Board

Berna Öztınaz graduated from Istanbul University’s Faculty of Business and then completed Sabancı University’s Executive MBA programme. After a brief spell working for the tourism sector, she started her HR career at KORDSA A.Ş and eventually assigned to various projects in Egypt, Germany, Argentina, and Iran.

Then she had various senior HR and Strategic business support roles in the energy sector before taking on the role of CHRO at DeFacto, a large retail company operating in about a hundred countries.

Berna Öztınaz is currently the CHRO at a London-based company of Genel Energy Plc, one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies. With a vast experience in different sectors, she focuses on change management, talent management beyond borders, mergers, acquisitions, privatizations, corporate culture, industrial relations management, main brand management, corporate communications, and business excellence.

With her volunteer work, she served as President for PERYÖN (the biggest non-profit organisation in Human Resources in Turkey) for two terms. Berna has been a Board member of the EAPM since 2020, as well as on the WFPMA Board representing the EAPM since 2022 as the first female delegate from Europe.

Berna recognises that EAPM stands as a respectable source for information and where best practises are openly shared; it is important to strengthen this knowledge capital structure for a sustainable future for HR and the people profession.

Peryön, Turkey
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David Ducheyne is founding president of hrpro.be, the Belgian Association of HR Professionals. He has a career of almost 30 years in HR and business. An organisational psychologist by training he believes that HR should focus on building capabilities that enable organisations, teams and individuals to execute their strategy. David has worked for Alcatel, Henkel, Case New Holland, and Securex. In 2018 he founded Otolith, a consultancy in Belgium. He is the author of Sustainable Leadership and co-authored two books about the customisation of work. He’s an avid blogger.

HRPro, Belgium
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Martina Burulic-Pavlovic has a very varied professional career spanning more than 20 years, in which she has held senior management positions for over 10 years. This began with the completion of the commercial and economic vocational baccalaureate and led to postgraduate studies as an HR Expert and a Master’s degree in HR Management. She wrote her Master’s thesis on the current topic of mobile forms of work in the Federal Office of Communications at her current employer. She will continue to work on the topic in her doctoral thesis in the near future and deepen her work in it.

Before joining the Swiss Federal Administration, Martina held various roles in finance and HR in different national and international companies such as Feldschlösschen Brewery (member of Carlsberg Breweries Group) and Salt Mobile SA, one of the largest telecommunications companies in Switzerland. Her main areas of interest are leadership, new work and organizational energy.

Martina’s financial background coupled with her HR expertise allows her to actively contribute to the EAPM Board as Treasurer on strategic financial issues.

HR Swiss, Switzerland
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Ulrik S. Brix CEO of NOCA, the Danish HR Association, contributes over 20 years of experience within the HR profession. Holding a Master’s in HRM and an industrial Ph.D. in Organizational Analysis from Copenhagen Business School, Ulrik brings a wealth of academic knowledge and practical expertise to the EAPM Board

Ulrik’s motivation to contribute to the EAPM is rooted in a basic desire and curiosity to address the significant challenges faced by both the association and all national HR associations. A fundamental aspect of this challenge lies in the digitalization and globalization of the HR community, affecting HR professionals and all member organizations. This, combined with the growing emphasis on continuous competence development and lifelong learning, fundamentally changes the operational context of the EAPM.

As a Board Member, Ulrik envisions building robust European partnerships, fostering cooperation, and generating mutual gains for all members. His proposed strategic priorities include placing members at the core of decision-making, ensuring efficient resource distribution, expanding resources and members, and cultivating a culture of sharing and learning.

Ulrik’s dedication to supporting and encouraging national HR associations, especially those representing smaller organizations, is evident in his role as the CEO of NOCA. His unique perspective and commitment to international collaboration align seamlessly with the EAPM’s mission.”

NOCA, Denmark
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PARE, Estonia
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Maria Obiols is the Chief People & Culture Officer at BusUp, a leading international scale-up in sustainable corporate mobility. With over 20 years of experience in talent development and organizational transformation, Maria has been a key contributor to the international evolution of global brands and institutions such as Zara, Oysho, Desigual, and ESADE. Throughout her career, she has consistently championed talent as the most effective lever for driving business growth.

For Maria, HR is not just a function; it is a strategic craft. A psychologist by training, her approach is rooted in the practical intersection of people, purpose, and business performance. She is a firm believer in “storydoing” over storytelling, advocating for a leadership style that prioritizes action and authenticity. In her view, culture is not something to be preached through corporate manifestos; it is a living asset built and reinforced through the daily decisions and behaviors of every team member.

In her role as a member of the EAPM Board, Maria brings a pragmatic and human-centric perspective to the European HR community. Her leadership combines a sharp strategic vision with a commitment to proximity and transparency, ensuring that the future of work is built on solid, authentic foundations.

AEDIPE, Spain
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Mary Connaughton, FCIPD

Mary is Strategic Engagement Director with the CIPD in Ireland, focussed on external relations, stakeholder engagement and public policy. For 10 years as its Director, Mary headed CIPD’s growth, development and contribution of the people profession in Ireland. She led the CIPD agenda around inclusion, ways of working, talent and technology, engaging in research, policy and member engagement. She regularly features in the media and continues engaging with policy makers on workplace developments.

Mary is an inspirational leader, passionate about developing people and workplaces to be at their best. She is on the Boards of the Public Appointments Service and the Retirement Planning Council in Ireland, as well as having the privilege of being on the EAPM Board.

CIPD, Ireland
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Sotiris Stamatiou has served as Group Human Resources Director at the Onassis Foundation Group of Companies since July 2016. Since December 2016, Sotiris has also been President of the Board of the Greek People Management Association (GPMA).

Sotiris is recognized for robust stakeholder management skills across diverse industries, including FMCG, energy, retail, insurance, shipping, investments, culture, and public benefit organizations. He held several senior HR roles, including HR Director for EKO & BP and International Operations at Hellenic Petroleum Group of Companies, HR Manager at Interamerican, Retail Med Cluster HR Manager at Shell Hellas, and Recruiting & Employee Services Manager at Procter & Gamble. Sotiris Stamatiou has international cluster experience at Helpe & Shell, having worked also for Shell in Istanbul and started their career at EIM in the Netherlands.

Sotiris has also a long-standing institutional engagement in Greece. Three-time elected President of the BoD of the GPMA (2016–today), General Secretary (2011–2016), and Board member (1994–2000), with continuous membership since 1993. Member of advisory committees for HR Master’s programs at the Athens University of Economics and Business and ALBA Graduate Business School. Active contributor to national policy and governance bodies, including the HR & Diversity Committee of SEV (since 2021), the KPMG Institutional Evaluation Committee (since 2019), the PeopleCert Certification Council Committee, and the Council of Competitiveness of Greece.

Sotiris holds a degree in Economics from the Athens University of Economics & Business, an M.Sc. in Communication, and has completed executive programs at ALBA, IMD, and Ashridge University.

GPMA, Greece
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Marita Salo had several positions at the EAPM in recent years: Vice President, member of the Governance Working Group and Chair of Membership Fee Working Group. As the auditor of EAPM, Marita wishes to bring her knowledge and experience to the benefit of the EAPM.

She is Executive Director of The Finnish Association for Human Resources Management – HENRY. In her role as Vice President and Chair of the Membership Committee she built upon the achievements of previous EAPM boards and further strengthen the development of EAPM as a unique arena for national people management associations and support EAPM´s potential to become a European voice in the global dialogue.

The national associations of EAPM have an unrivalled position to drive positive change in the working life by facilitating contacts and partnerships as well as sharing information, knowledge and experiences across Europe.

Marita highly appreciates the high spirit of colleagueship among the EAPM family and wishes to contribute to the success of EAPM and its members.

Contact Marita using this form and put FAO Marita Salo in the subject line