Our Team
GFA values are empowerment, fellowship, and ingenuity. These values are used as guiding pillars for our work projects and are brought to life in our internal culture and work ethic. Global Fashion Agenda is an international team with headquarters in Copenhagen and team members spread out around the globe, with English as the office language.
Federica Marchionni
Chief Executive Officer
Federica Marchionni is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). Founded in Denmark, GFA is a non-profit organisation with the ultimate vision to create a net positive fashion industry for the people and the planet across entire eco-system. Before joining GFA, Marchionni attained leadership roles in Europe, USA, and China. During the e-commerce expansion, Marchionni took a role as International CEO of Secoo, a Chinese e-commerce retailer in China. Prior to this, Marchionni was CEO and Board Director at Lands’ End and President of Dolce&Gabbana Inc., based in America. Before moving to the States, Marchionni worked as SVP at Ferrari HQ in Italy. Her career began in the early stage of the telecommunication industry, working for global players such as Samsung, Philips, and Ericsson. She is a guest speaker at high-caliber conferences and top academic institutions including Harvard University and Stanford University, Financial Times, Fortune and COP. Marchionni graduated from La Sapienza University with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a thesis in the mobility business.
Jonas Eder-Hansen
Chief Operating Officer
Jonas Eder-Hansen is the Chief Operating Officer at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). Jonas is responsible for designing and implementing policies that drive GFA and its stakeholders to reach a net positive fashion industry. Jonas oversees GFA’s operations, public affairs and educational activities, including Global Fashion Summit - the leading international forum for sustainability in fashion. With more than ten years of tenure at GFA, Jonas has deep insights in driving industry change. Recently, Jonas spearheaded GFA’s increased strategic focus on engaging policymakers to accelerate the fashion industry’s urgent transition to a circular economy. Since 2017 Jonas sits on the Board of Directors of Sustainable Apparel Coalition representing affiliate members of the industry-wide multi-stakeholder initiative. Jonas was formerly Development Director for Danish Fashion Institute. Prior to that, he was Research Director at Copenhagen Business School’s Centre for Sustainability.
Alice Roberta Taylor
Chief of Staff
Alice Roberta Taylor is Chief of Staff at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) which is a non-profit organisation that mobilises, educates and inspires the industry to improve its sustainability performance. In her role she works closely with the leadership team on strategic project delivery and stakeholder management. She also leads communications for GFA - working to raise awareness about the organisation’s initiatives and communicate its vision of a net positive fashion industry. Taylor has a combination of in-house and agency communications experience related to fashion, sustainability, media and retail. She first joined GFA in 2019. Prior to this, she managed the publicity for Hearst UK in London for established media brands including ELLE UK and Harper’s Bazaar. She also managed the PR for multiple retail and hospitality clients at Stripe Communications and led the PR for the renowned fundraising campaign Run For Heroes. She holds an MA (Hons) in History from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Dana Schou
Director of Partnerships and Development
Dana Schou is Director of Partnerships and 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.
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.
María Luisa Martínez Díez
Public Affairs Director
María 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.
Marta Inchausti Moya
Public Affairs Manager
Marta is Public Affairs Manager at Global Fashion Agenda. Her responsibilities include managing and supporting the planning and execution of policy activities, co-developing content for the Global Fashion Summit program, and researching and providing recommendations on key policies impacting textiles. In addition, Marta also supports PR and strategic communications efforts, translating complex political and legislative initiatives impacting fashion sustainability, and building relationships with government officials, trade associations, NGOs, and other influential organisations to anticipate risks and opportunities. Before joining Global Fashion Agenda, she worked as a Public Affairs Consultant for Vinces Consulting and as an EU Policy Advisor for the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Brussels. Finally, Marta holds an LL.M. in European and International Business Law from Leiden University and a dual degree in Law and International Relations from Universidad Pontificia Comillas, ICADE.
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 is the Sustainability Manager at Global Fashion Agenda. Her responsibilities largely sit with Global Fashion Agenda’s core publications; the Fashion CEO Agenda and GFA Monitor, in research, key stakeholder engagement and co-authoring. Most recently Lammas led coordination of the Fashion Industry Target Consultation together with the UN Environment Programme and previously on the 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment. Before joining Global Fashion Agenda in June 2020, Lammas has experience at online retailer; ASOS working across Product Integrity, Circular Economy and Supply Chain teams, and holds a BA in Fashion Marketing from University of Leeds, United Kingdom.
Shamiul Hoque
Impact Programme Manager
Shamiul Hoque is Impact Programme Manager at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). His responsibilities include driving the impact programs and deliverables in the focused regions. He is also responsible for managing relationships with and supporting our program partners. Shamiul joined GFA in April 2023 and has 13+ years of background in managing sustainability programs with renowned brands, retailers, and sustainability service providers. He is knowledgeable in sustainable materials management, material integrity, sustainable and circular product design, supply chain transparency & traceability.
Linda Velzeboer
Impact Programme Manager
Linda Velzeboer joined Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) in June 2023 as Impact Programme Manager. Her responsibilities include developing and coordinating the impact programmes, and monitoring programme results to steer for greater impact. Linda has extensive experience in managing sustainability and supply chain programmes across Africa and Asia. She worked for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the international non-profit sector on topics such as human rights due diligence, supply chain transparency and environmental sustainability. Linda holds an MSc in International Development from the University of Amsterdam. She is currently based in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Faith Robinson
Head of Content
Faith is Head of Content at Global Fashion Agenda. After working internationally in the creative industries for a decade, she has developed a reputation for carefully mediating different approaches to sustainability in the context of the global fashion industry. Following an Art History BA and now an experimental masters in Degrowth: Ecology, Economics & Policy, Faith got started in research with London-based trends intelligence business Stylus before moving to Copenhagen in 2018. Alongside a fascinating breadth of cultural consultancy, she has collaborated with Global Fashion Agenda since then and joined her now permanent role in January 2023. Separately, Faith has worked on special projects as a business, non-profit, education and governmental advisor. She is a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts and a member within a number of sustainable fashion industry research networks, editorial boards and mentorship programmes.
Maria Jæpelt Petersen
(Maternity Leave) 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.
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.
Ditte Schirmer
Event Project Manager
Ditte Schirmer joined Global Fashion Agenda in February 2023 as Event Project Manager. As part of the Production Team, Ditte supports all efforts related to Global Fashion Agenda’s series of Global Fashion Summits, including additional side events and hospitality co-ordination. With a background in marketing, Ditte’s extensive production experience spans a wide range of media: from international campaign direction to event and photoshoot management. Most recently, Ditte worked on a critically acclaimed documentary series for Danish television. Ditte’s strength is her ability to master many different tasks at once - while securing the overall idea and identity of a project.
Agumm Deng
Event Project Coordinator
Agumm joined the Global Fashion Agenda in January 2023 as an Event Project Coordinator, overseeing the logistics and operations for the Global Fashion Summit. The domains that shape her approach to work are project-, process-, and business-design. She works in coalescence with her passion for bringing beauty to life, and the goal of sharing knowledge, agendas, equity, and collaboration. Agumm left the Danish music industry as a Creative Project Manager to further explore large scale production and industry leadership. ‘I believe that the future leader (brands and people alike) are the ones with a deep understanding of what it means to create positive impact in harmony with communities, ecosystems, and bottom lines. There is a lot I won’t be doing in the world, but there is so much I will aim to create in endless, beautiful ways - and I will always choose to do so with people I admire and with methods based in equity and collaboration.’
Malvika Venkatesh
Summit Programme Coordinator
Malvika Venkatesh joined Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) as Summit Programme Coordinator in January 2023. In collaboration with the Impact and Production Team, she coordinates diverse content for the Global Fashion Summit and manages speakers to ensure effective collaboration and communication of the programme. Malvika is originally from North Carolina, USA where she completed her undergraduate B.A. degree in economics, sustainability, and data science at the University of North Carolina. With a keen interest in sustainability innovation within the fashion industry and the circular economy, Malvika hopes to facilitate the drive for collaborative change alongside GFA. Proven in her past and present work, she is committed to making sustainability a priority and is passionate about involving global communities.
Christina Iskov
Head of Innovation & Academy
Christina Iskov is Head of Innovation & Academy 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.
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.
Maria Samsøe-Schmidt
Innovation Programme Coordinator
Maria Samsøe-Schmidt is the Programme Coordinator in the GFA Academy department at Global Fashion Agenda. In her role she leads and coordinates projects that aims to educate, inspire and accelerate sustainable action, such as the Next Gen Assembly programme for aspiring sustainability changemakers. Samsøe joined GFA (then Danish Fashion Institute) in 2017 as Business Development intern and continued on coordinating stakeholder engagement of global partnerships. Samsøe has also had several years in the Innovation Forum team managing the matchmaking programme and innovator engagement at Global Fashion Summit. In 2022, Samsøe managed the programme for GFA’s first international summit, Global Fashion Summit: Singapore edition. Samsøe is currently studying her Master’s 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.
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.
Caroline Mattesen
GFA Academy Assistant
Mattesen is GFA Academy Assistant, part of the Academy team and supports on all Academy projects. Mattesen holds a bachelor's degree from Copenhagen Business School in Business Administration and Psychology and is currently doing her master's in Economics and Business Administration - Brand & Communications Management, also at Copenhagen Business School. She has worked for two years in a Marketing and External Communications department, creating content for different platforms.
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.
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.
Marcela Krivanova
Communications Coordinator
Marcela Krivanova is a Communications Coordinator at Global Fashion Agenda who joined in August 2022 after completing her undergraduate degree in Design and Business with specialisation in Branding and Marketing Management. As part of the Communications team, Marcela assists in the execution of GFA’s communications strategy and is primarily responsible for Social Media content. With background in content creation and copywriting, Marcela has a flair for digital communications and coming up with new ways to communicate various pieces of content and industry learnings to capture new audiences and drive positive change. She is looking forward to explore this further at GFA.
Florinda Pamungkas
Visual Communications Coordinator
Florinda Pamungkas is Visual Communications Coordinator at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). Using her experience in graphic design and motion design, she supports GFA’s digital communications and storytelling through social media content, and overseeing visual design in various projects. Florinda is passionate about using creative skills to support initiatives that catalyse progressive change, and prior to joining GFA in January 2021, she worked with Danish organization Sex & Samfund (“Sex & Society”, ed.) Florinda holds a BA in Graphic Design from IED Madrid, Spain, and an MA in Communication Studies and Cultural Encounters from Roskilde University, Denmark.
Global Fashion Agenda encourages a culture, which emphasises honesty and trust, responsibility, professionalism, development and curiosity. Moreover, a workplace with a strong sense of team spirit is encouraged, which is driven by a common passion, humour, positive energy and good tone.