The Team
Robert Weibel
Executive Director Founder; Robert has delivered customised executive consultancies & training since 1986 for 2500+ missions covering 6000+ consulting/training days for 120+ governments and international organisations involving over 30 000 delegates from over 90% of the world’s countries. Topics have covered “negotiation” per se (international, institutional, political, EU accession, trade, humanitarian, business, etc.), mediation/conflict resolution, chairing/presidency techniques, diplomacy, and crisis management. Professor of Practice at several postgraduate institutions, notably at the Geneva Graduate Institute, Vienna School of International Studies; Visiting Associate Professor at the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) 1994-98.
Internationally there has been close cooperation both at HQ and field levels with major international entities: UN (IOM, UNHCR, ITC, ITU, WHO, WFP, UNCTAD, INC/UNFCCC, INC/D, WMO, UNAIDS, OCHA, UNAMI, ILO, UNSSC, UNSSD), NATO, Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the Council of Europe (Strasbourg), and OSCE. In the humanitarian field, he works closely with Global Fund, GAVI, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Médecins sans frontières (MSF), and as board member of the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation (CCHN). He has engaged intensively in diplomatic training and coaching activities worldwide since 1987, notably for EU and EFTA Member States. Finally, he has led negotiation training consultancies for civil society organisations (health, human rights, environment, development cooperation) and major international pharmaceutical, food, engineering, banking, logistics and crop science corporations.
At an EU level Robert has worked closely with 46 EU Council Presidencies and coached/trained several thousand chairpersons, heads of delegations, coordinators as well as over 120 ministers and state secretaries most recently for (post-TFEU) PL, IRL, LT, GR, LV, LU, NL, SK, MT, BG, AT, RO, FI, HR, CZ, SE, BE, CY and LT. Member state line ministries and MFAs call upon his services regularly as do the 3 European Institutions, several EU Agencies. the European External Action Service (EEAS) as well as the European Central Bank, EU National Central Banks and European Supervisory Authorities. He has conducted the European Diplomatic Programme (EDP) negotiation module every year since its first 2001 edition. He also prepares member state diplomats their EEAS assessment center evaluations.
Laurent Verrellen
Laurent Verrellen is a CENAD Associate Senior Executive Trainer specialised in International & EU Negotiations and Communication & Public Speaking. He has specialised in EU and international matters, institutions and relations and understands how such institutions operate, their interdependencies and cultures. He has planned, organized and handled multilateral conferences at expert and ministerial levels. Laurent has delivered at international (UN Agencies, GCSP) and EU levels; greatly involved in the CZ, PL, LT, SK, BG, PT and again Lithuanian EU Council Presidency preparations, as well as with the European Commission. In addition, he has led bespoke communication, public speaking and negotiation trainings for MFAs of Greece, Poland, and Portugal specifically as well as for the European Diplomatic Programme (EDP). Furthermore, Laurent has delivered International Negotiation Masterclasses at the Vienna School of International Studies. Finally, he has provided EEAS assessment centre training for several member states.
For the civil society and the private sectors, Laurent has delivered to many, e.g. World Economic Forum, Renault, Ford, Volvo, Electrabel, Bouygues, Arcelor, Bombardier, Danone, ACCOR, AGFA, Triumph, GEA, DieBahn DB, ING, DEXIA, Fortis, Crédit Agricole, BNP, Groupe Suez, Festival d’Avignon, ETUC, AXA, ECDPM, European cultural networks, and BusinessEurope. At EU-level: EIPA, European Commission, European Parliament, Eurostat, numerous European Works Councils as well as European federations and associations, national administrations, ministries and diplomatic academies.
Jessica Weibel
Jessica Weibel is a Certified Professional Coach & Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach specialized in strengths-based development.
With over 15+ experience in the corporate private sector working very closely with Senior Management Teams, she has extensive expertise in strategy, communication, marketing & innovation and a broad understanding of international & multicultural workplace realities, challenges – and opportunities.
Passionate about people empowerment, she helps corporate executives & emerging leaders unlock their greatest potential to successfully achieve personal & professional aspirations and she supports teams maximizing collective excellence for high performance, engagement and collaboration.
As a CENAD coach & consultant, she helps public & private sector participants, among whom diplomats & civil servants discover their unique talents, turn them into high-impact strengths, and apply them with clarity, confidence, and purpose to increase their diplomatic negotiation and leadership abilities.
Ari Sihvola
Before joining the CENAD Team, Ari Sihvola worked 16 years in the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs as a Counsellor and Chief of Training with a special focus on capacity building of young and senior diplomats and leadership development. In 2000-2003, he joined the European Commission, designing a capacity development strategy for the Commission’s Delegations worldwide. Furthermore, he represented the Commission in the Council Working Party on administration, protocol and security, and was actively engaged in the negotiations which established the European Diplomatic Programme (EDP).
Upon returning to Finland, Ari became the Head of HAUS International (Finnish Institute of Public Management) in charge of running mainly EU financed development projects in EU candidate and potential candidate countries (Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Kosovo, Cyprus, Croatia and Montenegro). His expertise focused on public administration reforms of those countries, including the fight against corruption, introduction of merit-based recruitment for senior PA managers, and enforcing integrity of the civil service. Later, in his capacity as HAUS Director of Development and senior advisor, Ari developed public governance and counselled senior public executives in Namibia, Zambia, China/Guangdong and Guatemala.
An avid trainer, Ari has conducted negotiation training and counselling e.g. in Estonia, Slovakia, Montenegro and Bulgaria. By education, Sihvola has a PhD (Helsinki) in the history of political ideas.
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Jonathan Weibel
Until 2024, Jonathan was CENAD’s Managing Director. Currently Jonathan develops and delivers EU and International trainings for staff involved in EU negotiations, as well as for practitioners from International Organizations and INGO’s working in the field. He continues to teach International Negotiations at the Vienna School of International Studies; he has been trainer and facilitator in over 120 seminars overall in EU and international negotiation, policy dialogue, mediation / conflict resolution, EU chairmanship / presidency skills and techniques as well as crisis management and private sector negotiations. He delivered negotiation training in Astana in 2017; since 2018 he has conducted a dozen negotiation sessions for the Turkish Ministry of Interior (EU funded) on negotiating migration issues on EU-TK levels.
Prior to joining CENAD, Jonathan worked as a Negotiation and Communication Trainer in the Capacity Building Department of the International Organization for Migration IOM, Iraq Mission. He was responsible Integrative Border Management and Communication aspects involving different Ministries within the Central Government of Iraq as well as negotiation and communication trainer for in-house and Training of Trainers (ToT) trainings in the region.
Franz Gundacker
Franz’s civil service career began with the Federal Civil Service of Austria (1979-2008) which was enriched by several international assignments. His work in the Public Employment Service (1979-1992, 1994-1997) led to senior management functions at Land and Federal levels, and serving as Executive Secretary to the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES). At the Federal Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs (1999-2003) Franz was Deputy Director General of EU and International Affairs and protocol official to the Minister.
International postings: Paris OECD Consultant (1992-1994); EU Council as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Permanent Representation of Austria (1997-1999); Senior Advisor at the Budapest ILO Sub-Regional Office, responsible for projects in 11 countries in South Eastern and Eastern Europe.
Since 2004, Franz has worked extensively as a CENAD Associate, Senior Executive Trainer specialized in International & EU Negotiation, and Report Writing:
- EU Member States & Brussels for the TFEU Council Presidencies of the Czech Republic, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Netherlands, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Portugal, which have included Minister coachings
- Public Administration / Civil Society / Business: Berlin, Lucerne, Geneva, Amman, Nur Sultan (formerly Astana)
- Diplomatic training: Bern, Brussels, Prague, Yerevan
- Central banking: Frankfurt, Riga, Copenhagen, Rome
- and Intergovernmental Organisations: Geneva, Quito, Pretoria, Cancun, Manila
- Academia: Geneva
Denis Colfer
Denis’ civil service career began with the Irish Department of Tourism & Trade (1993-96) during time which he chaired EU Council meetings and dealt directly with the Commission and European Parliament. Until 2002, he was posted at the Irish EU Permanent Representation covering Internal Market issues related to trade, tourism, consumer affairs as well as horizontal questions related to anti-dumping, GSP, company Law, Phare and Tacis programmes. In 2002-04, Denis focused on employment strategy at the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment representing Ireland at the ILO as well as chairing EU coordination meetings during the 2004 Irish EU Presidency,
Since 2004, as CENAD Associate, Senior Executive Trainer, Denis has led Negotiation Consultancies and International & EU Negotiation seminars with a specialization on chairing skills. At EU level, he has helped prepare Portugal (2021), Bulgaria (2018) Estonia (2017), Slovakia (2016), Netherlands (2016), Lithuania (2013), Ireland (2013), Poland (2011), Czech Republic (2009), Sweden (2009), and Finland (2006) for their EU Council Presidencies.
In addition, Denis has engaged in:
- Diplomatic training (Bern, Brussels, Vienna, Prague, Astana)
- Policy Dialogue (DG Devco, Trinidad & Tobago)
- WTO negotiation training for African and Gulf States
- ESCB negotiation training (Frankfurt)
Business-Public Sector negotiation training (Vienna)
Gunnar Lindgren
During his 1994-2013 career in the Government Offices, Gunnar Lindgren’s role was that of implementer of strategic EU-related initiatives for politicians and civil servants. Upon leaving Government Offices, he has continued to consult on EU-related matters and on many occasions served as an advisor to Robert Weibel, mainly related to assignments in Sweden. In December 2024, he joined CENAD’s Board of Advisors.
Ailsa Lee
Ailsa has been CENAD’s administrative manager, in charge of the secretariat and supporting CENAD’s operations in planning, organizing, and implementing administrative systems.