From Retirement Savings to Investment and Growth | European Retirement Week 2026

Rosa Armesto is the Director General of the Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE), the trade association of exchanges in Europe. She is a member of the ESMA Securities and Markets Stakeholder Group and also lectures on financial market infrastructures at Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management (Belgium).

Before becoming Director General of FESE, she served as Deputy Director General for 6 years. She also worked at Insurance Europe for 4 years as a Member of the Management Team and Head of Public Affairs and Communications. Earlier in her career, she was Head of Public and Regulatory Affairs at FESE and had various roles before rejoining FESE. She began her professional career at Eurostat, the Statistical office of the European Commission, in Luxembourg.

Rosa has nearly 20 years of experience in EU financial services. She specialises in financial regulations like MiFID/MiFIR, Capital Markets Union, Sustainable Finance, Benchmarks, and the Digital Package. Additionally, she is knowledgeable about Solvency II, PRIIPs, IDD, and other insurance-related files. Rosa is also the Co-Chair of the Advocacy Community at the European Society of Association Executives (ESAE).

She holds a Master of Science in Economics with a major in Econometrics from the University of Zaragoza (Spain) and the University of Groningen (Netherlands), a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the University of Zaragoza (Spain), and a professional degree in Piano from the Conservatory of Teruel (Spain). She is proficient in English, French, and Spanish.

Cristina Sofia Dias is the Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Maria Luis Albuquerque, in charge of Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union. Cristina joined the European Commission in November 2022.

From September 2018 to November 2022 she worked at the European Parliament. Between 1995 and 2018 Cristina held various positions in the Portuguese securities regulator, CMVM, namely as Secretary General. Cristina was Chief of Staff in the Portuguese Finance Ministry from 2012 to 2015. Between 2007 and 2012, she was Financial Attaché in the Portuguese Permanent Representation in Brussels. She graduated in Law (1990-1995), holds a masters in Law (2001) and a post-graduation in financial markets (2000).

Aleksandra Maczyńska is the Managing Director at BETTER FINANCE. Before joining BETTER FINANCE, she was the Deputy Director at the Polish Consumer and Competition Watchdog. Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow for Young Public Sector Executives, she worked in the division for the World Bank, the IMF, Debt Issues, and International Finance Structure at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Throughout her career, she has been part of various working parties and advisory groups across EU institutions. Aleksandra holds a Master’s in international economics from the Poznan University of Economics and Business and a Master’s in project management from SGH Warsaw School of Economics.

Andrea Beltramello is the Head of the Savings and Investment Union at the European Commission. With over 13 years of experience within the European Commission, Andrea has played a key role in shaping policies related to financial services, capital markets, and financial stability. Prior to his current position, he served as Head of the Resolution and Deposit Insurance Unit and has also been part of the Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, where he focused on areas such as sustainable development, trade, and climate action. Before joining the Commission, Andrea worked at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as a policy analyst for financial and enterprise affairs. Andrea holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Economics from the University of Trieste and a Master of Arts in European Studies from the College of Europe.

Valérie Mariatte-Wood joined EIOPA in March 2023 and holds the position of Head of the Consumer Protection Department. As consumer protection is part of EIOPA’s DNA, in this role she leads the Consumer Protection team in promoting transparency, simplicity and fairness in the market for consumer financial products and services across the EU. Prior to joining EIOPA, Valérie gained extensive experience in the life insurance industry, primarily on a cross-border basis. She advised on PRIIPs, IDD, Sustainable Finance, Brexit for insurers and Automatic Exchange of Information. Valerie holds a Master’s Degree in International Business and Strategy from the Ecole de Management de Lyon (EM Lyon, France) and a Master of Laws (LL.M) from the University of London (Insurance Law, Banking & Financial Services Law, Financial Crime Law, Equity & Trusts).

Sébastien Commain is Research and Policy Officer at BETTER FINANCE. On this role he collects and analyses data on various aspects of the European retail investment market and pensions which he uses as evidence to support advocacy activities on behalf of consumers. Sébastien is part of numerous EU Advisory Boards, specifically ESMA’s Financial Stability and Orderly Market Working Group and EIOPA’s Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group and CPP Expert Group. Before joining BETTER FINANCE, Sébastien worked as an interest representative, a role in which he initially developed a strong taste for financial regulation issues as well as advocacy and policy analysis skills. He then turned to academia, working at the College of Europe for several years, before undertaking a Ph.D. at the University of Luxembourg on the influence of financial interest groups in EU and international policy making and the reform of bank capital requirements. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in European affairs from Science Po.

Niels Brab is Deutsche Börse Group’s Chief of Staff and Head of Group Corporate and Regulatory Strategy.

In his role he works in symbiosis with the Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Board on the daily management of the company and is responsible for the Group-wide strategy. As part of his responsibilities, Niels supports DBG’s businesses and their senior executives, acting as a catalyst to drive growth and resilience.

He is also in charge of Deutsche Börse Group’s regulatory strategy and represents the Group in various industry associations and key public fora, enhancing critical thought-leadership. Niels is the President of the Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) and serves as a Co-Chair of the European Association of CCP Clearing Houses (EACH).

He is also a member of the European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) CCP Policy Committee and a member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions’ (IOSCO) Consultative Committee.

Before his appointment as Chief of Staff, Niels served as Deutsche Börse Group’s Chief Regulatory Officer, Head of Government Relations and Head of the Brussels Representative Office.

Prior to joining Deutsche Börse Group in 2014, he held roles at leading consultancies, such as FTI Consulting and Fleishman-Hillard. He also founded his own firm, EURObjective. Niels holds an LLM in European Law and an MSc in Public Policy and Human Development from the University of Maastricht.

Deputy Minister of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania Januš Kizenevič – With over 14 years of international experience in financial and legal services, Januš brings a unique perspective on financial markets, risk management, the EU regulatory framework and corporate governance. Prior to his current role, Januš held senior positions at Citibank and HSBC in London and Warsaw, where he focused on risk management, corporate governance, transformation and strategic projects. Januš holds a Master’s in Law from Vilnius University and a Master’s in Finance and Accounting from Warsaw School of Economics, with additional postgraduate experience at University of Cambridge and Stanford Graduate School of Business. As Deputy Minister of Finance, Januš is responsible for areas including financial and capital markets, the EU and international affairs and international financial institutions.

Delphine d’Amarzit has led Euronext Paris as CEO and is a Managing Board member of Euronext N.V. since March 2021.

In the previous stage of her career, she held key roles in the French Treasury and Prime Minister’s Office, contributing to shape European financial regulation, before joining Orange in 2016 to develop their financial services.