About Us
CRES – Centre for Research and European Studies – Future Business is a newly formed European non-profit Association founded by ten Organisations from 8 different Countries (DE, ES, EL, IT, MT, PT, SE, RU) with valuable experience and specific expertise for an innovative development perspective of “future business”. It includes several actors (e.g. public and private Universities, business, school, etc.) from across Europe who are joining forces to develop and implement studies, research and European projects in the field of human resources management, education and training, ICT, social inclusion and Quality Assurance in order to enhance and valorise the professional network of its Members and thus promoting active citizenship across Europe.
Executive Committee
Meetings – at least four/year (also online)
Guido van Dijk
President
Info
Guido van Dijk is a strategic leader in European educational innovation and President of CRES – Centre for Research and European Studies – Future Business (CRESfb). As legal representative of the association, he leads its governing bodies and supports international cooperation, research, and EU-funded initiatives in education, digital transformation, social inclusion, and quality assurance.
Originally trained as a computer science and mathematics teacher, he combines extensive classroom experience with a long-standing commitment to systemic educational change. From within Stichting Onderwijs Midden-Limburg (SOML), he shapes transnational innovation programmes that help schools become sustainable, digitally advanced, and pedagogically future-ready.
He also contributes to the Netherlands’ leading national AI-driven education initiatives through NOLAI (the National Education Lab AI), focusing on personalized learning supported by responsible AI.
His work provides strategic leadership for European partnerships in the fields of educational transformation, sustainability, STEAM education, and AI integration, translating EU priorities into scalable impact in educational practice.
As co-founder of Agora Education, Agile in Education, and the innovation platform HEYY, he has contributed to the development of learner-centered models and professional learning ecosystems. He holds an MSc in Business Process Management and IT and is pursuing doctoral research at the Open University, supporting adaptive and resilient education systems.
As President of CRES, he aims to strengthen the association as a European learning network where research, policy, and educational practice come together. His vision focuses on the human role in technology, ensuring that digital innovation and AI support good teaching, sustainable development, and empowered teachers and learners. He advocates for future-proof education systems where innovation creates lasting value for schools and society.
Marianna Gevorski
Vice-President
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Marianna Gevorski leads the R&D Department for Project Development and Coordination at Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM), where she develops and manages international cooperation projects connecting academia, industry, and civil society. With 20 years of experience in project design and implementation, she specializes in creating strategic partnerships that address complex challenges at the intersection of education, research, and economic development.
Marianna has coordinated over 90 EU-funded projects across multiple program lines, including TEMPUS, Leonardo da Vinci, ERASMUS+, Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE), Cooperation Partnerships, and Knowledge Alliances. Her funding expertise extends beyond EU mechanisms to include projects supported by German federal and state ministries—notably the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Ministry of Education, and Ministry for Economic Affairs.
At FHM, her work focuses on creating partnerships that align European and German federal policy priorities with the practical needs of economy and society. Her experience spans the full project lifecycle: from concept development and partner identification through implementation, quality management, and evaluation. She brings particular expertise in aligning diverse stakeholder interests—academic institutions, SMEs, public authorities, and civil society organizations—toward shared objectives.
From 2018 to 2020, Marianna served as a DAAD Expert for Erasmus+ programs, contributing to the development of international education cooperation frameworks. Since June 2024, she has been a member of the CRES Advisory Group. She also active as external evaluator for European projects, applying her experience to assess project quality, impact, and sustainability.
David Bayona Cuallado
Vice-President
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David Bayona Cuallado is an Assistant Lecturer (Ayudante Doctor) in the Department of Marketing and Market Research at the University of Valencia, where he teaches courses such as Fundamentals of Business Management and supervises final degree projects in Business Administration and Economics.
He holds a PhD in Business Management and has developed an academic and professional career at the intersection of strategic management, marketing, diversity, and international cooperation.
In addition to his university career, David has been deeply involved in European cooperation and project management. For many years he served as Director of the association Esplai Social and the SME Dideas, where he coordinated and led multiple European Erasmus+ projects focused on social entrepreneurship, empowerment, youth engagement and innovation (e.g., PoWER, Social Youth: The Entrepreneurship of the Future, NEWDIGISHIP, and others). His leadership in these initiatives involved project coordination, partner engagement, dissemination, and strategic implementation across international networks.
He has been publicly active in disseminating project results, facilitating international meetings and conferences, and strengthening cross-border partnerships that integrate academic, social and entrepreneurial objectives. Through these roles, David has built a strong reputation as a Head of EU Projects, trainer and consultant within the Erasmus+ ecosystem.
Currently, David is a partner and shareholder at Branta, where he continues to apply his expertise in strategic project development, innovation, and social impact. In this role, he focuses on leveraging European funding frameworks and collaborative approaches to advance organisational goals, create meaningful partnerships, and deliver value-driven initiatives at local and international scales.
David’s combined academic, international, and applied leadership experience positions him as a professional capable of bridging research, education and real-world social innovation, with a consistent track record of nurturing sustainable collaborations and delivering high-impact European programmes.
Katarzyna Mitrut
Vice-President
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Katarzyna Mitrut, Vice President of PAIZ Grow Partners and Association for Ecoinnavations. She is an
experienced trainer and consultant with nearly two decades of experience; specializes in change and
innovation management for large and medium-sized organizations in Poland. Certified in HPLJ
training and implementation, she has spearheaded NGO development within the OIC International
network. Leading sustainability initiatives in nine EU-funded projects, including “Shift2Green” and
“Too Good To Go” she promotes green habits and waste-free economy transitions for SMEs. Deeply
engaged in sustainability and circular economy concepts, she employs gamification to transform
habits into eco-friendly practices. She develops essential tools for circular business transformation,
crafting policies, action plans, and risk analyses to effectively implement circularity. Her expertise
ensures accurate assessment, formulation, and comprehensive risk management, crucial for
businesses’circular journey.
Alessia Spatafora
Managing Director
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Graduated from the University “Roma Tre” in Architecture, in 2006. She attended Postgraduate Specialization at the “Specializing School for Environmental and Cultural Heritage” at the University of Roma “La Sapienza” on the protection, safeguard, reuse, and valorization of Europe’s cultural heritage. She has been working for several years in the field of restoration, maintenance, and architectural study of historic buildings and cultural heritage, in Italy and abroad. In 2014 she decided to approach the sector of the EU project management, where she is actually entusiastically employed. Today, she is the Project Coordinator of non-profit Italian Association set up in 1978 “Finance&Banking – Associazione per lo Sviluppo Organizzativo e delle Risorse Umane” and the Managing Director of an European non-profit Association set up in January 2019 “Centro di Ricerche e Studi Europei-future business”, both based in Rome (IT). She has a consolidate experience in the writing and management of EU project proposals. She is responsible for the design, monitor, communication and research activities in several European and international funding projects in the field of lifelong learning. Up to now, she coordinates a staff of 6 people and she is responsible of more than 20 EU Projects in the field of school education, VET, youth and adult education. |
General Secretariat
c/o Effebi Association in Rome (IT)
Annalisa Contu
Project manager
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Annalisa Contu is an experienced EU project manager specialized in social inclusion, education and the integration of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, migrants and refugees, disadvantaged children, seniors and Roma communities. She has extensive experience coordinating international projects and building cross-border partnerships, with strong expertise in EU funding programmes such as Erasmus+. She also has a solid background in economics, management and business administration, supported by a Master’s degree from the Bocconi University.
Chiara Zanchetta
Project Manager
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She is a Brazilian & Italian Internationalist passionate about creative thinking and innovation for social justice and human rights. Graduated in International Relations and Languages and with a Master Degree in International Cooperation and Development, she works with European Project Management since 2020.
She is fond of Social Impact Research and is skilled in the field of Diversity, GESI (Gender and Social Inclusion), International Security of Minorities and Rule of Law, having collaborated with multilateral and international organizations all around the globe, such as USA, Mexico, Belgium, Portugal and Brazil.
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