, a Chinese e-commerce platform and one of the largest online luxury retailers in China. Prior to Secoo, she was CEO and Board Director at Lands’ End and President of Dolce&Gabbana Inc., based in New York. Her career began in the telecommunication industry in Italy, working for global players such as Samsung, Philips, and Ericsson. Marchionni graduated from La Sapienza University with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, studied in France and the U.K., and speaks 4 languages. Marchionni regularly speaks at conferences and top academic institutions including Harvard and Stanford University, Fortune MPW Summit.

Jonas Eder-Hansen

Chief Development & Policy Officer

Jonas Eder-Hansen is Chief Development & Policy Officer at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), the foremost leadership forum for industry collaboration on sustainability in fashion. Eder-Hansen oversees GFA’s public affairs, stakeholder engagement, business development, Summit and educational activities. With more than ten years of tenure with GFA Eder-Hansen has deep insights in driving industry change, specifically within circular systems. Recently, Jonas has spearheaded GFA’s increased strategic focus on engaging policymakers to accelerate the fashion industry’s urgent transition to a circular economy. Since 2017 Eder-Hansen sits on the Board of Directors of Sustainable Apparel Coalition representing affiliates members of the industry-wide multi-stakeholder initiative. With a long career in sustainability, Eder-Hansen is a frequent public speaker and is regularly interviewed by media to provide his expert insights on key issues. Eder-Hansen was formerly Development Director for Danish Fashion Institute. Prior to that, he was Research Director at Copenhagen Business School’s Centre for Sustainability, where he was a major driving force in the establishment and development of the now internationally acclaimed research centre.

Alice Roberta Taylor

Head of Communications

Alice Roberta Taylor is Head of Communications at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). In her role she works to raise awareness about GFA and communicate its mission to make sustainability fashion’s first priority. She regularly engages with international media to secure publicity and manages the content creation across GFA’s communications platforms and CFS+. Driven by the belief that effective communication has the power to make a real impact and spark change, Taylor strives to convey messages that can inform and guide leaders to take action. Taylor has a combination of in-house and agency communications experience related to fashion, sustainability, media and retail. She first joined GFA in 2019 as PR Manager. Prior to this, she managed the publicity for Hearst in London for established media brands including ELLE UK and Harper’s Bazaar Most recently, she managed the PR for multiple retail and hospitality clients at Stripe Communications and also led the PR for the viral fundraising campaign Run For Heroes. She holds an MA (Hons) in History from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Atiya Hyder

Event Production Assistant

Atiya Hyder joined Global Fashion Agenda as the Event Production Assistant and started in September 2022. She comes from Pakistan and completed her undergraduate degree in Textile Design with a specialization in handloom weaving. During her studies in Pakistan, she got selected to participate in Youth Fashion Summit 2018 organized by GFA. This inspired her to expand her knowledge and pursue her career in the world of sustainable fashion. She then forward with completing a Master in Textile Design, Innovation and Sustainability at Istituto Europeo di Design in Italy and has recently interned at Ethical Fashion Initiative, a UN programme where she was part of the Events and Communications team. Now she is excited to return to GFA to help organize the next Global Fashion Summit.

Christina Iskov

Senior Programme Manager, Global Partnerships

Christina Iskov is Senior Programme Manager and part of the Global Partnerships team at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), where she manages the innovation team. She has oversight of several GFA programmes within the Global Partnerships function, including: Innovation Forum, Design Studio, Matchmaking and Youth Fashion Summit. Iskov has worked in the fashion industry for several years, both for Copenhagen Fashion Week and Danish Fashion Institute. She addresses sustainability issues by working with innovative and emerging solutions covering the supply chain. Iskov holds a Bachelor in Business Administration and Commercial Law from Copenhagen Business School and a Master in Design Management from the Danish Design School Kolding, where she wrote her thesis about GFA’s position in the fashion industry.

Constance Beswick

Communications Manager

Constance Beswick is Communications Manager at Global Fashion Agenda. She joined in January 2021 as Communications Assistant whilst studying for her undergraduate degree in Social Anthropology MA (Hons) from The University of Edinburgh. She completed her dissertation on Intersectional Environmentalism, a movement for which she is a staunch advocate. Prior to joining GFA, Beswick has explored her passion for sustainability through a number of avenues such as freelance journalism work and an agricultural consultancy internship. Her most recent work with Sustainia, saw her explore innovative ways to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals to drive positive change in businesses. Beswick has always been extremely invested in the power and promotion of sustainable fashion via compelling narratives and communications and looks forward to exploring this at GFA.

Dana Schou

Director of Development

Dana Schou is Director of Development at Global Fashion Agenda, the foremost leadership forum for industry collaboration on sustainability in fashion. In her role, Schou leads the organisation’s development strategy to mobilise and guide industry leaders to take bold and urgent action on sustainability. Schou has experience in collaborating with foundations, philanthropists and corporations on strategic programmes and partnerships. Formerly a Director within the Partnerships and Philanthropy Directorate at the United Nations Children Fund, Schou spent 10 years in global marketing and communications for numerous Louis Vuitton-Moët Hennessy (LVMH) brands. She is passionate about bringing people and organisations together to create change. Schou sits on several non-profit boards focusing on female empowerment topics such as maternal health and microfinance. She is a speaker, facilitator, assessor and ambassador at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and has lectured at ESSEC, IE Business School and University of Geneva on sustainability communications, cause marketing, gender equality and cross-sector partnerships.

Ellie Savage

Senior Innovation Programme Manager

Ellie Savage is the Senior Innovation Programme Manager at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). In her role she leads GFA’s Innovation Forum, working to drive strategic development and programming of innovation concepts. Fashion sustainability is a passion of hers and she uses her knowledge of the industry to drive change and aims to provide practical action. Savage joined GFA in April 2021 as Digital communications Manager and has a background in fashion and technology. She started her career in buying, working for two high street brands in the UK. Then worked at a technology start-up and gained professional marketing qualifications. Most recently she ran a marketing department at Unmade (a fashion technology start-up) and then ran communications on an EU-funded textile recycling project (New Cotton Project) at Fashion for Good in Amsterdam. She holds a BA (Hons) in Fashion at Northampton University, UK, and a Professional Marketing Diploma, from the Chartered Institute of Marketers, UK.

Florinda Pamungkas

Digital Designer

Florinda Pamungkas is a Digital Designer at Global Fashion Agenda. As part of the communications team, she is responsible for creating graphics and implementing visual directions that complement Global Fashion Agenda’s communications output. Pamungkas is passionate about using creative skills to support initiatives that catalyze progressive change, and prior to joining GFA in January 2021, she worked with Danish organization Sex & Samfund (“Sex & Society”, ed.), using her experience in design and motion graphics to enhance campaigns, content creation and storytelling. Pamungkas holds a BA in Graphic Design from IED Madrid, Spain, and an MA in Communication Studies and Cultural Encounters from Roskilde University, Denmark.

Helen Busch

Project Manager

Helen Busch joined the team as Project Manager at Global Fashion Agenda in April 2022. She is responsible for the planning and execution of selected events during the Global Fashion Summit including the official Celebration Dinner, Welcome Reception and Press Conference. Prior to joining the GFA team she worked at Copenhagen Fashion Week with production, events and brand relations. With a degree in Sustainable Fashion Design and as a Kaospilot she has been involved in creative environments for several years and has led multi-stakeholder projects from start to finish in Denmark and abroad – especially within the fields of fashion, lifestyle and culture.

Holly Syrett

Impact Programmes & Sustainability Director

Holly Syrett is the Impact Programmes & Sustainability Director at Global Fashion Agenda. Her responsibilities include contributing to the strategic mission and sustainability agenda, driving GFA’s impact programmes such as the Circular Fashion Partnership and ensuring strategic engagement with key stakeholders and partners. Holly Syrett joined Global Fashion Agenda as Senior Sustainability Manager in May 2020 to mobilise and guide the fashion industry to take bold action on sustainability by researching, project leading and writing new and existing GFA publications, commitments and reports such as the CEO Agenda. Syrett brings 10 years of experience working on sustainability and transparency programmes in the fashion industry for both public and professional audiences. Syrett is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Climate Reality Leader and she holds a BA in Fashion and Branding from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. As part of the Global Shapers’ Community, she co-founded the Shaping Fashion movement that is now active in 50+ cities worldwide.

Felicity Lammas

Sustainability Manager

Felicity Lammas joined the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) as a Sustainability Assistant in August 2020 to further pursue her interests in the sustainability field. In her role, she will be supporting the new and existing GFA reports and commitments including the CEO Agenda and the 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment. Lammas is currently studying her undergraduate degree in Fashion Marketing BA (Ind) at the University of Leeds, England. Prior to joining GFA, Lammas completed a one-year placement at online retailer ASOS as the Sustainable Fashion Intern working across the Product Integrity, Circular Economy and Supply Chain teams. During the summer, Lammas also interned with the Material Innovation Initiative and the Open Apparel Registry.

Julia Signore

Innovation Forum Coordinator

Julia Signore is Innovation Forum Coordinator and joined Global Fashion Agenda in February 2022 after obtaining a master’s degree in Fashion Sustainability in Florence, Italy. Signore works in the Innovation Forum team and helps plan and execute the Innovation Forum with a special focus on the Matchmaking Programme, which connects companies with sustainable solution providers. She further supports the team to expand the GFA Academy and assists in the run-up to the Global Fashion Summit events and Innovation Forum activities.

Marie Jæpelt Petersen

Head of Global Fashion Summit

Maria Jæpelt Petersen is Head of Global Fashion Summit Petersen has worked with project management and communications in the fashion industry since 2012, first with Danish designer Vibe Johannsen and later at Copenhagen Fashion Week and Danish Fashion Institute. She holds a BA in Intercultural Market Communication and a Master’s in Management of Creative Business Processes, both from Copenhagen Business School. She wrote her master thesis on Danish Fashion Institute’s work with sustainability.

Maria Luisa Martínez Díez

Public Affairs Director

Maria Luisa Martínez Díez is Public Affairs Director at Global Fashion Agenda. She is responsible for strengthening, developing, and executing GFA’s Policy Engagement Strategy. Her responsibilities are to ensure strategic engagement with relevant stakeholders and develop partnerships with key organisations. She also leads the partnership with the Policy Hub-Circularity for Apparel and Footwear. Martínez Díez is also a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition´s Strategic Council on Stakeholder Engagement. Martínez Díez joined Global Fashion Agenda as Senior Public Affairs Manager in September 2019. She holds a Master’s degree in EU politics and law from Sciences Po Paris and brings over 10 years of experience in Public Affairs first in Paris. Then in Brussels where she worked at namely the European Commission, the Regional Office of Madrid and the Brussels-based consultancy EURALIA where she was leading the agri-consumers department working in the fields of circular economy and sustainability in the supply chains including the fashion and food industries.

Maria Samsøe-Schmidt

Innovation Programme Coordinator

Maria Samsøe-Schmidt is Programme Coordinator of Innovation and GFA Academy at Global Fashion Agenda. In her role she leads and coordinates projects that aims to educate, inspire and accelerate sustainable action, such as the Matchmaking programme during Global Fashion Summit and Innovation Forum. Samsøe joined GFA (then Danish Fashion Institute) in 2017 as Business Development intern and continued on in various roles such as coordinating and facilitating the Innovation Forum, leading programme elements of Global Fashion Summit/CFS+, and handling commercial stakeholder management and global partnerships. As per January 2022, Samsøe rejoined the Innovation team. Samsøe is currently studying her postgraduate degree in MSc. in Management of Creative Business Processes at Copenhagen Business School. She holds a BA in Intercultural Marketing Communication and an AP degree in Global Entrepreneurship, Design & Logistics.

Miriam Lo

Chief of Staff and Programme Manager

Miriam Lo is Chief of Staff and Programme Manager at Global Fashion Agenda. In addition to being responsible for managing the Summit programme and speakers, she supports the CEO on executing GFA’s strategic direction by coordinating GFA operations and managing contact points across the organisation. Lo first joined GFA in 2018 as Global Partnerships Assistant, supporting on sponsorships, business development, and Innovation Forum, with a focus on innovator engagement. Prior to her return to GFA in 2022, Lo also worked at Deloitte, assisting on Market Strategy and spent a semester at Sciences Po School of Innovation and Management in Paris. She holds a B.Sc. in International Business and Politics from Copenhagen Business School.

Sanjana Chopra

Senior Commercial Manager

Sanjana Chopra is an experienced strategist in the fashion industry with over eight years of experience giving her an in-depth understanding on the fashion business supply chains. She has a proven track record of defining new business and product strategies, launching strategic partnerships and delivering both revenue and impact. Her journey to becoming a global professional in the industry first began in Paris with a successful global runway fashion brand showcasing at Paris Fashion Week and managed sales distribution for over 200+ premium segment retailers worldwide. She carried forward her lessons from the broader International markets to work for Fashion Design Council of India, a not-for profit organisation and eventually progressed into her entrepreneurial journey based in New Delhi as a strategic consultant to Indian Fashion Brands such as Suket Dhir, winner of International Woolmark Prize Menswear 2016. Over the years, she has worked within the sales and marketing for International Fashion brands showcasing at International Fashion Weeks (France, Denmark, Japan, China, USA, Qatar and India). Chopra is a graduate of the University of Delhi, India, where she earned an honors degree in Sociology from Lady Shri Ram College for women and ESMOD Paris, France, where she earned her master’s degree in Management and Marketing in Fashion & Arts.

Sara Thulesius

Digital Communications Manager

Sara Thulesius is Digital Communications Manager at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). In her role she works to raise awareness of GFA’s mission through digital channels. She manages digital communication and storytelling across all GFA events and projects. Thulesius joined GFA in April 2022 and has a background in project management, marketing, communications and sales. Her Master’s thesis project studied the replicability of lowsumerism business models in the fashion industry and Thulesius is passionate about sustainable transformation in general, and in the fashion industry in particular. She holds a BSc in Business and Economics at Lund University, Sweden, and a Master’s in Management of Creative Business processes from Copenhagen Business School, Denmark.

Signe Sidenius Duus

Production Manager

Signe Sidenius Duus is Senior Production Manager at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). She is responsible for leading the planning and execution of all production-related aspects of Copenhagen Fashion Summit, and other events delivered by the company. Duus has been producing events and conferences within the culture, interior, and fashion industry since completing her studies in 2016/17. Duus first joined the GFA team in 2016, and alongside her roles in the production team, Duus, a former dancer, helped to ensure that the GFA team looked great when dancing on the Summit stage in 2019.